This film “Constructing Reality – A Film on Film” (1973) is, at its core, an exploration of the intricate art of filmmaking, delving into the multifaceted stages of scriptwriting, cinematography, and meticulous final editing. It provides a behind-the-scenes journey, unraveling the creative and technical complexities that bring a film to life. As an illustration, the film-within-a-film narrative centers around a race car competition. The film was produced by David Altschul of Gilbert Altschul Productions.
A race car enters the shot (0:26). Two men fill up the tank, and the race car driver gets back in, to continue racing (0:39). The narrator discusses how to best edit the scene of the race cars driving by (1:01). The next scene is of the camera panning out from a little screen that portrayed the race cars driving (1:06). A group of men discuss, and edit the clip (1:09). The narrator explains that a movie is being made about a sports car race, and about the filmmaking process itself (1:15). The process of which includes the script, the photography and the final editing (1:35). The narrator shows the viewers the final stage of the process, where the editor cuts raw pieces of film (1:47). It is said that before starting the filmmaking process, one has to know what wants to be expressed (2:34). The narrator says the aim of this particular film is to capture the excitement and tension of a day at the races (2:54). He explains that if you are personally at the races, you can capture different types of details (3.06). An important shot that the narrator wants to capture at the beginning of this film, is the driver suiting up before the race, which is a build up to the race itself (3:31). Ways of shooting this particular scene are discussed (3:50). The next scene is long and there is no narration, as the viewers see the driver getting ready in the car (4:13). The narrator says that for a driver to suit up only takes a few minutes, however a few minutes on screen seem a lot longer (4:51). Cutting to different angles makes the sequence more interesting (5:43). Montages can also be used, as well as music which can help create the intended mood (5:55). The narrator explains that when it’s time for the race, the cars lineup and take one lap around the track (7:10). It is then explained that the best way to shoot the first shot is to place it in the pit area, which is the view of an average spectator (7:18). The goal of this particular section in the film was to capture the excitement of the event in under a few minutes, and to build a sense of competition between the cars (11:29). The editors concentrated on race cars number 9, and number 42 (11:42). A five-minute clip of the final edit begins, with no narration. Different shots and points of view are shown to the viewers, such as the people cheering on the sidelines (17:28).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
