..in Cinerama "Renault Dauphine" | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written by: - | Date: 17.03.2011 |
 The Renault Dauphine. Image by Thomas HauerslevRenault Sketch February 6, 1959 General considerations "The Message" The intention is to produce a short Cinerama sequence (maximum 4-5 minutes) which will present the Dauphine from two major points of view 1) As the typical French car, inherently a part of the chic Parisian scene. 2) As the product of a modern manufacturing and engineering organization is whose plants are to be found production techniques and mechanization second to none in the world. | More in 70mm reading: in70mm.com's Cinerama page The Miracle of Todd-AO Final review May 1, 1956 Internet link: |
| "The Angle" The sequence must be presented in such a way that there is a humorous angle which remove it from the category of a strictly "educational" commercial film. The sequence must be entertaining and amusing as well as factual. Sound It is a hoped that a "live" sound made synchronously as each scene is photographed will carry the entire sequence without musical underscoring. However, during editing it may be found necessary to introduce some music. A narrator will be used very sparingly to connect the scenes and to create the angle. Very familiar, easy, conversational style. | |
Tentative shooting script | |
Scene 1 | |
 LocationA street scene in a very chic quarter of Paris. It must be instantly identifiable as being part of Paris; for example, the Eiffel Tower might be seen in the background. Action A Dauphine comes down the street and stops screen center, medium close-up. Door on the driver's side opens and a truly stunningly beautiful girl gets out and walks away -- into a shop or a building. | |
Scene 2 | |
| Location The steam hammer at Le Mans Action Close up of hammer with a red hot forging ahead. The hammer drops with a tremendous noise. The camera dollies backwards as there are repeated blows of the hammer. Narrator "The crankshaft come from the steam hammer at Le Mans." (It is of course obvious now he was not speaking of the girl in the previous scene.) | |
Scene 3 | |
| Location Billancourt, automatic machinery handling the cylinder block. Action Medium-long-shot showing the corner of the automatic machining line with illuminated control board. The camera moves in close to watch the reversal of the cylinder block. Dissolve to scene 4 Narrator "The cylinder block is machined at Billancourt..." | |
Scene 4 | |
 LocationBillancourt, the motor test carousel. Action Medioum-long-shot showing the entire test stand with motors arriving and leaving on the conveyers. Then camera moves in a lateral dolly shot which has the effect of speeding up the action on the stand. Motors being gunned and tested close to camera. Narrator "...and the completed motor is tested here." | |
Scene 5 | |
| Location Flins, the giant compound top forming press in the hall of presses. Action Medium -close-up of press as sheet metal is fed into it. Camera moves closer as the press closes. We hear the scream of metal as the compound pressure draws and forms the top: As press opens we can see through it to the other presses forming a continuous line where other operations on the top are performed. Dissolve to scene 6. Narrator "Parts of the body are formed in the giant presses at Flins." | |
Scene 6 | |
| Location By means of the dissolve, camera moves to opposite side of press and dollies backward, following the pieces though the succeeding operations in the line of presses. Action The backward motion of the camera is faster than the movement of one piece along the line, but not so fast that we can't follow the steps as the top is formed. | |
Scene 7 | |
 LocationArea on the assembly line where electric welding of the body is done. Action The camera moves very close to one assembly line. The other line can be seen in the background. The scene must be rather dark, not too well lighted, so that the sparks from the welding guns are accentuated. Narrator "The final assembly if the car is begun here." | |
Scene 8 | |
| Location Final assembly line at Flins. Action Medium-close-shot of the operation where the motors on their conveyers are brought together with the bodies dropping down from above. Then continues into backward dolly, increasing speed along the line. Dissolve into scene 9. Narrator "The motor is assembled to the finished body." | |
Scene 9 | |
| Location The end of the assembly line Action We dissolve into a continuation of the reverse dolly shot moving along the assembly line and come to a stop at the end of the line as white robed worker jumps into the end car on the line, starts it, and drives it off the line past the camera with a roar. | |
Scene 10 | |
 LocationOutside of the Renault plant at Flins. Action Medium-long-shot of the doors through which new cars are being driven for initial test. Several cars come out and then we see the car (the same one we saw leave the assembly line). This car must be instantly identifiable because it is a strikingly different color from the others. It is, of course, the same color (the same car) as we saw in scene 1. As this car comes through the door, it turns directly towards the camera. It drives up and comes to a sudden stop. It has made the identical approach and stopped in the same position as the car in scene 1. Dissolve to same car in same position in Scene 1. | |
Scene 11 | |
 LocationSame as Scene 1. (It is a continuation of Scene 1) Action By means of a dissolve we have followed the same car from Flins to Paris. The beautiful girl comes out of the shop or building, gets in the car, starts and drives away on a fade out. Narrator Immediately after dissolve, "So now you know where she came from..." Girl approaches car - "As to where she is going, I'm afraid only Mademoiselle knows that. What's that? You would like to meet her? Oh, I'm sorry. May I present the Dauphine, product of Renault." | |
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