PAGE TWELVE

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1951



Metamorphosis'

To

Be

Premiered

Tomorrow

*

*

*

*

*

"Metamorphosis" represents something en-
tirely new in campus activity. It isn't often the
campus gets treated to a world premiere, but it
is less often that it witnesses the first showing of
a unique film produced by members of the Uni-

versity community. The production of "Meta-
morphosis" proves one thing-that a univer-
sity set-up can offer the finest opportunities for
the development and exercise of student interest

in cinematic progress.

* * *

'U' To See Campus Film Production

By VIRGINIA VOSS
Passersby who strolled past a
yellow frame house on Huron
Street last spring would never
have realized that the residence
concealed the efforts of a crusad-
ing film company.
But from the Huron Street house
and the efforts of a group of Ann
Arbor cinema enthusiasts, "Meta-
morphosis", the first f e a t u r e
length sound film ever to be pro-
duced on a college campus, has
emerged.
PRODUCED under makeshift,
un-Hollywoodian conditions on a
shoestring budget of $5,000, "Me-
tamorphosis" nevertheless will not
be released without a Hollywood
type premiere. At 8:30 p.m. to-
morrow and Tuesday, Hill Audi-
torium lights will dim, discordant
sounds will emit from the original
music background, and "Metamor-
phosis" will emerge.
The film version of Franz
Kafka's symbolic short novel,
"Metamorphosis" has already
piled up several "firsts" to its
credit.
Among the first full - length
sound movies actually shot on 16
mm. film, it represents the initial
attempt to adapt Kafka to a fea-
ture production in this country.
* * *
BUT "FIRSTS" do not come
without their problems. And as
far as problems go, "Metamorpho-
sis" had more than its share.
When the film was in its in-
fancy, producer-director WilI-
liam Hampton, Grad., realized
that the production would re-
quire an unusual photographic

device. At the beginning of Kaf-
ka's story, a middle-class, unim-
pressive German clerk named
Gregor Samsa, turns into a gi-
gantic, five foot insect. The
camera, then, would have to be
Gregor in his metamorphosed
form.
What does a huge insect see?
This was cameraman Paul Meagh-
er's big problem. A dolly capable
of transporting a cameraman and
lensman about Gregor's bedroom
floor was constructed. Two dif-
ferent cameras were employed.
One was hand-manipulated "as
Gregor Samsa awoke one morn-
ing" and peered about his room.
The other, a $3,000 professional
camera, was attacked to the dolly
to achieve the effect of Gregor
inching across the floor.
CRAMPED, ill-equipped shoot-
ing conditions caused a score of
difficulties.
Confusion was the general re-
sult. Director Hampton got in
WPAG sound technician Paul
Lohmann's way. Sound engi-
neer, Charles Brodhead, got his
wires tangled with Meagher's
camera equipment. 'And Daily
Managing Editor Chuck Elliott,
who acted as associate producer,
had his set arrangements con-
tinually mixed up.
Heavy window drapes were used
to obscure a nearby grocery and
a neon sign that persisted in
blinking 24 hours a day.
The biggest problem arose when
noise from Huron street trans-
port trucks necessitated filming
sound sequences at the least noisy
hour of the day. Experiment

proved the best hour to be 4 a.m.
Hard on everyone, the early
morning shooting t i m e played
havoc with Meagher's dental prac-
tice and with Hampton's teaching
career. Arts Theater members
Dana Elcar, Pat Newhall, Bette
Ellis, Jeremy Lepard, and Joyce
Edgar were forced to squeeze in
double rehearsal schedules.
* *. *a
BUT WHEN actual shooting was
completed, half the work still re-
mained to be done. Campus com-
poser Ed Chudacoff, Grad., wrote
appropriately eccentric music for
the background effects. Under Ed
Troupin's direction seven musi-
cians recorded the music this fall.
Bill Wiegand, who in collabor-
ation with RichardhKraus, Grad.,
adapted the psychological story
for cinema purposes, worked last
summer with Hampton a n d
Meagher tocut and edit the
film.
The past few days, prior to
Gothic Film's release of the film
tomorrow, the entire company has
directed its efforts to publicity.
The SL Cinema Guild is sponsor-
ing the showing along with the
Gothic Film Society. The admis-
sion price has been fixed at 75c.
"Metamorphosis" may have been
made under obscure conditions,
but it won't go unheralded now.

CLERK'S REACTION TO GREGOR



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