:50:04
The award was shared -
by Russell Gausman and Ira Webb
:50:08
for their set decoration.
:50:10
The Climax, Phantom's follow-up,
:50:12
was in production at the time
of the Academy Awards.
:50:14
The nominated Phantom personnel
were released from shooting to attend.
:50:19
Phantom won for art direction
and colour cinematography,
:50:22
awarded to Mohr and Greene.
:50:24
It was also nominated
for sound recording and musical score.
:50:28
In fact, both Variety
and The Hollywood Reporter
:50:31
remarked on the extraordinary quality
of Phantom's sound
:50:34
and suggested that there would be
a nomination awaiting it.
:50:38
Phantom utilised the Western Electric
Variable Density sound system.
:50:42
In this process, the sound recording was
made on 35mm black-and-white film -
:50:47
optical sound, where a photoelectric cell
exposed, through a slit,
:50:52
the modulations
carried from the microphone.
:50:55
The other major system in Hollywood
was variable area.
:50:58
The variable-area system was
a high-contrast white-on-black line
:51:04
which would modulate either left or right
:51:06
depending on the application
of the process.
:51:09
In density, you actually have
a photographic image
:51:12
that is gradients of grey to black, with
the modulations being darker or lighter.
:51:17
One of the problems with the system
is that in passages of no sound
:51:23
there is a very audible noise floor
that can be heard.
:51:27
In the mid-'40s there was quite a push
on in Hollywood sound departments
:51:32
to improve the quality
of their optical audio.
:51:35
And Western Electric came up with
a process known as a squeeze track
:51:39
to help noise reduction in this period.
:51:42
In the final mix, a shutter on
either side of the track negative...
:51:47
would open or close in sympathy
with the sound modulation.
:51:51
In this way, there was less
of the area of the track negative exposed
:51:55
in areas where there was silence.
:51:57
So if there was less scanning area,
there would be less system noise.