Film cameras, mostly for documentary use, were all very cumbersome; the equipment was very bulky and very heavy, meaning that there was difficulty if movement was needed. All documentaries were stilted.
The only way to create moving action then was to use the 'Wind up camera', however, it would have to be wound up as the action was going on and could only capture 20 second chunks. The winding sound made noise so they didn't record sound at the same time as the camera. Users had to record an audio track afterwards.
The initial new type of documentary put forward was suggested to contain 'Action without actors' and would capture footage 'only possible if captured personally'.
One example of trying to create an of being in the moment, featuring people putting up a big tent, were actually recorded at different times over a few months, edited to give the illusion of all of the footage happening in real time.
A team of Americans created the first 'Oracon' camera that was only one third of the weight of its normal size, created by drilling out parts of the camera. This meant that the light weight would enable the filmmakers to follow their case studies if they moved. This was the first camera that could film any type of action in this way.
However, French filmmakers tried to create a completely new camera from scratch rather than try to adapt from an existing camera. This was created so that the reeling in of the film did not create as much noise as other cameras, created what was described as a 'quiet gliding noise' in stead of the sound of the reel. It only weighed four pounds.
In America, a proposal was made to film John F Kennedy at his presidential primary, telling him that he didn't have to take part in any interviews but just allow himself to be filmed. the sound was still being recorded by a separate device, as mall sound recorder, recorded in real time to the camera. There were no tripods so when JFK moved, they could follow him through use of handheld techniques. The film enabled the public to see JFK not only as a presidential candidate, but as a person. The last day of filming, included filming footage of JFK finding out that he had won the primary. The final film was called 'Primary'.
However, there were technical problems during the editing process. None of the audio recorded were not synchronised with the picture because the sound recorder ran at a different speed rate to the camera. this meant that every piece of sound would have to be matched up to the picture manually. Some parts of the sound remained out of sync because the filmmakers were exhausted with the whole process. despite these difficulties, this film marked the start of the 'Fly on the Wall' documentary style.
Another project in France involved recording the everyday life of the people of Paris. The start of the shoot involved the use of a heavier camera which had to be used on a tripod. The filmmakers eventually became frustrated with the bulky equipment. However, a new camera had been developed which was both light and silent. They eventually opted to use this camera, allowing a shot that could move from various locations, including one specific shot which moved from a dinner table into the streets of Paris. it was described as the camera and the director being 'in communion with the subjects rather than being outside of them'. This film faced the same problems in terms of audio in editing as the Americans. However, the Swiss were able to create a machine that allowed for the sound to run at the same rate as the picture, meaning that both the sound and picture were perfectly synchronised.
With the capability to record both picture and sound as equal, filmmakers were spurred to create more and more documentary films. These included the capture of many significant moments in 20th century history. These included the desegregation of certain areas in America. Because of the raw nature of documentaries such as these, the television networks were not interested in showing any documentaries. In 1962, the original American group of camera engineers split away from each other, feeling that their aspirations were too big for television. This was not the case in France, however, as the industry continued to thrive and grow with new technologies being engineered year after year.
From the 1960s and onwards, the handheld camera captured many key historical moments, allowing both the filmmakers and the audience to be involved in the action and sound taking place on screen. The handheld camera gave viewers a 'Window on the World, but is also said to give viewers a 'Window to the Past'.
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