" Here Edison revealed the basic strategy of
the phonograph and film operations; commercial success could be
attained with technical perfection that overcame aesthetic or
dramatic considerations. Their efforts did not
always meet with approval from the film committee West
Orange and Hutchison was forever complaining about the poor
..IX-37
specially built absorb the reflected sounds that ruined
sound tracks.. The short kinetophone subjects were therefore
directed technical staff who placed the actors and staged
dialogue achieve technical standards.
The overall concern with the technical rather than the
dramatic was surely appropriate one for "the best lab ever. The problems reflected sound the studio
made imperative that the actor directly speak into the horn
to heard."
The attention the laboratory staff was technical problems
and technical merit, each man was concerned that his area of
responsibility produced the right results and Edison's
standards. The kinetophone team the laboratory soon
discovered that technical considerations dominated sound motion
pictures; the technical man, especially the recording engineer,
had dominate the proceedings the result was cloudy
52
sound track.show the
theatrical people that scientific people can beat them their
51
own business. had filled note
book with fresh ideas because had point make, telling
Hutchison that "we are the only people who can it. Edison was going full out improve the
technical performance the kinetophone
