Roy H. Klaffki — Little Close-Ups of the A. S. C. (1922) 🇺🇸

Roy H. Klaffki, A. S. C, is director of photography at Metro Studios which is quite some job, as Ella the Extra Girl would say.

To hold down the job of director of photography at a big studio like Metro means that the man who holds it down must have considerable weight as well as an equipment in experience and technical training both in the laboratory and with the camera in the field and at the studio.

He must know photography like the alphabet and be ready to meet the ten thousand contingencies that arise daily where great productions are constantly being turned out and where many different cameramen, directors and other operators are at work, all with different ideals, methods and viewpoints.

The director of photography is the official goat of the studio so far as photography goes. If anything is wrong with the stuff on the screen the D. of P. must be prepared to tell why and wherefore and to place the blame where it belongs, but also he must see that credit is placed where due.

His chief duty, however, is to see that nothing is wrong and to head off mistakes before they get as far as the screen. At Metro this is Mr. Klaffki’s job and he seems to get away with it to the satisfaction of all concerned.

He has many successes to his credit as a cinematographer, but he prefers just now to be identified with the laboratory rather than the camera. Before joining Metro Mr. Klaffki saw service with both Universal and Lois Weber productions.

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Collection: American Cinematographer, February 1922

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