) This is where Toand began to explore deep-focus techniques. Working up the ranks even more he became George Barnes' assistant and at the age of 27 he had became first cameraman, the youngest in history, working at Goldwyn. In 1924 he created a soundproof camera housing which blocked any mechanized noise from reaching recording equipment, a major advancement in the new era of sound, as it allowed directors to film intimate moments without accidentally capturing the winding of film as well. (Ankeny, n.d.)
Toland is credited as perfecting the deep focus technique. This technique replaced the shallow focus technique, which had for so long been a mainstay in film. (Turner, February 19, 2002) The deep-focus technique calls for all three elements being in focus, the foreground, background and the middle ground. This, for the first time, allowed the audience to view the film as they did reality and allow the viewer to choose what to look at instead of, in a typical scene of the time, when one subject would be in focus and therefore beckoning attention.
During the time of the staunchly systematic studio system Toland was unconventional. His anxiousness to try new technological advancements made him a sought after rarity, forcing his contract employer Samuel Goldwyn to lend him out to other producers as to not loose his talent all together. Toland was given ultimate authority in his time, being allowed to choose his own crew and specifying the studio cameras to his liking.
Toland only worked with his own equipment. This meant that when borrowing Toland one would ha
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