American Cinematographer - October 1968 - 29

JOE PARKS
"I'm an editor and I also
work on lighting and most
other phases of film-making.
I'm finding it very exciting
and hope to work in the
field when I get out. We
owe Dick Queirolo a lot for
all his assistance and en¬
couragement.
He
pioneered
this whole thing. It's a 'first'
in the American prison sysk
tern and a really great re¬
habilitative factor.
I
think
it may help some of our
people to get jobs in the in¬
dustry, once they get back
out on the street."

BILL LAWHON

GLENN CASTLE

ED COSTELLO

TED COLLINS

NORMAN WHITEHORN

"All my training has been in
film editing and camerawork
-and from there I went into
directing. I was lacking in
technical ability at first, but
I've learned a lot by study¬
ing. Dick Queirolo, in creat¬
ing this unit, has made it
possible for guys like us to
express ourselves, and to
communicate
by
means
of
film. I feel that film is the
greatest medium of commun¬
ication ever invented. In this
Workshop we eat, sleep and
dreatm film. That's where we
really live."

"I was just recently assigned
to work full time with the
film group. I'm working on
the script for the Correctional
Officers Association film.
We'll be going on location to
shoot that one - such places
as the Chino Men's Colony, a
camp where the men do for¬
estry work, and an institution
for younger inmates. It was
even suggested that we shoot
some scenes at the women's
prison - which none of the
gentlemen in the Workshop
objected to."

"I'm a writer with the film
unit, but I started with the
Drama group. I still like the
stage medium, but I think
film can reach more people.
I'm impressed with the sin¬
cerity
of
this
group
and
what they're trying to do.
Day and night they're al¬
ways studying books on film
technique. I'm interested in
using film to show some of
the good things the bad guys
are doing.
I
think films
should help people take a
look at themselves, and also
gain empathy with others."

"/ worked with film for the
first time in the audio-visual
department here at San
Quentin, and I waited S'/?
years to get into the Inmates
Film Workshop. I started os
on
assistant e d i t o r and
learned a lot about editing
and cutting "A" and "B"
rolls when we did a little
series for KPIX here. I also
function as a cameraman
every now and then,
but
editing is what I really love
doing, and it's what I hope
to do eventually, someday,
on the street."

"At present I'm working as a
cameraman with the group,
but I still have much
ta
learn. I'm doing a lot of
reading to try to pick up all
of the technical information
needed to be a good camera¬
man. The medium itself really
grabs hold of me. It gives
me a chance, in some way,
to express myself. I want to
learn all I can about it from
every
possible
angle - not
only
the
photography,
but
editing and direction. I want
to know everything."

SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF SAN QUENTIN'S UNIQUE INMATE FILM WORKSHO?

workshop members themselves fill the
vacancy, maintaining the roster at 12.
Queirolo puts in at least one eve¬
ning a week-and often several more
-for the purpose of teaching, work¬
ing with and advising the group. The
men also meet without him to work on
their film projects.
Their first effort, begun in mid-April
of 1965, was a half-hour documen¬
tary on sports activities at San Quen¬
tin. Technically it left something to be
desired, but it whetted the appetite of
the unit to make other, more profes¬
sional films.
Soon they were turning out onereel orientation films for showing to
"new fish'' (recently arrived inmates)
-a program which continues on a
regular basis. These films concen¬
trated on such subjects as the Inmate
Advisory Council, the canteen and the
prison educational and recreational
programs.
Becoming more skilled and more
confident, the Workshop next tackled
two longer color documentaries. One
of these was filmed in the summer of
1966, during which several hundred
California convicts worked in the San
Joaquin asparagus fields to ease the
situation caused by a shortage of ag¬
ricultural labor.
The other film is a detailed docu¬
mentary of life at the California Con¬
servation Center in Susanville, where
selected inmates undergo rigorous

AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, OCTOBER 1968

training in preparation for work in
forestry and fire prevention. This film
had also been shown at the ASC din¬
ner meeting.
In order to make this picture, two
of the inmates had gone "on loca¬
tion" to Susanville. Knowing the men
of the unit as well as he does, Quei¬
rolo maintains that he was not at all
worried about the possibility of their
taking advantage of the situation. "On
the way to Susanville we went through
some of the most desolate country
you've ever seen," he relates, "and
if ever a couple of cons had a chance
to escape, they did. But I knew they
wouldn't."
It was after they had completed
this film that they plunged in to tackle
something really challenging, "THE
CAGE."
The story line of "THE CAGE" is
simple. Three seasoned cons are seen
in a communal cell which is barren
except for a commode in the center.
Their own personal cages-the re¬
spective hang-ups which entrap and
bedevil them-soon become evident.
Then a "new fish," a very boyish
young man, is put into the cell with
them and he unwittingly assumes the
role of catalyst to their separate neu¬
roses. One of the old cons desires
him sexually, but the other two decree
that the kid must stand trial for his
alleged crime. All through the ma¬
cabre kangaroo court proceedings he

maintains his innocence but finally,
under the ruthless pressure of it all,
he confesses his guilt. Only then do
the old cons cease their sadistic bait¬
ing and fall asleep. They awaken in
the morning to find that the kid has
hanged himself.

During pause in filming, Director Lawhon
discusses a technical problem with free-lance
television cameraman DICK QUEIROLO, foun¬
der, advisor, teacher and "patron saint" of
the Film Workshop. Queirolo has worked with
full approval of three wardens, including
present Warden L. S. Nelson.
American Cinematographer - October 1968

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