Company Shows Its Range in Shooting Park

“Olympic Range,” American Legacy Series (Kodak Video Programs, 30 minutes, 1985).

As might be expected, this Kodak video is a well-photographed tour of Washington State’s Olympic Range National Park that, although occasionally contrived and arty, illustrates the myriad photographic possibilities to be found there.

Scenes vary from panoramas of the vast forests, alpine meadows and snow-capped mountain peaks to close-ups of flowers sparkling with raindrops.

Along the stretch of rocky Pacific coastline are lovely scenes of crashing waves, soaring gulls, cloud formations and couples strolling the beach silhouetted against a spectacular sunset.

A park superintendent provides background and statistics on the Olympic Range, and there’s an interview with a trail-packer guide who tells of her life in the park.

The video concludes with photographic tips on such things as lenses, exposures, types of film and shutter speeds suited for use in the park.

There are no travel tips nor recommendations.

Tapes are available from Wood Knapp Video, 5900 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 2700, Los Angeles 90036, (800) 331-6839. Price: $14.95.

“Germany, a Tapestry of Tradition” (International Video Network, Video Visits, 50 minutes, 1989).

This is not a travelogue in the usual sense, but a survey of German architecture, crafts, music, food and technology.

Although it provides a pleasant hour of viewing for the armchair traveler, it is of little help to the travel planner because it lacks continuity and doesn’t always identify the places shown.

The film covers vestiges from the Stone Age and early Roman periods. It shows examples of castles on the Rhine, marketplaces and medieval buildings that have been preserved and are still in use.

Following a visit to the Black Forest, where craftsmen carve cuckoo clocks, the film moves to violin makers in Mittenwald, Bavaria. An Austrian influence can be seen here in the area’s folk music, dancing and lovely Alpine scenery. Viewers also get to see some samples of traditional architecture in buildings decorated with imaginative carvings and frescoes.

The film moves on to German architectural styles as detailed in scenes of some churches and castles, including King Ludwig II’s famous Neuschwanstein castle.

In a segment on food, bakers make gingerbread honey cakes in Nuremberg, elaborate samples of marzipan in Lubek are created, and sausage factories and breweries are visited.

In Munich, the film shows the famous Oktoberfest, as crowds in the great beer hall eat and drink, and outside, take in the amusement park’s colorful rides and attractions. Scenes also include Munich’s town hall, the famous glockenspiel on the Marienplatz, and the huge Deutsches Museum with its hands-on technology exhibits.

This leads to some of the technological advances and ecological efforts of West Germany. Organic and communal farms and visits to automobile, electronic, aircraft and pharmaceutical plants are shown. In addition, the film covers Germany’s well-coordinated transportation system, including fast traffic on the Autobahns .

At the end, atmospheric shots of small inns, folk dancers and musical groups complete the film.

A tape is available from International Video Network, Video Visits, 2242 Camino Ramon, San Ramon, Calif. 94583, (415) 866-1121. Price: $24.95.