Movie Makers (Jan-May 1928)

BLOCK BOOKING FOR HOME FILMS {Continued from page 42) own products, which is a relatively simple matter, but in the whole group of film subjects offered to home users. He is eager that this phase of the amateur business should be regularized as early as possible in order that film users may not be doubtful of film offerings. We all know that film rentals to home users will greatly increase in number and that a field for special home productions will open as this number increases. The whole industry is concerned. Home blockbooking offers a practical step forward and there is every indication that it will become more and more general. ANIMATED MOVIE MAKING FOR AMATEURS (Continued from page 30) remembered that there are forty frames to a foot of 16 mm. film, so each average scene would require about 140 exposures, although this does not mean there must necessarily be 140 different drawings or parts of drawings, as has been pointed out above. For such a seventy-five foot story the total number of exposures required would be 3,000. This program can, of course, be varied with the individual plan. In beginning it would be quite sufficient to animate one scene only, splicing this short piece of film into any reel for convenience in projection. Mr. Sullivan advises against over production for the amateur. He says, the motive or skeleton of plot should always be in mind before work on the picture starts. The location should be decided upon, and the whole thing written out for clarity. The animated movie has become possible only during the last decade. It was Mr. Sullivan, in fact, who perfected it and made Felix famous in the animated field. It is still difficult to secure experts in this work. The amateur experimenting with animated cartoons may eventually find rich awards awaiting him, should he switch over into the professional ranks, and especially if he should hit upon a character whose antics take the public's fancy. MAKING YOUR OWN ART TITLES (Continued from page 22) keeping its marking tip flat on the paper while making a stroke. Work with a full arm movement, maintaining an even pressure on the pen. Rest an instant at the finish of each stroke to insure sharp terminals. Make a complete line of each exercise, starting with the vertical strokes downward, then the oblique strokes downward ( left to right and right to left) and then combine them. Now make a few lines of horizontal strokes (left to right) then combine these with the vertical in the order shown and you will have the various letters built with straight elements. As soon as you can handle these you will be ready for the circular exercises and letters. Start with a few lines of halfcircles to the left, carrying the stroke well past center. Now add the circular stroke to the right about half size and gradually increase its diameter until it equals the size of the first element. In this way your strokes will just grow into a perfect letter O. Note how the two strokes are lapped over each other at the start and finish. This is done to give a clean stroke and to eliminate breaks or joints. Practice often the circular arm exercises, using the left movement first and then the right. After O, the letter Q is next in order. Then by combining these circular elements with the straight strokes you will get all the letters of the alphabet. The letter S and the figure 8 are about as difficult to learn as any. Note the illustration of an arm exercise which develops the figure 8 stroke very quickly. To further simplify the construction of these two characters, two helpful diagrams are shown. You will see that the center stroke of the letter S is more or less straight, while the top and bottom elements are only parts of the letter O. Also note the similarity of the S and the 8 in the second diagram and also note how closely the figure 8 resembles two ovals placed one on top of the other. As soon as you can handle these exercises, try the entire alphabet and various combinations of words and sentences. Do not attempt to work too fast. Next learn the figures. You will then have a splendid foundation for the Roman alphabet which is universally used in some form or modification on practically all movie titles. GOERZ LENSES are being used by thousands of professional and amateur movie makers. "Because THEY SATISFY Their crisp definition and remarkable covering power makes them the standard lenses in almost every branch of the photographic art. For 16 m/m and standard width amateur cameras we make lenses in a wide variety of speed and focal length, and all these lenses can be supplied in our precision focusing mounts, so necessary for really accurate work. To the super-critical worker we offer various devices such as VIGNETTERS REFLEX FOCUSERS FINDERSGOPE and FOCUSING BASES MASK BOX and TITLE-DEVICES for Filmo and Victor cameras, all designed by our experts to facilitate exact focusing and positioning of the object and for the improvement of the finished picture. Our newest product is the Wide Angle Hypar F/3 OF ONLY 0.6" (15MM) FOCUS for the Filmo Camera, opening up a new field in taking sport pictures, landscapes, interiors and movies in cramped quarters. We ivill gladly send you our literature and if you have any special optical problem ive offer our experience and help to solve it. C. P. Goerz American Optical Co. 319-AEast 34th St., New York, N. Y. Forty-nine