Home Movies (1954)

Two Projectors Run 2.5 Years Without Service Projectors operated for 1122 hours prove stamina of modern machines. When Hal Guzofsky, Manager of the Colorado Visual Aids Supply Co., decided he needed a "gimmick" to dramatize his exhibits at two regional sessions of the Colorado Educators Association, he staged a grueling test of endurance for two of the standard Kodascope Pageant Sound Projectors he normally features in his store. These projectors feature lubrication for life, which is said to remove the greatest cause of projector breakdowns, plus such other refinements as nylon gears and sealed-in-oil bearings for long term quiet operation. Guzofsky decided that he could prove these points — and build interest and sales — by running the projectors continuously for a 1,000 hours or more. To supervise "Operation 1,000," Guzofsky hired a firm of leading certified accountants, and after putting one machine in the store's window and another inside on a counter, had them start both machines and check their continued operation from day to day. A month and a half later of steady day and night operation — after the machines had run for the equivalent of at least 2y2 years of normal school use — the accountants snapped them off again. At the time they were running smoothly and quietly as when they had been started. No service, lubrication, or other attention had been necessary. Each machine had run for a total of 1,122 hours without stopping. Guzofsky reports that in addition to building a terrific amount of traffic for his exhibits at the state conventions, the machines and tests built good store traffic, too — since scores of people couldn't resist the temptation to stop by every day to see if the machines were still running. New Sound on Film Adapter When Foto Corp. of America announced the "Cinesone." company officials state that they were flooded with requests for information on the unit. And with good reason. After two years of research Foto Corp has come up with the first and only adapter for converting any silent 8mm or 16mm or opical projector to magnetic sound. Those who have seen the equipment in operation say that it compares favorably with existing sound units now offered for sale. Essentially the "Cinesone" unit offers sound on film at a price far below anything yet developed in the magnetic field, and should be a potent factor in developing the greater use of sound on the vast amount of 8mm and 16mm films now being made, by both amateur and professional. For this important reason alone, this event is an important contribution to the development of sound on film. With demand for the unit so instantaneous, the manufacturer promises delivery 6 to 8 weeks from the time of receipt. First units will be for 16mm only, but 8mm models are promised soon afterwards. These units will be available complete with amplifier, adapter, mike, and speaker. Cine-Sonic Corporation of 169 Lexington Avenue, New York 16, New York, has been appointed sole distributor for the United States and Mexico, and Cinefot International Corporation of 303 West 42nd Street, New York 36, New York, has been appointed sole distributor for the rest of the world. All orders or inquiries should be directed to either of these companies. The unit comes complete with adapter, microphone, 5-tube amplifier, and 6" PM speaker in a compact carrying case. It will record both voice and music on any standard magnetic track, and offers all regular recording and play-back facilities plus a special au tomatic subduer which enables the user to record a new track over the old without erasure, with the flip of a switch. The switch is located on the adapter itself ; therefore, those who own tape recorders and do not have to purchase the ampliifer, will have the advantage of this automatic subduing feature. For those who wish to use the adapter with a tape recorder, Foto Corporation of America will supply instruction sheets and necessary plugs and leads, free of charge. The unit can be used to excellent advantage by home movie makers, and for visual education in industry and schools, since it utilizes existing equipment now owned by them. Price for complete unit — $199.75. Price for adapter alone, for use with a tape recorder — $99.75. EDIT • Continued from Page 58 fication of "vacation", "family", "business" and so on. While a single roll may contain all of the above classifications, this is the time to cut each sequence and place it in a small box or tin, with other films of the same character. When this is done, only then can you begin to think of splicing the proper sequences together. Now surely this doesn't sound complicated or hard to do? It's much the same as filing invoices or file cards, but much more fun. Right now, we have a little pile of boxes or cans of film, divided perhaps into eight or ten categories. Each category containing five or six pieces of film which are related to each other. Let's take the "vacation" box, as an example and look these over. After examining them it will become apparent that we have a logical sequence of short pieces of film which must fit together in a special way. When you have decided the sequence, number each piece with a number from "1" to "10" or whatever the case may be, and then splice them in the proper order. This is the final editing process, but here also is the dangerous ground which can make or break your films. We must learn to cut, and cut ruthlessly, no matter how fond we are of that particular sequence. If the exposure is wrong, out with it. If a short sequence has no business in your final film — out with it too. If it hurts too much to destroy the strip, file it for future use sometime — but the best thing to do is to throw it away. This is dangerous ground because most amateurs do not understand the process of reducing a single shot to its barest essentials, or else they lack the sense of continuity. Any sequence • See EDIT on Page 72 63