International projectionist (Jan 1963-June 1965)

Sturgis-Grant Continued from page 17 concepts, some of which may alter or come into conflict with existing church dogma. The population explosion, life on other planets, and similar problems eventually may throw a different light on our former ideas and concepts. The church is meeting this situation head-on by creating a film which will be shown at its annual convention this summer. The 30-minute. black and white. 16mm film has a montage sequence of children, stellar objects and microbiological organisms, which were shot on the Oxberry stand using still photos and artwork. Sturgis-Grant is especially proud of a one-minute spot, "Butterflies," whose artistry stems from the imagination of Philip Stapp. Shot in 35mm color, this is released also on 16mm, and was photographed in two sections, the first involving normal animation, while the second utilizes a multiple effect. The entire film is made up of butterflies of irridescent hues fluttering in beautiful formations. Approximately 1500 eels were used for this job, some showing one or two insects, others showing large groups in flight. As the butterflies move across the screen, the wings move to show the colors on top and bottom. For example, you may first see yellow on top of the wings, and then other colors on the underwings, as the insects tilt and soar through the air. The larger groups of butterflies are shown in formation, and occasionally, another insect flies in from the side to join the formation. By positioning sev eral photos on the Oxberry stand, pleasing effects we.e achieved bypanning from one to another to give the viewer the feeling that different groups of butterflies are constantly entering and leaving the screen. "The Gift" is the title of a 35mm, color, 20-minute religious subject that Sturgis-Grant produced for the Protestant Council of Churches. Philip Stapp again wrote and directed the film, most of which is illustrated in his unusual and effective style of animation. The opening scene shows the universe with continuous movement out in space and leads smoothly into the story of the life of Christ. There is no narration for the seven minutes it takes to tell this story, but an original music 18 score accompanies the pictures. The remainder of the film deals with the history and growth of the Church to the present day, and the responsibilities of a true Christian. In this film. Mr. Stapp wanted to create the impression that there were more people present than were shown in the original scene. To do this, Sturgis-Grant created triple effect images under the Oxberry camera, employing the same background several times in separate passes. With the shutter opened only % for each exposure, the scene was moved by means of the peg bars at a selected speed for the first exposure, at a faster speed for the second exposure, and still faster for the third exposure. After each exposure, the film was rolled back in the camera, and the artwork and peg bars were returned to the starting point for the scene. In this manner, the viewer sees a triple-image effect on the screen and gets the impression there are three times as many people as were shown on the original drawing. Crossdissolves and fades were done with the automatic devices which are built into the Oxberrv camera. iP PROJECTOR CARBONS In an animated scene from SturgisGrant Studios film on diabetes, the clarity which typifies the Oxberry animation stand technique is easy to spot. Better Light! Lower Costs! RINGSDORFF CARBON CORP. East McKeesport. Pa. -:~ -* ^ I As Disastrous As No I I Spare in the Desert, Is No Spare in the Booth For want of an extra mirror, business can be lost by shutdown. FIRST SURFACE COLD DICHROIC REFLECTOR Better yet, also replace your old reflectors now with these modern, long -service reflectors with the harder than glass, flake and peel-proof front coating. THE COATING IS GUARANTEED FOR 2 YEARS! ^k># corporation CITY PARK AVENUE • TOLEDO, OHIO 43601 • PHONE: (419) 248-3741 International Projectionist October. 1964