Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1930)

July 5, 1930 Motion Picture News 27 75,000 square feet. Overhead monorail systems facilitate the movement of sets.19 The other stage has been conceived on equally gigantic proportions and comprises a theatre auditorium capable of seating 1,500 persons and a section which is also designed as a theatre stage ; in size, 75 feet deep, 80 feet wide, and 120 feet high. This stage has been designed particularly for the production of lavish spectacles. It is equipped with a steel curtain weighing 65 tons, and each of its 12 floor sections is fitted with a hydraulic lift. A vertical steel track, 65 feet high, permits camera shots in synchronism with the rising stage and curtain.20 In order to standardize the quality of motion pictures and to eliminate matter from scenarios which would prove objectionable to the public, the Association of Motion Picture Producers and the Hays organization drew up and approved a production code.21 In the immediate practical field, Pfitzner has considered the economics of studio management.22 The requirements for the ideal sound studios have been discussed by Schultz.23 The increased use made of incandescent lights has necessitated the installation of refrigeration plants in studios in connection with ventilation systems.24 Ground vibration noises are claimed to be minimized by the use of "floating floors" resting on a base of sound absorbing material and not connected to the outside walls.25 A description has been published of a new sound studio located at Wembly, England.20 Its largest stage is 120 feet by 90 feet in size. Floors are laid on felt runners with a layer of plastic bitumen under the boards. A novel feature of this studio is a tank fitted with a camera booth permitting underwater photography. The four new ( lerman studios at Neubabelsberg have been built in the form of a cross, all recording and monitoring being done at the center.27 A number of French studios are now producing sound pictures, according to reports from France, notably those located at Joinville, Espinay, and Paris. One French studio operating at Courbevoce was destroyed by fire early in February. New studios have been reported under construction near Moscow by Danashew, who stated that the largest containing five stages would have 175,000 cubic meters of space.28 Lenses and Shutters The characteristics of a new f/2.7 80 mm. lens for soft focus effects were tested by Emmermann and Seeber29 both for arc and incandescent lighting. Noulet:!0 has described two methods for introducing aberration in lenses. The introduction of color motion pictures has made greater demands on the performance of lenses, particularly in the photographing of long shots. A novel lens device for securing wider pictures without the use of wide film is of interest.31 It consists of two lenses held in a mount which screws on to the front of the camera. A lateral compression of the image is produced so that nearly three times as much image is included in the normal frame. The picture is then expanded to three times normal width on projection. Patents dealing with lenses and shutters32 have been noted relating to a method of producing relief effects by alternate exposures through a system of lenses and mirrors, a device for prevention of the picture getting off center, and an apparatus for simultaneously taking details of foreground and background. In the last named patent this is accomplished by oscillating mirrors placed behind a dual objective system in the camera. Cameras and Accessories Stull33 described changes made in the Mitchell camera to adapt it for use with 70 mm. film. The shutter size is doubled, and the gears are cut differently to adapt them to the pitch of the perforations, which is stated to be 0.231 inch for 70 mm. film. The French camera, "Eclair," was described by Eveleigh.34 Its features are: lightness, a six lens turret, a direct vision tube sight, and an automatic fade. A new model of the Aska Full Text in NEWS The report of the Committee on Progress of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, compiled twice annually, embraces developments in the advancement of the industry, no matter where centered. Its text will be published in full in Motion Picture News beginning with this edition. Prepared by a committee headed by Glenn E. Matthews and including M. Abribat, J. A. Ball, J. Boolsky, W. Clark, A. W. Danashew, J. B. Engl, R. E. Farnham, H. B. Franklin, K. Geyer, A. C. Hardy, R. C. Hubbard, G. F. Rackett and S. K. Wolf, the report divides itself into seven classifications. The first, dealing with production, is published in part in this issue. Next week, The Showman Section, as one of its features, will publish another section of the report which deals with exhibition. nia camera appeared which is equipped for single, normal, and ultra-rapid exposures.35 The Castagna camera, manufactured in Vienna, is housed completely in an all-metal case. It is fitted with a four-lens turret, and the front may be swung open providing easy access to the gate. The shutter design is novel in that a fade may be adjusted to a definite number of crank turns from a minimum sector opening of five degrees to a maximum of 180 degrees. Fear36 designed a silent high-speed movement for Bell and Howell, and Mitchell cameras. Pilot pins, accurately fitted, lock the film while the shutter is open and an eccentric has been substituted for a cam for moving the film. More recently, the same inventor introduced a completely new silent camera which is stated to be adaptable quickly to color motion pictures, sound-on-film photography, and wide picture photography either on wide film or by the Fear process, which rotates the images through an angle of 90 degrees, placing the frames longitudinally on 35 mm. film.37 According to a well known director, the use of synchronous electrical camera drives, necessitated by simultaneous longshot and close-up exposures in sound motion picture work, has freed first cameramen from actual cranking and given them more time to consider pictorial composition.38 Cowan39 reported on a survey of camera and projection apertures in relation to sound-on-film pictures. A joint committee of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the American Society of Cinematographers, and the American Projection Society prepared a resolution on recommended practice for cameramen and projectionists. This resolution was recommended as standard practice by the Standards Committee of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers at the Toronto meeting in October, 1929. Essentially the resolution suggested that a rectangle 0.620 inch by 0.835 inch be marked on the ground glass of cameras and that an aperture size of 0.600 inch by 0.800 inch be adopted for sound-on-film projection. Accounts have been published of cameramen's experiences in frigid countries, notably of the troubles encountered by Rear Admiral Byrd's Antarctic expedition.40 Spring-driven cameras failed at — 20° F. Lieberenz41 was able to keep such cameras in operation even at — 40° F. by cleaning the mechanism with gasoline and lubricating with a mixture of kerosene and bone oil. New Camera Improvements A viewing device known as the "Orthoviseur" was announced for use on Debrie cameras.42 It is used for determining the field angle and focus of the particular objective to be used on the camera, namely, 35 mm., 50 mm., 75 mm., and 100 mm. An erect image is produced about 9 cm. by 12 cm. in size and not reversed left and right. A focussing lens giving an enlarged view on the focussing screen has also been made available for the Debrie camera. Smack43 described the construction and properties of flexible drive shafts for motor-driven cameras. Chutes fitted between the sprocket and magazine assist in minimizing film buckling troubles, according to Henri-Robert.44 Jonson45 described a buckle-proof magazine designed for Mitchell cameras. The added weight of sound-proof housings has resulted in the design of stronger tripods. One of these, called a "camera dolly," is constructed of telescoping steel parts attached to a triangular rubber tired traveling support.46 Types of equipment and methods used for still photography in German studios were described by Lichtenstein.47 The use of an amateur motion camera was considered valuable by a Hollywood cameraman as an inexpensive means fur making trial shots on sets.48 Many improvements have been noted in camera design as shown by the large nurnber of patents49 issued, which, besides the usual modifications in claw pull-downs, shutters, magazines, deal with the use of derivatives of cellulose, such as acetyl cellulose for the manufacture of film spools ; the obtaining of relief effects by movement of a camera round an eliptical or oval path during exposure ; and electrical tension regulation for delivery or take-up reels. An ultra-rapid camera known as the "Trommelapparat" employs a high frequency 30,000 volt arc for illumination intermittently flashed nil the subject by means of a rotating sector. The film is wound on the inside of a cylinder which accommodates 100 turns of 40 frames each. Four thousand normal frames may be exposed per second, or 8,000, and 16,000 half or quarter normal frames, respectively, per second.50 Only two patents appeared dealing with improvements in motion study cameras.51 Exposure and Exposure Meters A cameraman52 recounted some of his experiences in making satisfactory exposures in the tropics. Yellow filters and panchromatic film were employed, exposures being made between 7:00 and 11:00 A.M. each day. Emmermann53 described the properties of silk screens used before the camera lens for the production of diffused negatives. A light intensity meter used for the determination of the light values on motion picture sets, as well as light measurements in connection with printers and screen illumination, was described by McCoy.54 The meter consists of a shielded photo-electric cell with a range of sensitivity of 100 to 3,000 foot candles, having a broad response covering the visible spectrum. A patent was issued relating to the design of an actinometer of the rotating wedge type.55 References 1 Richardson, F. H.: Ex. Herald-World, 98, Sec. 2 (March 15, 1930), p. 49. 2 Rayton, W. B. : 7. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., 14 (Jan., 1930), p. 50. 3 Howell, A. S., and Dubray, J. A.: 7. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., 14 (Jan., 1930), p. 59. * Jones, L. A.: 7. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., 14 (Jan., 1930), p. 32. 3 Gregory, C. L.: 7. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., 14 (Jan., 1930), p. 27. 6 MOTION PICT NEWS, 41 (Feb. 15, 1930), p. 20. 7 7. Soc. Chem. Ind.. 43 (Aug. 2, 1929), p. 771. 8 Reports — Mot. Pict. Div., U. S. Dept. Commerce (Oct. 23, 1929). 9 Brit. Pats. 310,540; 313,829; 318,250. 10 Ger. Pat. 483,892. " French Pat. 650,345; Ger. Pats. 480,352; 482,163; U. S. Pat. 1,719,711. 12 Ger. Pat. 480,729. t3 Schmidt, R. : Filmtechnik, 5 (Apr. 27, 1929), p. 194. 14 Jones, L. A., and Sandvik, O.: 7. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., 14 (Feb., 1930), p. 180. 15Conklin, O. E.: 7. Opt. Soc. Amer., 17 (Dec, 19?8>, p. 463. 16 U. S. Pat. 1,717,815; Brit. Pat. 317,459; French Pat. 653,040; Australian Pat. 15,873; Ger. Pat. 483,807. "Carson. W. H.: 7. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., 14 (Feb., 1930). p. 209. (Continued on page 42-C)