The motion picture projectionist (Nov 1929-Oct 1930)

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January, 1 930 The Motion Picture Projectionist 29 "Rain" in Motion Picture Film SCRATCHING and abrasion of the working surface of motion picture film is one of the most serious problems with which the industry has to contend. The seriousness of this problem, however, is not apparent from any concerted effort on the part of any unit or units of the industry to solve this problem. There is much pondering of the subject, not a little talk about among those who are familiar with the problem but very little, if any constructive effort is or has been expended to work out any constructive plan of action. This trouble usually comes to the attention of projectionists by reference to the word "rain," a term which is a misnomer and wholly misleading. So fundamental is this phase of motion picture reproduction that not even many projectionists, the very men who have to contend day in and day out with the problems arising from poor film condition, are at all familiar with the causes of this trouble. This paper will attempt to set forth the real causes of "rain," and a subsequent paper will offer the solution. "Rain" is very costly to the motion picture business, although this fact is not generally known. The effects of this condition on sustained attendance at picture theatres is difficult to estimate, but we may be sure that a poor presentation of film resulting from bad film is reflected in the box-office in the long run. Eyestrain is one of the outstanding effects of "rain," and the loss incurred by the industry from this annoyance and irritation is considerable. Naturally a poor presentation is always charged up to the projectionist, irrespective of conditions; but anyone who is at all familiar with the problem of bad film will realize that the projectionist is wholly blameless in the matter. This is said not in defense of the projectionist, because the writer feels that the high quality i» % '• By H. B. Byron work now being done in a majority of projection rooms precludes the necessity for any such defense. Then, too, the solution of the problem lies not with the projectionist but with the producers. Static Electricity The first factor in the cause of "rain" is static electricity, the second is grit and dust; and the results of the combination of these two forces are indeed serious. The writer cannot recall ever having seen a comprehensive presentation of the causes and remedies for "rain," and he believes that the present paper will offer a wholly new viewpoint on the subject. What may seem to be but a commonplace trick but one which is a classic experiment in physics may be cited here as illustrative of the principle of static electricity. If the reader will take an ordinary comb, preferably one of celluloid, and draw Figure 1 Figure 2 it through his hair a few times in rapid succession; then place a match or toothpick on the palm of the hand and bring the comb close thereto, the wood will be seen to be drawn irresistibly to the comb. It is, of course, the static electricity generated by the friction of the comb which attracts the wood, often causing it to jump an inch or more. If the hairs on one's head were as large as forest trees, and the comb proportionally so, the result would be an electrical storm the thunder of which would be deafening and the lightning flashes blinding. This demonstration will indicate how static electricity present on the film attracts grit, dust and other foreign matter which may be floating in the air near the path of the film. The film is then caught up and carried into the tightly-wound layers of the reel where the dirt and grit are permanently embedded in both the emulsion and celluloid sides of the Figure 3 film, there to remain similar to sand in sandpaper, each grain continually cutting its respective furrow, known as a "scratch." A friend of mine who was a motion picture exhibitor had an interesting experience in the early days of the industry. In those days there were no take-up reels and the film usually was caught in some receptacle such as a clothes basket, a packing case and the like. The amount of dust that was found to accumulate on the bottom of these receptacles was astonishing, and many efforts were made to devise some means for keeping the receptacle tightly sealed and thus, so it was thought, keeping the film clean. My friend was rather of an inventive turn of mind and he made a sheet metal receptacle of about one foot square and 3y2 feet high, a "tallboy." He put it into use with his projector the while remarking that "very little dust will be able to enter the mouth of that tallboy." At the end of the day we looked into the bottom of the receptacle and great was our surprise to find the bottom thereof covered with not less than a half inch of dust. Nothing daunted, my friend proceeded to devise a lid for the receptacle (Fig. 1), which had a very narrow oval opening just large enough for the film to pass through. But at the end of that particular day he again opened the lid to find as much, if not more, dust than before. He probably doesn't know to this day just what the answer to this incident was. The explanation of this apparent phenomenon is simple: — the film in its course through the projector and into the receptacle collected the dust by means of a charge of static electricity induced by bending, rubbing and shaking in its rapid motion through the projector. When the film piled up in the metal can, which absorbed or