Motography (Apr-Dec 1911)

226 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. VI, No. 5. Problems of the Operating Room By William T. Braun SLIDES. THE stereopticon slide plays quite an important part in a picture program. Usually there is not as much care taken with this part of the program as with the motion picture. The slides can be made to give a certain finish to a show. Generally used to precede the motion picture, they give the audience time to relax or settle themselves for the picture. Between reels they can be used to advantage, and at the end to give a fittingconclusion to the show. The three kinds of slides generally used consist of the illustrated song slides, announcement, and advertising slides. By giving the proper amount of care and time to the running of the above slides, very fine effects can be obtained. SONG SLIDES. Lately there has been quite an amount of discussion for and against the use of song slides. The arguments on both sides are numerous. There is some expense incurred in obtaining the slides, although in the large cities this does not amount to much. Another objection is the time taken. Between three and five minutes is usually necessary for the illustrated song, and during rush hour perfermances this may amount to quite a bit when a large crowd is waiting to obtain admission. Of course, this would mean the abolition of the song, as well as the slides, otherwise no time would be saved. Again, where the intermissions are short and every minute is needed by the operator, if no slides are used for the song, he can usually find time during the song to rewind a reel of film or trim the carbons, beside threading up the next reel ; but if slides are run, and run in the correct way, he will only have enough time to thread up and get ready for the next reel. Possibly some objection is made to the use of the chorus slide. In some neighborhoods where there is a rough element present, it is much better to dispense with it. But on the other hand if the slides are kept clean and run with some semblance of order, the time and expense are probably worth while as they add some "color" to the performance even if they are meaningless at times. Also in some cases it is necessary to lengthen the performance and the slides help. Time is given the audience to relax and get ready for the next picture. More attention is usually paid to the song if slides are run with it, than if the house is in darkness during the song. Sometimes — and not so very rarely, either — the slides are enjoyed more by the audience than the singer's voice. After all, the illustrated song has become so permanent a part of the program that it is very doubtful if it will ever be dispensed with entirely. Mention may be made here of a new slide recently got out by Levy. In one corner of the slide is a spot for the singer to stand during the song. This is a good idea, as the audience can see the singer as well as the slides, which is generally impossible with the regular illustrated slides. The only objection is that the spot is always the same height from the bottom of the slide making it impossible to use in many theaters, as the platform for the singer is not the same distance below the screen in every theater. Also the position of the spot varies slightly with each slide. Of course, if this slide would be more widely used provision could be made to take advantage of the idea. SPOT-LIGHT. In many shows a spot-light is used for the singer. The audience will usually pay more attention to the singer and the song if a spot-light or some other illumination is used on the singer than if the house is in a darkened condition. Some singers object to the use of the spot and others prefer it; but the manager should always use his discretion in putting the spot on singers. Never use one on a poor singer. If you have but one lamp in the operating room to use for motion pictures, slides, etc., it is probably well to dispense with the use of the spot, thus giving the lamp and transformer or rheostat a chance to cool off. The operator also is able to trim the carbons if no spot is run during the song. Some houses have a booth or small platform on one side of the screen for the singer. This may be illuminated with footlights or border lights in place of the spot. The round spot is probably the best to use. A spot can be made for the head only or for the whole figure. There are various ways to make spots. A glass slide is sometimes used. Cut out a circle from black paper, making the hole about three-quarters to one inch in diameter, being sure to cut the edges sharp otherwise the spot will be fuzzy. Place the paper between two slides and bind temporarily. Place the slide in the carrier and locate the spot correctly with reference to the singer's position on the stage. Then bind it permanently. This slide will not stand much heat and if a spot is used steadily, one made of tin or sheet metal will serve the purpose better. If a tin slide is used the top of it can be hinged to the top of the condenser mount and when not in use it can be swung up out of the way. Colored spots are often desirable, and can be obtained either by the use of colored gelatine slides or the disc with different colors of gelatine. ANNOUNCEMENT SLIDES. Neat announcement slides give a certain style or character to a show. For the regular announcement slides used every performance, it is better to have a permanent slide such as are manufactured by the various novelty slide manufacturers than a hastily home-made slide. To announce coming features and other things, where the slide is to be used for one or two nights, several methods can be used to make the slides. One of the simplest slides can be made by writing with waterproof ink on a plain glass slide. This gives black letters on a white field. Use Higgins or some other waterproof black ink and a small fine pen or brush. This is perhaps the quickest made of all slides. A piece of colored gelatine bound between two cover glasses, one of the glasses bearing the announcement, will give a different colored field and will not be so glaring as the white field. Announcements can be typewritten on thin paper and then bound between two cover glasses. Intensifiers dusted on these announcements bring out the letters more clearly. This paper and intensifier can be pur