Motography (Apr-Dec 1911)

November, 1911. MOTOGRAPHY 227 chased from any first class exchange or supply house. Glass slides are always in danger of being broken. To overcome this objection the "E-Z" slide, made of a transparent fibreless parchment sheet, may be used. This sheet is bound between two heavy mat board frames. In writing on these slides the ink will not run or blur like on a glass slide. The manufacturers furnish printed copy sheets of various sizes of type, making it easy for the inexperienced letterer to make a fairly good slide by tracing over the letters. This slide is as clear as glass and will not break if it drops accidentally from the machine board. White letters on a black field are used by many film manufacturers for titles and sub-titles. This same striking effect can be obtained in announcement slides by using a new compound made by a Mr. Deull. Plain glass slides are coated with a compound which resembles whiting when dry. After the preparation has dried, the announcement is written or printed on the coated side of the slide with a slate pencil. This removes the compound and lets the light shine through, the other port of the slide being opaque. The compound will stand a large amount of wear before coming off. To obtain colored letters put colored gelatine sheets between two slides and bind them together. In making any kind of announcement slide a mat should be laid either under or over the glass so that in writing, you do not go beyond the mask of the slide carrier, otherwise the entire announcement will not appear on the screen. This mat can be cut from paper, making the opening the same as in a song slide mat, two and three-quarter inches high by three and one-quarter inches long. Unless you are a fairly good letterer, it is better to write the announcements as plain handwriting looks better than bad printing. It is a good idea to write the announcement on paper first to get the letters placed correctly. Then draw guide lines on the top and bottom of the letters and place the sheet under the glass slide. In this way the letters can be traced and a better job will result, than if the letters are written immediately on the glass slide, as the average amateur letterer always has a tendency to write uphill. REPAIRING SLIDES. When song slides become broken by the excessive heat of the lamp, the break usually occurs in the cover glass and not in the photographic plate. To repair the slide, carefully slit the binding strip around the edge of the slide with a knife and remove the broken cover glass. Take a new cover glass, cleaning it first with alcohol, and rebind it to the other glass with the black gummed stickers. If the photographic plate is broken, place a cover glass behind it and bind the three glasses together. The slot of the ordinary slide carrier is wide enough to hold the slide. Black gummed strips for binding the glasses of a slide together can be obtained from any film exchange or supply house. SUGGESTIONS FOR ANNOUNCEMENT SLIDES. Most of the film exchanges have a supply of announcement slides for various uses on hand. Special slides with any announcement desired, can be furnished by any slide specialty house. A good slide to open the show is one stating the time when the first and last show begins. Every exhibitor realizes the difficulty of getting the people to attend the early and late shows, thus relieving the congestion at the rush shows. As the first and last shows are generally run slower, attention may be called to the fact by stating that these shows are longer and the audience is ursred to attend them. This notice may be put on the first slide: "Ladies, remove your hats" is generally the next slide run. Humorous pictures on this slide generally take more effect than a mere bald statement. The use of a header of film with ladies removing their hats disclosing a view of the men behind was formerly used very much, but has fallen from use partly on account of the trouble of attaching it to the first reel every evening. The intermission slide generally follows each performance. Instead of the usual "those who have not seen the entire show may remain," the statement, "those who have seen an entire show kindly consider those waiting," may be substituted during the rush hour when you are "holding them out." If hold over checks are given notice of the system should be given on the intermission slide. A "good night" slide generally terminates the evening's performance. An appropriate film for the good night similar to the "ladies remove" mentioned above has gone out of date for the same reason. One disagreeable feature, that of the patrons waiting until the show begins, then brushing past others seated, preventing them from seeing the title of the film, may be somewhat mitigated by the use of the following slides. If you show three reels run a slide at the beginning of each show stating "Our show is in three parts," and then precede each reel with a slide with the above inscription and also "Part One," "Two," or "Three" as the case may be. In this way the patrons will know which part they have seen and pass out before the reel begins. Attention might be called to the purpose of the slide on it. When but a short title is on the film the title can also be written on the slide. It is a good idea to run the name of the spot song before the singer begins. In this way the people will be more quiet during the song because they understand what they are listening to. "Please keep quiet during the song" may also be written on the slide. These slides all help a bit toward running the show the way you would like to have it run. The children especially pay attention to them and sometimes they are the worst offenders, especially in talking during the song. Never run an announcement slide for any long period, as the steady patrons of your show get tired of looking at the same signs all of the time and they don't pay much attention to them, whereas a hew slide once in a while will draw their attention. ANNOUNCING FILMS. One of the best uses of the announcement slide is to advertise coming features. When you book your films so that you know in advance what you are going to show, advertise, the film two or three days in advance by the use of the slide. An especially strong feature film can be flashed on the screen a week or more in advance. Advertising a certain film as "Coming" not giving the date will make your patrons eager to see the film. A catchy title of a coming film flashed on the screen will bring patrons out. For instance, the title of a film "$5,000 reward" flashed on the screen and the next slide bearing the inscription, "All about it tomorrow night" brought some of the curious ones out. By the use of a little study and ingenuity much benefit will be derived. These kind of announcements apply more to the family or home show, where you depend more on the "regulars" for your living than on a transient crowd. An unusual field is open for making artistic slides if you happen to have someone of artistic ability among your employees. Then again do not overdo the announcing business as a large number of slides take up