The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

November 6, 1926 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 49 Production Tips, Kinks and Wrinkles Compiled hy Colby Harriman for Your Scrap Book. Cut Out and Paste LIGHTING CHART AND KEY With the addition of metallic curtains to the better type of theatres the interest in securing attractive lighting effects is on the increase. We are submitting a chart which may assist in selecting the proper combinations for the varous motifs. There are many combinations in color wliich are similar in their application hut each color has an emotional value and no matter how subtle may be the lighting motif a proper blending of the colors will result in a proper synchronization and a suitable interpretation of the musical theme. We are listing here some of the important tones, and what they may reflect: Red-orange — Reminiscence. Deep Blue — Depression. Deep Mauve — Depression. Orange— Exhilaration. Tango -Red — Exhilaration. Yellow — Same as above. Grass Green — Soothing. Pale Blue — Lonely. Scarlet — Irritable. Pale Amber — Imagination. Pale Pink — Fanciful. Purple — Doleful. Pale Mauve — Sense of distance. Pale Green Blue — Sense of space. The basic discs in securing lighting effects are red. green and blue. These are the primary colors in light. When we 3peak of pure red we mean a red color that does not have any trace of orange in it. When a green is referred to it means a green that does not show Eny traces of yellow or blue. A pure blue is the color of blue that does not show any traces of the other colors and is an ultramarine with violet in it. When you are using glass mediums or w^hat is known as pure or true color mediums you can test them out in a very simple manner by following the chart given here : Red plus green plus blue will equal a w'hite. This means that when you take each of the primary colors and project them on a common background or base, all at the same time, you will get a white. If this does not result, then you have faulty colors. Red plus green equals yellow. Green plus blue equals peacock blue. Blue plus red equals magenta. Red plus peacock blue equals white. Green plus magenta equals white. Blue plus yellow equals w'hite. As we have said that the primaries in light are red, green and blue, the complimentaries are peacock blue, magenta and yellow. Each complimentary when combined with a primary will give you a white. Peacock blue is a minus red, meaning red from white. Magenta a minus green. Tellow a minus blue. The matter of superimposition of colors is a very interesting study in forming various lighting combinations. A Strong RED on a weak GREEN gives an ORANGE. A GREEN on BLUE gives PEACOCK BLUE. RED on BLUB gives MAGENTA. RED on stronger BLUE gives PURPLE. RED, GREEN, BLUE on one another gives WHITE. If WHITE is dimmed we get a GRAY. If ORANGE is dimmed we get a BROWN. When WHITE is superimposed on any color it makes the color dominating the base of a paler tone. A TIP FOR ORGANISTS A tip was recently mailed to us from an organist in a theatre who experienced much difficulty in seeing the screen during the showing of the picture, owing to several reasons. It has been found that several organists have suffered considerable eye-strain owing to their proximity to the screen and this in addition to the necessity of glancing up at ULTIMATELY — So start now. BcKin to keep a SCRAP BOOK. The material you will find published here each week will he of almost priceless value. If you are producing, then surely save it. If yon are not interested now the prohabilities are you eventually will require some presentation or production material on your program. So, start a scrap book now. — C. H. the picture continually while playing, even when the music is scored and timed. This trouble can be overcome in part by a simple method of adjusting two mirrors on portable stands. One of the mirrors should be set at such an angle as to catch the picture on the screen and reflect it into the second mirror which should be placed close to the music rack in front of the organist. GOLD COLOR FOR BRASS Ricli gold color can be given brass articles by boiling them in a solution consisting of two parts saltpetre, one part common salt, one part aluminum, twenty-four parts water and one part hydro-chloric acid. These parts may be arrived at by weight and proportioned accordingly. PAPIER MACHE FORMULA A few weeks ago we made a request for a simple and effective formula for making papier mache. This is reaJly one of the lost arts of the old theatre, but it is a valuable bit of information in the craft which should be preserved. A good mash of paper may be made by taking one part dry paper, three parts water, eig'ht parts plaster of paris, and enough hot glue to give it a consistency. When the paper pulp is being prepared melt the best Irish glue in a pot about the same thickness and general consistency as that used by a cabinetmaker. Then measure the diiferent ingredients until experience or results teach you the proper "feel" of the mash is like. Take the pulp out of water, squeeze it gently, but do not squeeze it dry. Put it in a container and pour about three-quarters of the hot gluo over it. Stir the mass up into a soft sticky paste. Add the plaster of Paris and mix the entire amount thoroughly. The plaster of paris should be added gradually when half of it is in the mache and after it becomes rather dry and thick and almost too hard to work add the balance of tho glue and work it up until the entire lot becomes sticky once more. After this add the balance of the plaster. Then squeeze the balance of the plaster and the mache vigorously through the fingers so that it is all thoroughly mixed and work it free of all lumps. After this is accomplished it is ready to place in the molds or over the pattern to be impressed. TWO VALUABLE TIPS We received two valuable tips relatiive to scratches on enamelled surfaces and in caring for parabolic reflectors. It has become a sort of a bugaboo back stage to hsve enamel'ed furniture scratched in the handling and this usually occurs when the piece is rented or borrowed. If it is necessary to obliterate these scratches this may be accomplished by applying several very light coats of thin shellac or varnish, covering as nearly as possible only the area of the scratch each time, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next. When the last coat is dried the surface should be rubbed with crocus powder and olive oil on a cloth. After the surface has been levelled out in this way a good coat of body polish should be applied. In caring for the highly burnished surfaces of the electric border and footlight reflectors on the parabolic type it may be said that extreme care should be given when cleaning them. Patent metal polishes should not be used as these mixtures usually are gritty and will not only scratch the surface but will dull it. A special cloth should be used for cleaning it. The cloth should be in a moist condition, never dry, but saturated with cleaning liquid free from grit and destructive acids. A silk or velvet cloth should be used for finishing. WALL BOARD— TYPES AND USES A few weeks ago we received a letter from an exhibitor who was experimenting with wall board and requested us to give him data as to the best type to use in his work about the stage and theatre. We believe that it will be of general interest to give a few points relative to various types of wall board on the market. There are so many composition materials available that one is often confused with the various names. Some think that all wall board is the same and in ordering often put themselves at the mercy of the dealer, who is more or less incompetent to judge the material for theatrical needs unless he is in the business of supplying theatres with such materials. Wall board is the general term for all sorts of artificial woods. It consists basically of wood fibre compressed into sheets varying from three-sixteenths to one-quarter of an incli or more in thickness. The standard is about three-sixteenths. It differs from wood in its various properties. It has toughness rather than hardness, it is free from grain, does not split, is less resinous, being practically free from resin, lends itself easily and readily to paint, distemper or varnish, and is a better non-conductor than wood, being somewhat more fire and sound-resisting. In its normal dry state it is a good electrical insulator. Its weight varies according to the thickness, for example a three-sixteenth-inch wall board weighs about eight or nine ounces to a square foot. One advantage is that in sizes of sheets as large as sixteen by four feet. It may be cut either with a saw, knife or chisel and its edges glass papered. It is easily handled, being very light. After painting of wall board it becomes wonderfully hard and rigid, and when enamel is applied to its surface it becomes waterproofed. The following gives some of the important points relative to the leading brands on the market today. UTILITY WALL BOARD is composed of five layers of high grade fibre wood which lessens the tendency to contraction and (.-xpansion. The layers are connected together with pure asphalt under intense heat and roller pressure, making the board moistureproof within. This five ply board is surfaced on both sides with a moistureproof coating, which is also applied under intense heat, until it is thoroughly impregnated onto the surface of the board rendering it moistureproof. It is made in sheets of varying lengths and widths. BEAVER BOARD is a wood fibre wall board which seasons and toughens with age. Paint, decoration and binding substances tend to render it more durable, just as paint and preservatives render wood and forest products. This brand has the advantage due to its method of manufacturing over the forest products. There is no cracking, as it is made from tough spruce fibers, crossed and recrossed and then bonded with a preservative. OOMPO BOARD differs from the others as it is a composition board. It has three principal parts. Its surface Is of heavy papers, tho wooded core Is made up of a series of slats placed Indiscriminately as to grain, so as to prevent warping, and the cement which holds It together Is of a special type. It Is fire resisting, will not chip and is durable.