Amateur Cine World (May 1934)

‘Titling Effects UR offer of half-aC) sire for hints and tips on titling has met with an enthusiastic response from readers and suggestions have been pouring in. Of course, our old friend the rewind that can be made with parts from the sixpenny stores and all the other well-known tricks, have appeared many times and while we are pleased to find that amateur cinematographers are alive to these possibilities, we would point out that what we want from them are new and original ideas. We do not require elaborate suggestions so much as simple methods of improving technique, saving unnecessary expense, raising the standard of the films that are made and generally enabling readers to get the best out of their hobby. Prizes for Hints Hints and tips submitted (they can be on any subject—not only titling) should be as short as possible and sketches are welcomed. They need not be finished drawings, for our artists can refashion them for publication if necessary. Address your entry: Hints Competition, The Editor, Amateur Cine World, Link House, 4-7, Greville Street, London, E.C.1. Hints for the June issue of Amateur Cine World (on sale May 15th) should reach us not later than April 26th. The apparatus which I use for making titles (writes Mr. L. Capson, of “* Little Downs,” 29, The Fairway, Gravesend, Kent, who wins _half-aguinea) is entirely home-made and gives every satisfaction. It consists of a lantern containing three 150 watt lamps. Actually this is a wooden box painted black outside and aluminium inside and having a ground glass front. Hanging in front of this is a metal frame into which half-inch interlocking stencils are mounted to form the title required. Blank slides are used to fill in the open spaces at the ends of the rows and the rows not in use. The title appearing brightly has white letters on a black background. The lantern is arranged so that it can slide along the wooden baseboard on which the camera platform is fixed. The camera, when fixed to the platform with a quarter-inch screw and between guide cheeks, is automatically centred relative to the lantern. Titles can be made at either one metre or half metre from the camera, depending upon the size of the letters required upon the screen, of course, not forgetting to fit the correct supplementary lens in the camera. Effects can be arranged by setting up the title and completely covering it with the blank slides and then after Ingenious Ideas That Can Be Carried Out At Little Cost starting the camera. removing the slides one by one or, if it is preferred a word at a time may be uncovered, the camera being stopped between each movement of the slides. The reason the lantern is made to slide along the baseboard (by pulling a piece of cord over a pulley-wheel) is that it gives a rather unique touch to the title if done as follows :— Arrange the title in the frame on the lantern, place the lantern within a few inches of the camera and start the camera; then by pulling the cord the lantern is made to slide away from the camera till it reaches its correct predetermined position, i.e., half metre or one metre, depending upon the lens selected for the particular title. [OW BLAINK|siipess[i( Ben Sk ee eS For explanation of this diagram, see prize-winning hints by L. Capson on this page. 16 SHolwiNG) Readers Novel PRIZE WINNING SLOTTED | \ RUBBER y BANDS A full explanation of this diagram will be found in this prize-winning hint by R. Haig on this page. I usually use F3.5 aperture for titling, as this produces a very brilliant result and will stand out well even after being very deeply tinted. Half-a-guinea is awarded to Mr. Robert Haig, of 21, Craiglockhart Terrace, Edinburgh, for the following novel idea : Titles with moving backgrounds (he writes) are very attractive, but in the ordinary way involve double exposure. The sketch illustrates a simple device by which any title may be imposed on any desired background ‘with only one exposure. Two strips of wood are fixed, as shown, to the top and bottom of the camera by means of strong elastic bands. The bottom strip is the same width as the bottom of the camera and has a wood block screwed to it as shown and slotted to take a sheet of glass—an old photographic plate serves the purpose admirably. The glass is held firm by the little clip to the top wooden strip, which, owing to the carrying (Continued on page 43) And Now TOTEM Advises You... S most of us were taught the elementary ethics of life by the laws of “don’t” (he writes), it might be advisable to offer a few rules on titling based on the same laws. ‘These rules will be found to apply to all titling work, irrespective of size or type of camera in use. Any semblance of polish on the background should be avoided since it creates the danger of a halo effect on the film. Never use clear electric lamps for illuminating the title board. Pearl or frosted lamps should always be used in order to avoid the black striations cast by clear lamps. If you are making titles with black letters on white card, try a pale blue card instead of the white and there will be a distinct improvement in the results. If white written letters are used on a black ground, a good