Amateur Cine World (March 1937)

AMATEUR MOVIE MAKING per foot in 9.5mm. or 16mm. gauge, it follows that asft. of 8mm. ‘‘ double-width’”’ film (which becomes soft. of single width) is equivalent in duration to tooft. of 9.5mm. or normal 16mm. film. Fairly recent developments have brought about some extremely compact §mm. cameras designed to take singlewidth film, -and this has naturally resulted in the appearance on the market of single-width 8mm. film. The latter, however, is obtainable only in a limited number of makes and it is necessary for the newcomer to realise that, in general, single-width cameras will not accommodate double-width film; neither will ‘‘ double-eight ’’ cameras fake single-width film. There are exceptions to this rule ; but it remains a rule nevertheless. Light-Proof Reels Except in one instance, where a “charger” is used, 8mm. film is supplied on light-proof reels permitting of daylight loading. In the 9.5mm. gauge, chargers are the rule rather than the exception and the normal length of film is 30ft. (nominal). A charger is a compact, light-proof case, or box, with two compartments: one for the spool of unexposed film; the other to receive the film after exposure. The unexposed film leaves the charger by way of a light-trapped slot, passes through the ‘‘gate’’ of the camera (where it receives the exposure) and re-enters the charger by another lighttrapped slot which leads to the take-up chamber. Chargers are, of course, ‘‘ daylight loading’’ and have the advantage of simplifying the loading and unloading of the camera. In addition, a charger may be removed, partly used, for the purpose of test development, changing to a different grade of film, etc., with a minimum spoilage of film through fogging. Some 9.5mm. cameras are designed to take soft. or 1ooft. of film, the latter in such cases being mounted on daylight loading reels similar, in principle, to the 8mm. and 16mm. film spools. The cattle are a vital feature of the composition of this picture. Include people and animals in your scenic shots now and again for they will help to vitalise them. Daylight-Loading Spools Sixteen-millimetre film is most commonly used in the form of daylight-loading spools accommodating either soft. or rooft. Several makes of cameras, however, are now available for the use of 16mm. film in chargers —or magazines as they are usually called in this gauge. These magazines are rather more highly developed than the 9.5mm. chargers and have carried the advantages of charger-loading almost to perfection. While films in all gauges can be obtained, in one make or another, at prices which do not include processing, the general practice—and certainly for the type of amateur for whom I am writing—is to buy film which includes in its purchase price the cost of processing and finishing the film ready for projection. In such cases it is usual for the charger or. spool to be on loan only and to be retained by the makers when the film is processed. On the other hand, the processors always supply a small projector reel on which the film is mounted when it is returned to the amateur. Comparison of Cost Taking a comparison of costs in relation to duration (or ‘“‘ showing time’’ on the screen), the finished film works out approximately as follows :—16mm. 26s. for 4 minutes ; 9.5mm.—4s. 6d. for 70 seconds (or 15s. 6d. for 4 minutes) ; 8mm.—ros. for 4 minutes. These prices are based on the most popular makes and grades of films. Newcomers must not be misled by the apparent shortness of time represented in four minutes. A minute is a surprisingly long time and a fortnight’s holiday can be depicted on the screen with adequate comprehensiveness in from fifteen to twenty minutes. An interesting film showing all stages of the development of a child from babyhood to the commencement of school age could be shown in four minutes. So much, then, for our introductory survey of modern amateur cine practice so far as it applies to the various gauges of film. Our next consideration will be: What sort of camera to buy. This and attendant matters will be discussed next month. SILVER JUBILEE It is interesting to note that this year the house of Pathescope, Ltd., celebrates its Silver Jubilee. A recent number of the ‘‘ Pathescope Monthly ’’ gives an interesting survey of the progress of this famous firm which has started thousands on the fascinating path of movie-making. 577