American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1926)

June, 1920" AMERICAN CINEM AT OGR APHER Twenty-one and masking the first exposure while the second one is made on the remaining unexposed portion of the frame. The frame may be divided in this manner as many times as is necessary to produce the effects desired. I have made multiple exposures where the film was run through the camera twenty-six times. Dual roles, visions and ghostlyapparitions are produced by this method. Masks are not usually used for <jhost effects. The first exposure without the ghost is made in the normal manner and the ghost, dressed in light colored clothing, is exposed over the first record by posing the ghost actor against a black drop or shadow box. The details of the first exposure register through the shadows of the ghost outline and give it the shadowy or spiritual quality which ghosts are supposed to possess. The chief difficulties in double exposure work are in the synchronization of action and the matching or blending of the edges of the masked sections so that the line of demarcation is indistinguishable. Glass Tenth, glass work, which is a variety of simultaneous double exposure. The term "glass work" originated because the first examples of this work were accomplished by painting portions of scenes on large sheets of plate glass. A piece of plate glass a little larger than the field of view of the lens at 10 or 12 feet from the camera is placed in a rigid frame parallel to the front of the camera. The field of action as viewed by the camera lens is left clear and no pointing is done on this portion of the glass. Any section of the remaining portion of the picture composition, however, can be masked out and replaced by a painting, in accordance with the laws of perspective, of any kind of background or foreground that the production may require. With the use of this device it is necessary to build only such portions of a set as is required to form a background for the action while the remaining portion is supplied by the painting on the glass. The ordinary two-inch cine objective lens at distances beyond ten feet is almost universal in focus; this brings the entire picture in focus and does not blur the painting even though it is close to the lens and the set it far away. By use of miniature models built to scale almost any number of different setups may be made, but extreme care must be used in lining up the model with the actual set which it completes. In the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" the picture shows a full size reproduction of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and yet the actual construction of the set was only to the top of the entrance doors, the upper portion being supplied with glass work and miniature models. Mirrors and Prisms Eleventh, simultaneous double exposure by means of mirrors and prisms. This is a reversal of the means by which two identical images are made with one lens in the color cameras. By this reversal two images may be superimposed and photographed on the same frame simultaneously and as the two images may be independently focused much smaller models and paintings may be utilized than in the glass work process. It is even possible to use a motion picture, previously taken, for the background of the new composite, so that actors in the studio may be shown amid the waving palms of a background photographed in the Sahara desert. This method has lately been heralded as a wonderful German invention under the name of the Schuefftan process but is antedated by Announcing a new price, now possible by $£%£% increasing inter ™^^ in this Re markable Speed Lens We also make RADAR P : 3.5 Anastigmat (M. P.) as well as RADAR Tele photo Anastigmat P:5.6 and a complete line of high-grade cameras and lenses for the still studio. Write for our complete catalogue. UNDLACH-MANHATTAN OPTICAL CO. 900 Clinton So., Rochester, N. Y. TREMONT FILM LABORATORIES CORP. 1942-4 Jerome Avenue New York City SPECIALIZING in NEGATIVE DEVELOPING FIRST POSITIVE PRINTING 5CHEIBES PHOTO-FILTER SPECIALTY Are now popular from coast to coast, and in some foreign countries. If my many varieties do not always fill the bill, tell me your wants and I will make them on special order. Always at your service. GEO. H. SCHEIBE 1636 Lemoyne St. DUnkirk 4975 Los Angeles, Cal. FOR. RENT BELL HOWELL AND AKELEY CAMERAS With or Without Cameramen SEIDEN CAMERA EXCHANGE 729 Seventh Ave. N.Y.C. Bryant 3 95 1 Wire us for any New York Scenes you may need Prices Reasonable CLUBBING OFFEB Subscribed for separately. Camera Craft and the American Cinematographer will cost a total of $4.50 per year. As a special clubbing offer, both magazines may be had at a total price of $3.40 per year. American CinematoqrapKer 1219 20 21-22 Guaranty Bldg. Hollywood. Calif.