American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

THE IDEA EXCHANGE WA5MEP. — ^ I"* '/$" FLAT Kt TH!CK BEND UP '1/ J u„, c SPURS TO 4? HOLE FIT CAMERA SMALL HOLE FOR STRING V'* HOLE Camera Release Have you ever needed an extra hand while using your camera on a tripod? Here's a solution which permits one hand to operate both the pan-head and the camera-release, leaving the other free to do whatever is necessary, such as working a fader, or the like. One finger of the hand controlling the panhandle is slipped into a ring which is tied to a string attached to a lever mechanism which moves the camerarelease. The sketch shows the mechanism as applied to a Bell & Howell Filmo 8 and also to an Eastman Model 20 CineKodak. However, the same principle can be adapted to almost any type of camera. The parts can be made out of an angle-iron and a corner-brace of the type used to reinforce screen doors, which can be bought for a few cents at any five-and-ten-cent store. The string used should be a piece of fishing-line or other similarly strong, flexible material. The ring at the end should be of a size such that it will slip easily over your finger. The mechanism should operate easily, so as to obtain a "feather-touch" control. The same gadget can be modified for use as a remote-control arrangement too. Simply tie a small weight, such as a good-sized fishing sinker, to the end of the string. Then balance the weight on a suitable supporting mount on the tripod-head. Tie another bit of string to the weight, and carry the other end of this string into the scene with you. Then all you need to do is twitch the string so the weight is pulled off its support. It then trips the camera-mechanism by pulling the string which operates your release. PAUL W. CRAMER Lighting Titles Unless you use one of the more expensive titlers with built-in lighting units, one of the most troublesome and time-consuming tasks in title-making is getting your lights set up to illuminate the title. The lighting must be flat and uniform, and for consistent results should always be the same intensity — which means the lights should always be in the same position every time. Here's a simple gadget which can be added to almost any of the popular typewriter-letter titlers, like the Eastman, which will enable you to put your lights on at the same place every time, with no trouble. Simply get a piece of 1-inch board about three inches long by two or twoand-a-half inches wide. Mount this standing on edge (with the 2% -inch measurement vertical) beside your camera on the base of the titler. You can fasten it permanently to the titler-base by drilling two small holes in the metal of the base, and inserting two wood screws through these holes to hold the wooden block in place. In use, just snap your clamp-on Photoflood reflector to this block, and swing the light over so it is just above the lens of your camera, and with the reflector shading the titler's supplementary lens. This, with most clamp-on reflectors, will give you a perfectly even illumination all over your title field. Since the lamp is always in the same position, you don't have to worry about exposure. If your tests have shown you that with the film you use and a No. 1 Photoflood an average title will be correctly exposed at, say, /:5.6, from then on whenever you make titles all you have to do is clamp your lamp on the block, set the lens at /:5.6 — and shoot. If you're one of the prosperous, wellequipped fellows who owns a "Dinky Inky" or similar small spotlight, you can work the same idea. Extend the wooden block higher, and drill a hole through which you can insert a a/4-inch bolt which will screw into the tripodsocket on the base of the "Dinky's" mounting-bracket. Turning the spotlamp over on its side you can position it just above the lens. Then focus it THE IDEA EXCHANGE is just what the name implies — the place where 16mm. and 8mm. cinefilmers can swap moviemaking ideas with the other fellow. The little improvised tricks you used to solve one of your cinemaking problems may be just the answer to something that's perplexing a fellow filmer — and one of his ideas may solve a problem for you. To help out this exchange, The American Cinematographer invites you to send in descriptions of gadgets, tricks, shortcuts and methods you have used in any phase of home movie work — shooting, editing, titling, projecting, processing, and the like. If possible, send along a photograph or sketch to help make your description more clear to the other fellow. For every idea published in THE IDEA EXCHANGE, we'll give you two projection-reels and cans or their equivalent in equipment or cash. Really unusual ideas will reecive higher awards. When sending in your idea, let us know whether you shoot 8mm. or 16mm. to facilitate sending you the right equipment. down till the spot-beam just slightly more than covers the title-area, and shoot. This side-burning business isn't too good for the "Dinky's" bulb, but for short periods it won't hurt seriouslv. ROBERT W. TEOREY Sunshade For Cameras Shooting in a back-light, did you ever try to shade the camera's lens with your hat or hand while you made your scene ? Then you'll appreciate this sunshade gadget! Go to your favorite auto-supply store and buy one of those sun-visors that is mounted at the end of a metal rod. Take a small sheet of brass and drill a hole in it so that the brass sheet can fit between your camera and tripodhead, with the tripod-screw passing through the hole, and about an inch or so of the brass plate extending beyond the camera. To this projecting end solder a block of brass a little over an inch square. Mount the end of the sunshade's supporting rod in this block: just how, depends on the type of sunshade you buy. Some of them have a nice swivel-mounting on that end, so all you'll have to do is attach this to the brass block. Others may not have this swivel, and your best bet will be to make one by taking a smaller piece of brass, cutting a groove in one side to accept the rod, and drilling a hole through it (at right angles to the groove) through which you can run a bolt to bolt it to the base-block at any desired angle. This way you can swing the visor out (Continued on Page 449) American Cinematographer September, 10 11 137