American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1942)

8mm. ON A 10-FOOT SCREEN! By ROME A. RIEBETH Minneapolis Cine Club. HOW large can 8mm. movies be screened? The Minneapolis Cine Club has proven that with modern equipment and skill this smallest-sized of home movies can be successfully given theatre-size presentation. The occasion was the Club's Annual Winter Show, where 650 guests in the auditorium of Minneapolis' Women's Club had the surprise of seeing 8mm. movies projected on a beaded screen more than ten feet in width. The show-house was packed to the rafters as the 75 members of the MCC put on an epic performance to their audience. The show, a replica of professional film fare, made a name for itself with the audience and will be repeated again by popular acclaim. The Minneapolis Club's membership, about evenly split between 8 and 16 millimeter camera owners, has for the past five years made amateur movie history with their well planned and executed 16 millimeter showings. But heretofore the technical difficulties had always banned an 8 millimeter show. Undaunted by this factor, the "eights" decided that is was possible to X)resent their film to the public and they called on the finest technical advisors to help them. Movie-wise semi-professional and professional film-makers laughed at the idea and said that it couldn't be done, and if tried the show would be a definite flop. Stubborn members took up the cudgel to prove to the woi-ld that the exports didn't know everything. The accumulated knowledge of the amateurs was pooled to bring into being one of the first 8mm. showings of theatre calibre in the country. Primarily it was decided that no concession would be made to quality and that titles, pictures, sound equipment and presentation would be of the finest . . . or else. A screen size of 10xl2-ft. was decided on as the most suitable from the viewpoint of the spectator. Using this as a starting-point, the technical side of the show was worked out. There was plenty of excellent film available in the libi-aries of the 8mm.shooting club-members, and it was only a matter of picking and choosing to select the best and most suitable film for public presentation. This was old stuff to the group and a well-edited show was put together in jig time, musical scores arranged and sound-effects added. The entire "sound-track" was then scored on acetate disc records, and the show was ready to roll. A critical group gathered in the darkened auditorium of the theatre to check the final details of the show theme, and made sure the ecjuipment was readied to meet any technical diflnculties that might be experienced. The sound-equipment used was for the most part manufactured by the members themselv'es. It was chosen over professional equipment because in many cases it incorporated more advanced ideas. The "sound-track" met all expectations and was accepted by the group. But the speakers used were unsatisfac Left, flash picture during actual screening, showing projectors on front row of balcony, and loudspeakers flanking screen. Above, top. Projectionists Ralph Bowman and John Flekke at work. Note step-up transformer and voltmeter; middle. Soundman Ray RieschI recording sound-effects and music on disci to accompany films; bottom, Carroll Davidson, _ Arihur Anderson, and President Ralph Sprungman kibiti while Fred Grabow checks editing of films for th? show. Photos by Ormal 1. Sprungman. tory, and again a member's private theatre was raided to obtain first-class equipment. The projectionists, who had worked out every angle of their job with an eye to complete visible entertainment, were disappointed in the power of their projectors. The projection committee had done considerable experimenting with a couple of Eastman Kodak model 70-D projectors, and decided that special lens equipment would make these suitable to the show's needs. Heavy lamps, giving 750 watts of illumination were obtained and special lenses were tried. The screen was located 70 feet away from the projection-booth and it took everything the projectors could give to enlarge the picture to the proper size and still maintain brilliance. After considerable work with special lens equipment it was finally decided to turn back to the original lenses furnished with the machines. The image projected was of the corlect size, and the only thing lacking was the snap and brilliance usually associated with beaded screen projection. One of the projectionists suddenly had (Continued on Page 225) 212 May, 1942 American Cinematographer