American cinematographer. (1939)

a dark to a light scene is un¬ pleasant to the eye. 4. The direction of movement, e.g., figure or vehicle moves to right, left or stops. Now from your record study the scenes. From the best of these arrange a plan of continuity. If extra shots are needed note these and any titles that are required. When this is done cut the film and place each piece in a compartment of the editing box where it can be quickly found. The titles and extra shots are then made and added to the editing box in the same manner. Again study your notes which identify each strip of film and number them in the order in which they are to be joined. Be sure you have a continuity of shots that will make an interesting story. The film is now ready to be spliced. Splicing If a film has been carefully edited, it will contain many splices, and unless these have been skillfully made they will spoil a good film. This is one phase of moviemaking that the amateur often neglects. A bad splice will cause the film to jump out of focus when it passes the pressure plate of the projector or will cause a breakdown in your show if the joints do not hold. In the case of Kodachrome, unwanted bright red spots will appear if the film is wound on a takeup spool when the cement is not thor¬ oughly dry. The price of a splicing outfit is not a gauge to its efficiency. The Kodascope film splicing outfit contains no moving Editing bench. Kodak reel with one side removed is used for winding film. edge of the film or diagonally across one frame. Neither method is perfect. My preference is for the Bell and Howell splicing block. It uses a dry scraper with a blade, not a file, that can be set to the correct depth, making it possible to re¬ move emulsion with a clean cut edge and at the same time not interfere with the base of the film. The wet scraping method is not as efficient. The water is liable to spread more than is needed, causing spots to appear at the joint. In the case of col¬ ored film, unwanted colored spots are seen. With both methods it is essential that all emulsion be cleaned from the film in order that the two pieces of film will fuse evenly when cement is applied. To make doubly sure of this, the piece of film which is to be welded to the scraped portion should be moistened with ce¬ ment and quickly wiped. This will leave a rough edge that will fuse quickly. The less cement used the neater the joint and the longer it is left between the pressure plates before testing the stronger it will be. Do not strain the joint when making the first examination as the cement takes a considerable time to thoroughly dry. One minute should suffice to leave the film between the pres¬ sure plates. The cement should be of the consist¬ ency of water and made by the same manufacturers as the film. Make a habit of using white gloves when handling film on the editing bench. Even when in the act of splicing keep a cork in the bottle of cement to prevent evaporation and deterioration and always have a new bottle on hand. As to Splicing If care has been taken when making the splice the film should be as strong at a joint as it is in any other spot. The two pieces of film should be welded by cement into one piece and the sprocket holes clean of cement. A splice may be at right angles to the parts to wear, is cheap and very efficient. Elaborate outfits are more automatic and make the job less tiresome, but should be tested before being purchased to be sure they make a neat joint, do not damage the sprocket holes and at the same time leave these holes cor¬ rectly spaced. Make these tests with a magnifying glass. November, 1939 • American Cinematographer 509