American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1963)

Technical Questions and Answers S) S 9 8 8 § ■ I 1 s.o.$. GIGANTIC SALE See Also Pages 1 2 anr 57 m EDITING, CUTTING ROOM SUPPLIES & ACCESSORIES MOVIOLA 16MM Model ULPVCS Black Preview sound one side, composite sound and picture on other, magnetic/optical. Excellent condition . $1995.00 FILM HANDLING EQUIPMENT B & H Hot Pedestal Splicer, 35MM. Good condition . $595.00 B & H Hot Pedestal Splicer, 7 OMM. Good condition . . . . . $895.00 FOSTER AUTOMATIC Rewind on table with in¬ spection life. 110V AC 60 cycle, heavy duty motor, foot pedal control, speeds zero to 875 RPM. New . $435.00 PRESTO Hot Splicers, 16MM. Originally $747.00. Reconditioned . $495.00 With interchangeable 16MM and 35MM heads, re¬ conditioned . . . . $595.00 MOTION PICTURE PRINTERS ACE 35MM (from Photo News) . $295.00 DUPLEX 35MM STEP PRINTER . $295.00 (from Photo News) ACE 35MM Soundtrack Printer on pedestal, oper¬ ates with any picture. Good condition $295.00 BELL & HOWELL Printer Model D continuous contact 5-way aperture with original style lamp house. Good condition . $1995.00 B & H Model D Printer. Reconditioned. ...$2465.00 B & H Model D Printer, with standard 300 watt hi-intensity lamphouse, blower cooled, DC rec¬ tifier. Rebuilt like new . $4495.00 B & H 35MM Main Sprockets for D Printers. $500 value. New . $195.00 CINECOLOR Double Head 35MM Step Printer with automatic lite change and timing device. Originally $12,000. (Bank Foreclosure). Good condition _ _ — . . $2495.00 CUSTOM BUILT 35MM Step Printer on pedestal, pilot pin registration. Fair condition . $395.00 DEPUE Optical Reduction Printer 35/16 picture with automatic light changer. Reconditioned . $3995.00 DUPLEX AUTOMATIC 150 Scene Light Change Boards. $15,000 value (plus $20 crating). .$1 95.00 DUPLEX 35MM Step Printer (2 machines in one). Excellent. Plus $35 crating . $295.00 UHLER 1 6MM SOUND and PICTURE double head, originally $862, hardly used . $295.00 FILM PROCESSING EQUIPMENT FILMLINE R15TC reversal/negative/positive ma¬ chine with refrigeration, bottom drains, air com¬ pressor, cushion-blo squeegee, variable speeds up to 1200 ft. per hour. Good condition . $2450.00 FILMLINE Model R40TC reversal/negative/positive machine with refrigeration, recirculation pump, drain pump, air compressor. Originally $4865. Good condition $2995.00 GPL 401 Hi-Speed 16MM Spray Processor, neg./ pos. Originally $8000. Reconditioned . $2995.00 HOUSTON-FEARLESS 16MM daylight loading mag. for all HF Processors. $300 val $99.50 HOUSTON-FEARLESS Model 1, 16MM neg. /pos., variable speed. Reconditioned.. . . . $895.00 MAMMOTH HOUSTON Color Processor 16/35MM Ansco/Ektachrome, neg. /pos. up to 1200 ft. per hour, 16 stainless steel tanks. Full temperature control. Recirculation, air supply 7 squeegees. Cost Cuban Gov't $35,000. Rebuilt like new . . $11,995.00 Many Other Extra Specials. Write for brochure. S.O.S. PHQTO-CINE-OPTICS, Inc. 602 West 52nd St.# New York 19, N.Y. — PLaza 7-0440 Western Branch: 6331 Holly’d. Blvd., Holly’d. 28, Calif. Q. Will appreciate answers to the following questions relative to set light¬ ing: (1) How do the major studios pro¬ vide fill light on huge, very deep sets such as a typical ballroom set in costume dramas? Obviously, using broads placed at either side of the camera would flood only a very shal¬ low portion of the set nearest the camera. However, in the type of scene mentioned above, l have noticed that very deep sets are smoothly filled with light from front to back. This doesn’t appear to be spotlighting from the top of the set walls; it is too even for that, too soft. (2) What is the fundamental use of cone lights: Have they merely replaced double broads? Are they ever used for very soft key lighting? — J. W., Cum¬ berland, R. I. A.— Since all big sets erected in the studios have parallels overhead, illumi¬ nating such sets smoothly and in depth is a relatively simple matter. The lamps — usually 5K’s or 10 K’s — are mounted on the parallels and provide smooth illu¬ mination from overhead over the en¬ tire set. Very often these lamps are diffused, with spun glass or plain gela¬ tin diffusers, for improved illumination quality. Cone lights provide the cinematog¬ rapher with the nearest thing to “shadowless’ light on the sound stage. They make ideal fill lights and are some¬ times used to replace broads or double broads. Of course, the Cone light takes up more space than does the broad. It is possible to use a Cone light for very soft key lighting, but studio cinematog¬ raphers prefer to use a modeling light plus a fill light, which can be con¬ trolled to give better definition, more interesting faces. Q. How does the Gossen Lunasix meter compare with the Spectra?— M. F., Oakville, Ontario, Canada. A. ——The Spectra is essentially an in¬ cident light meter, although it may also be used for reflected light readings. The Gossen Lunasix, on the other hand is basically a reflected light meter, al¬ though it is capable of incident light evaluation also. The Spectra’s large hemispheric light collector is ideally designed to provide high efficiency in collecting and measuring incident light falling on scene or subject from all angles. Both meters are highly sensitive in that light pickup is amplified by means of ultra-sensitive Cadmium Sul¬ phide cells incorporated in the light measuring system. Q. For a film I am shooting on 16mm Ektachrome Commercial, how can l create the illusion of a chest X-Ray being developed in a darkroom? — L. L. B., Springfield, Mo. A. For the answer to your ques¬ tion, we consulted two different Holly¬ wood special effects specialists. Fol¬ lowing are their respective answers: You will need two X-Ray plates, both the same size, one blank, the other with completely developed X-Ray image. Photograph hand submerging blank plate in tray of solution. Hold it still, then withdraw hand from scene. Cap lens and wind back film to start of exposure, and remove cap for re-exposure. Place plate with de¬ veloped image in identical spot in tray as blank plate; fade-in and shoot a simple 3-foot dissolve. Place hand in same position as for first exposure, then lift and remove plate. Or ... . If shot is to be a static one, shoot once with blank X-Ray plate in tray, and second time with the developed plate in tray and with camera locked down. A long dissolve between the two shots should yield gradual appearance of image. Where the shot is to contain action, reversal system is probably easiest to handle. Here X-Ray plate is first ex¬ posed normally with the reverse of the desired image (i.e. neg for pos or vice versa). Then follow normal reversal processing, develop, bleach and clear. Process may be stopped at this point and plate exposed to white light. Plate may now be developed in the light while photographing with desired im¬ age fading in as development occurs. Reversal kit, chemicals and instruc¬ tions can be had at most photographic stores. ■ 14 AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, JANUARY, 1963