American cinematographer (Dec 1937)

p 530 American Cinematographer • December, 1937 NOW'S THE TIME TO GET BUSY ON YOUR SPLICING Sales Executive Explains How Best to Master Hooking 'Em Up By A. E. GAVIN T he long winter evenings ahead present an opportunity for most moviemakers to catch up on their editing and splicing and to add that editorial touch so necessary to the success of all home movies. Your films are really never complete until they are carefully edited and titled and the assortment of “shots” or scenes spliced together on one or more master reels. With the ranks of home movie makers greatly increased during the past year, many have yet to purchase their splicing and editing equipment. If you are one of these embryo movie- makers you may be interested in a few pointers regarding splicers and their use. Your selection of a splicer will, naturally, depend upon the amount you wish to invest, but for the aver- age amateur, there are two or three low-priced splicers on the market that give excellent results. The splicer you select should enable you to make splices with accuracy and a minimum of operations. The emulsion removing tool should be easy to use and positive in results. The “dry” type scraper, which elim- inates need for moistening the film, will prepare a better bonding area and prevent damaging adjoining film area as is so often the case where water is applied to film before scrap- ing. One of the newest, and perhaps one of the simplest, cine film splicers is 1. W'ith emulsion or dull side up, place both sections of film on splicer over the guide and tension pins so that ends to be cut extend over the trimming edges. Clamp down left pressure bar. 2. Depress cutting blade, trimming both ends of film accurately in one operation. Leave cut- ting blade in lowered position until after splice is completed! 3. Remove emulsion from protruding end of left film section with a few strokes of dry scraper. No need to moisten film. Make sure to remove all trace of emulsion to insure a permanent splice. I. Raise right film section from pins and move to left one frame or until it overlaps area and, holding up overlapping end, apply ce- ment to scraped area and clamp down right pressure bar. 5. Release both pressure bars after about thirty seconds; remove film from splicer and proceed with next splice. Process of splicing 8mm or 16mm film with particular device described, beginning at top. the Seeniann, moderately priced and capable of splicing accurately and securely either 8mm or 16mm film. Special features consist of a dry scraper—particularly efficient on the heavier and more tenacious color emulsions, spring tension pins for holding film in place, and new style square cement bottle, with improved applicator, set into splicer base where it cannot rotate nor overturn. Have Your Kewinds Besides your splicer you also should have a pair of film rewinds for spool- ing your film as you splice. Some amateurs use their projector for hold- ing reels while splicing, but such an arrangement does not provide the easy winding facilities of regular rewinds. In splicing your films, it is advisable to work with the spliced sections at your left, moving the film from right to left as each splice is completed. In working with the Seemann both sections of film to be spliced are placed on the device with the emul- sion or “dull” side up, so that the ends to be cut are over the trimming edges. The clamp is snapped in place to hold film over pins and to provide guide for emulsion scraper. Cutting blade is then depressed to trim both sections of film at one op- eration. The emulsion is next removed by a few strokes of the dry sciaper. The right section of film is then moved to the left until it overlaps the scraped area and, holding up the overlapping end, cement is applied to the scraped area and the right pres- sure bar clamped in place to complete the splice. The pressure bars are left in clamped position for about thirty seconds to allow film cement to dry. It’s as simple as all that! In fact, its really fun. And after you’ve once accustomed yourself to the use of your splicer you will never again leave those fifty and one hundred foot rolls of film lying around un-edited! Slow Drying Best Some beginners often make the mistake of applying too much cement to their splices, resulting in an untidy splice which hampers smooth projec- I i t f rj ■I { ,1 III