British Kinematography (1947)

67 These are generally illuminated to such a degree as to constitute a very serious menace, or conversely are so dimly lit as to make it practically impossible to tell the time. The question of clock positioning has always presented difficulties, and although in several cases they have been located well to the sides of the auditorium, this causes them to be seen by the corner of the eye, which is particularly sensitive to a small lighted object, for this part of the eye is better adapted to night vision than the fovea. The fact that the solid visual angle for one eye is over 90 degrees in the horizontal plane makes it nearly impossible to position the clock outside the normal visual angle unless it be placed behind the audience. This has been done in several cases, but the danger here is that the audience will remain entirely unaware of the clock's existence. It would seem that the solution lies in linking the clock lighting circuit to the trailer dimmer controlling the screen curtain lighting. This would have the effect of giving a brightly lit clock face only when there is no picture being projected on the screen, and comparatively few of the audience want to know the time in the course of a picture presentation. Exit Doors Another, and similar, type of glare spot is to be found in kinemas so designed as to make the provision of exit doors necessary at the sides of the proscenium, for these doors must have well illuminated exit box signs. In quite a few kinemas the maintained lighting fittings have been badly positioned and create glare spots. To instance a particular case, a certain kinema has gangway lighting carried out from fittings placed under the seat standards, and the unfortunately placed patron has a string of red lights in his visual field which closely resemble the warning lights used at night over road construction works. Glare, even in its mildest form, must be avoided. There have even been examples where, due to the simultaneous opening of two doors, a shaft of brilliant sunshine has been projected on to the screen during picture presentation or has caused an intermittent glare spot to appear on the walls near the proscenium. Re-reflection of Picture Re-reflection of the picture is another great source of unconscious annoyance to patrons. The offending surface need not necessarily be specular in nature, such as the glass panels in a badly positioned lighting fitting, but can be light decorative features, stage floors, orchestra well coverings, organs, etc., which will all re-reflect the picture under certain conditions. Such a distraction is doubly irritating owing to the image movement which is constantly taking place, making itself felt even if the re-reflection be weak or nearly out of the visual angle. r 867SQFT C~ " "> +3ZS&.FT ^ ^ J 2.4 FT. 3+ FT, Fig. 7. Relation between Picture Width and Area.