We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTION PICTURE FILM
Hal Hall*
THE past year has been one of continued progress in the technical department of the motion picture industry. But, perhaps, the greatest progress has been made by the manufacturers of motion picture film. The scientists of the research departments of the film manufacturing companies are to be congratulated, for they have produced results that have lightened the burden of the cinematographer and photographer and have made possible photographic achievements which even a year ago would have been considered impossible.
When panchromatic film was introduced it appeared as though the ultimate had been reached in motion picture negative. After the old orthochromatic negative, the panchromatic seemed lightning-fast, and the quality of motion picture photography improved tremendously. But, excellent as was the film, the scientists in the laboratories of the film companies were not content. They felt that something better could be produced. They worked ceaselessly.
The result was the announcement last February, first by the Eastman Kodak Company, followed immediately by the Dupont Film Company, of a new motion picture negative with speed such as had only been dreamed of before. Eastman called its film "Super-Sensitive Panchromatic Type Two". Dupont called its new film "Special Panchromatic". Among the craft in Hollywood they are both referred to as "fast film", which expression the writer will use throughout this article.
Among the outstanding claims on the part of one of the film makers when they announced the film were the following: 1 — the fast film is twice as fast to daylight and three times as fast to tungsten light as the panchromatic in use up to the time of the introduction of the new film. 2 — the fast film shows 75 per cent more speed to blue light, 200 per cent more to green light and from 400 to 500 per cent more to red light. 3 — the fast film exhibits an appreciably softer characteristic than the regular panchromatic film. For the same development the new fast film gives lower gammas, making it advisable to develop the fast film longer if the same degree of contrast as in the past was desired. 4 — fast film must be handled at a much reduced light intensity in the dark rooms.
Unlike so many manufacturing organizations, the film manufacturers do not make claims for their product that they cannot substantiate. Their claims for the new film were adequately fulfilled. The new film was all they claimed, and cinematographers began shooting pictures with so little light that a casual visitor to a studio might think the cameramen were merely lining up or making unusual tests.
* Editor, American Cincmatographer: Editor, Cinematographic Annual.
193]