The Cine Technician (1939)

April-Ms [937 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN 23 Lab Topics This Week s Fairy Tale Once upon a time there was a film lab. built ; no expense was spared to make it the most up-to-date job of its kind, and the manager was paid a fabulous salary. Then a little bird whispered to the manager : "There's no need to pay big wages to your staff ; after all the machines do the work and all they need is feeding with film like one feeds coal to a fire." So the manager engaged a lot of boys and girls at 1/ per week, without overtime, out of which they had to buy their own shovels to feed the film to the machines. Now the factory started into production, work went on day and night, the staff worked like a lot of ants, and the manager fell asleep at the trade shows. Millions of feet of film were churned out ; and every picture was a Masterpiece of Processing — but alas ! the sandpaper bath method wasn't appreciated, and so the end. Reprints I am sure few will oppose the statement that the greater percentage of waste in the laboratories is due to "sparkle," caused mainly by dirt on the negative being printed through to the positive. The mere acts of cleaning and dusting a negative causes the celluloid base to become statically charged with electricity. Consequently, as soon as a negative is pulled down into a bin or exposed in any way to the atmosphere, any dirt particles in the vicinity are magnetically attracted to the film. So you see how important it is that everything which comes in contact with the negative should be spotlessly clean. It has always been my contention that every printing machine should be fitted with suction apparatus for both sides of the negative and positive, just prior to entering the gate of the printer. By sucking away the dust at this vital point at least 25 per cent, of the present waste would be eliminated. Method It is often an advantage to pool ideas, and because of this I think it would be interesting to find out the way things are done in the various laboratories in running the different departments. From the data thus collected a detailed account of what is considered the best method could be published in the Journal. I suggest that those who are interested should send me a description of how their departments are run. If this request receives sufficient response, I propose to deal with one department in each issue of the Journal. I will start, in the next issue, with the negative cutting room. Let me know how your lab. handles the job from start to finish ; payparticular attention to the breaking down, filing and storing of the negative before assembly, also to the handling and filing of negative cuts. These are the important items, because on them depends the time factor and to a large extent the condition of the negative when finally assembled after recuts have been made. Address communications to : — Lab. Topics, c/o The Cine-Technician. A Printer s Lament The following is the work of Mr. M. J. Soper. He suggests that it should really be set to music and sung by the dark-room chorus to the accompaniment of film bins and take-up flanges : — A Printer s Lament / was seated one day at my Printer, Eating a roll and some cheese, When desire for a "mike" came upon me And my chin nearly fell to my knees. I didn't knoii' how I was printing, The subject was also unknown, Bid I dreamed that Laboratory workers Were at last coming into their own. Chaps sitting in chairs with their names on. Names also were tacked on the door. We even wore "plus-fours" and "berets" And chewed gum, like they do on the floor. We veiled "Quiet please" and "O.K. boys," But nobodv bothered, I'm sure, We were loud-voiced and rude, our opinions were crude, You kiww, like they are c»i the floor. We got tickets for every trade show ; Our salaries started to soar ; Big noises discovered that "creative brains" Were not only found on the floor. The gatekeepers ran when our motors drew up, Touched their hats as they opened the door, And we gave them big tips, such as they never got From the people who work on the floor. But alas, such state couldn't last very long, Which can be enjoyed only by few, And the sound of the" buzzer" then shattered my dreams, So I woke, 'cos my "end" had run through. A Grand Carnival Whoopee A.C.T. Laboratory Section held its first Carnival Dance on February 26th, at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square. It was a wonderful evening. Workers from a dozen labs, were present and there were many reunions of people who had not seen each other for years, some for twenty or more. A letter from one of those present, on behalf of himself and his "fellow-confederates," aptly sums up the evening :— "I do not know or care what the Hotel Imperialites thought of us. I know that I was abounding witli hectic hearsays, for which my apologies will be forthcoming if necessary. However, I want to say how much we all enjoyed ourselves and my thanks are due to all concerned (although I spent about a week's pocket money) for an evening that was more than an enjoyment. Hoping we shall exist and still live with the humble wages of an industry that talks in millions and gives in pennies, to see us all together, living for another night as, shall I say, imaginative aristocrats." Great thanks and appreciation are due to Vic Filmer and his Pathe Studio Orchestra for so joyously entering (Continued at foot of next page).