The Cine Technician (1939)

Aug-Sept., [937 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN 103 MANUFACTURE OF APPARATUS IN THE U.S.S.R. The most backward part of the Soviet Film Industry is the manufacture of apparatus, a fact which is due to the lack of trained mechanics proficient in this work. Now that this shortage is being gradually reduced, local manufacture is correspondingly increasing. Why do they not import more apparatus ? The Soviet government lias imported the minimum necessary to keep the industry supplied for the tune being. But their established policy is to make their country self-supporting both industrially and agriculturally, since they possess an abundance of raw materials, and they say they do not regret a temporary privation in view of the promise of the future. Cinema Equipment This is probably the worst side of the industry. The projectors are bad and the sound reproduction poor. There are a number of exceptions to this, but, generally speaking, there is a lot of headway to be made in this field. Where the projectors are of a very old type, the image dances on the screen, causing eye-strain in the spectator, and the sound is usually projected at far too high a level, making the loud-speakers blast and rattle. Whilst we were at the Research Institute in Moscow, we saw the new type of projector that is going into production, and this model is a robust and thoroughly workmanlike job. Portable Apparatus for Exhibition 16 mm. and 35 mm. portable sound projectors of Soviet manufacture were seen and judged to be of adequate design and construction. Studio Lamps These are now being modernised ; more attention to light efficiency is necessary and the lamp-housing could be smaller with advantage. Spotrail systems require modernising, and either the hanging gantry type or the tubular metal system should be introduced, so as to give more floor space. Camera and Associated Equipment More attention has been paid to this side of the industry. All the apparatus, with a few minor exceptions, is well designed and made, the camera crane and model table at Mosfilm being notable examples. Sound Equipment The old apparatus has nearly all been replaced by new equipment of modern Soviet design. The workmanship is as good as the design, and the equipment is easy and efficient in operation. FILM TECHNICAL RESEARCH WORK In each city where there is a studio or film manufacturing (raw stock) plant there is also a technical research institute. The combined institutes are responsible for the monthly publication of a film technical journal, which is not unlike the Journal of the S.M.P.E. A copy of this journal is available in the A.C.T. office. The work of these institutes covers all the various branches of the film and photo industry. The chief institute is NIKFI, the Scientific Research Institute oi the Film and Photo Industry, which occupies the premises in Moscow of the first film studio, opened in 1903. The two foremost Soviet sound experts, Shorin and Tager, ha\ e their experimental laboratories here. The director is Professoi E. M. Goldovsky, who very kindly showed us round and introduced us to the heads of the various departments. 400 persons are employed and they work under conditions similar to those existing in the film "factories." The library houses 8000 technical books in various languages and supports regular subscriptions to technical journals of all countries. Research Work in progress at Nikfi (1) High-speed stereo-photography for examination of working machinery, etc. ; (2) the new studio and newsreel cameras ; (3) the new projector shortly to be installed in the cinemas ; (4) Back-projection machines (a new line to replace the American machines in use at present) ; (5) Sound recording, including cameras — Professor Tager showed us his experiments in connection with new stereo push-pull variable density sound track and with new types of recording light valves, hot cathode tubes, etc. ; (6) Television research under the direction of Professor Tager, e.g., cathode ray tubes, photo mosaics, etc. Other experts are engaged on photographic research in X-ray and microphotography, and in work on all types of photographic emulsions for film and plates. This work is being done to bring the Soviet film stock into line with the consistency of American stocks. Some of the stock made here is very good ; we saw a film, The Return of Maxim, made partly on American and partly on Soviet stock, there being no apparent change in the pictorial quality of the film, the photography of which (by Moskvin) was particularly good. The negative stock used for newsreel work is not very consistent but positive stock is good. Colour work is being carried on in various methods, but at the moment there is no practical method in use for story films. We saw in the hand some trick and puppet films which have very good three-colour images, taken by the threecolour filter three-frame exposure method. But this method is obviously not practical for story films. Colour still-photography (three-colour) is good and the prints show no sign of fringing. Portable Sound Projector, 35 m.m.