The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

284 The Educational Screen p]iliiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiitiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|iii|iiipiiiiii|iiiitiiiliiiiMlliiilliiiiiillillilllllillliliililililillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllBiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiimliiliiiiiiniliiip| AMATEUR FILM MAKI|NG | I G)nduaed by Dwight R. Furnbss i I Director of Publicity, Methodist Episcopal Board of Education I Q IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMII IIIIIHIIIIMMII II lllllMlil IMII IIMIMIIMII HUM IMMIIIIII Ill t I iMliiii IIIIIMIIMIIilllllllllliilllMlllllllflllllMl lllll[^ Film Widths Thomas A. Edison originally set the standard of width for the motion picture film now used in theatres. Alljert S. Howell pioneered in setting the standards in such refinements as the size of perforations, position of the frame line, and other mechanical standards that make it possible to run any standard film on any projector the world over. The film used in theatres is 35 mm wide. A few years ago a film 28 mm wide, known as safety standard was rather widely used in the non-theatrical field. It was perforated with the usual four perforations to each picture on one margin and one perforation to the picture on the other. The standard for amateur pictures was set by the Eastman Kodak Company when it announced its cine film, 16 mm wide. The narrowest film on the market is the 9 mm film used in Pathex equipment. For many years the motion picture industry had heard rumors of a wide film. H. K. Spoor of Chicago has been working with wide film in connection wit'i stereoscopic pictures. David W. Griffith at one time, it is said, experimented with pictures twice the size of those now used which he secured by running the film through the camera and projector horizontally so that the width became the height and the width was doubled by moving the film about twice the usual distance after each exposure. With the coming of talking pic tures using sound on film recordings the matter of wider film has again come to the front. The sound track cuts down the area available on film for the picture and even so sound engineers would like to have more room for the sound track. So of late there has been much talk of wide film and much experimenting with widths from 56 mm up to 70 mm or beyond. While no public announcement has been made as to what the final width of the new standard will be there seems to be a feeling current that it will be twice the present standard, or 70 mm, the size used by Fox in his new "Grandeur" film. The new standard will of course call for new cameras and projectors, and for larger screens. The effects secured will be more realistic. The greater space for the sound track will allow for better recording of sound. Movies and Traffic The pattern of traffic woven by fast and vehicular movement at busy street intersections changes so constantly that about the only way specific situations may be studied is through a graphic record such as that provided by motion pictures. When the solution is found to a particular traffic difficulty, films again are valuable for recording the results for the benefit of other cities having similar problems. A specific use of films in this connection was that of a safety director in a Connecticut town who used a Cine Kodak to show where pedestrians were beating the yellow light at crossings. Slovenly driving would be less tolerated on streets and highways if everyone were familiar with the correct execution of traffic rules. In this connection motion pictures might be used to good advantage. Intelligently used they would fortify the etiquette of driving until discourtesy would become so apparent that few would care to risk the disfavor of general cond'^mnation. .Contest Winners Announced Ralph Steiner of New York City has been awarded first prize in the non-dramatic division of Photoplay's amateur movie contest for his experimental film, "H2O". The production is the study of water in motion and of abstract patterns of shapes on water. Mr. Steiner is at present staff photographer for the Delineator Home Institute. In the dramatic division first prize went to Foto-Cine Productions, an amateur producing club in Stockton, California, for "Three (Conchidcd on iHtijr 286) DEVRY MOTION PICTURE PROJECTORS standard (35mm) & Home (16min) size Talking Attachments Cameras Accessories Special Oifers during Nov. & Dec. Write us! BERNARD SULLIVAN COMPANY 360 N. Michigan Ave. CHICAGO