Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

November 3, 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 33 w SOUND PICTURES Sound-Silent Picture Outline By F. H. RICHARDSON OUR editor-in-chief has requested that I set forth the situation with regard to the outline of sound pictures where the film carries the sound and the silent pictures. Many inquiries have reached both himself and my department in Better Theatres regarding the best method to pursue when both must be projected to the same screen. I have delayed in this matter purposely, for the reason that up until this time there really was nothing much of an encouraging nature to report. The trouble was that whereas by means of a special mask and projection lens, it was entirely feasible to bring the Movietone screen image up to exactly the silent picture dimensions, the enlarged image would, of course, register too far to the right, and off the screen by about one tenth of its width. There has been no available method of meeting this situation except by moving the entire projector, which was not very practicable. Some considerable while ago I took up the matter of a special aperture and shorter focal length projection lens to bring the sound-on-the-film picture up to silent picture dimensions, with the International Projector Corporation. I found that some work in that direction had already been done. However, the matter lay dormant for a time, for just what reason I do not remember, and when it was again considered by me, the out-of-register seemed to bar the way. I am, however, now advised that this objection has been overcome by some projector manufacturers, and presumably is or will be soon by the other manufacturers, all of whom are now putting out a special size aperture which, in conjunction with a slightly shorter focal length projection lens, will enable the projectionist to project Movietone at silent picture dimensions. The operation is as follows: First a special aperture, of smaller size but with exactly the same relative dimensions as the silent picture aperture, is slipped into place. Prefer Vitaphone to "Vaud", Survey Shows (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 30.— Eighty-two per cent of the people of Mansfield, Ohio, prefer Vitaphone acts to vaudeville numbers, according to the 70 replies to a Vitaphone survey in which 500 letters were sent to the residents. Only 18 per cent favored regulation vaudeville. This aperture will eliminate a very small portion of both top and bottom of the picture, though none of its width. It is in fact exactly the same width as the present Movietone aperture, but of sufficiently less height to bring the dimensions of height with relation to width exactly the same as the silent pjcture aperture. Next, a special projection lens of slightly shorter focal length is provided, together with a device which will permit of a very quick change from one lens to the other, without any necessity for focusing. The special lens will, together with the special aperture, project a Movietone picture which will exactly fill the silent picture screen border, only it won't. It will register to the right, leaving a strip of blank screen to the left, with an equal amount of the picture over on the screen border at the right. It therefore follows that the direction of the light beam must be altered, either by shifting the entire projector or else the mechanism therof, and the shift must, of course, be accomplished in a manner permitting the change to be practically instantly made, with absolutely positive stops. Shifting the entire projector could, of course, be done. It is possible, but hardly practicable. The better plan is to enable the projectionist to move the projector mechanism slightly upon its base, and this has been done. Exhibitors therefore may, within a very short time, have Movietone which will just fill the silent picture screen outline, and the change from silent to Movietone may be made in just a few seconds. Of course it is true that a wee bit will be cut off at both top and bottom of the photograph on the film, but it is very seldom indeed that anything is there that amounts to anything, so the deletion is negligible. In practice it amounts to just exactly nothing at all. I am advised by the manufacturers of Motiograph that the special aperture, and presumably the lens is available. The makers say the Superior projector is also equipped in like manner. Just how the shift in beam direction is accomplished, both the Enterprise Optical Manufacturing Company and the manufacturers of the Superior have neglected to advise me. Theoretically, of course, the whole projector should be shifted, since moving the mechanism throws the projection lens optical axis slightly off center with the light source-aperture optical axis. In practice, however, this is so slight that I think it may be entirely disregarded. Merging Motion and Sound Vindicated, Says Sarnoff NEW YORK, Oct. 30.— Employment of the principle of the dynamic loudspeaker has been the goal of RCA Photophone from the start and that principle in synchronism now is bearing fruit, President David Sarnoff said last week. "We have stood from the beginning for a system of synchronization that would combine motion and sound on the same screen," Sarnoff said, "and we are now seeing this principle generally adopted. "We have stood from the beginning for a system of sound reproduction that would employ the principle of the dynamic loudspeaker, and we are seeing this method of reproduction being developed by all systems. We have stood from the beginning for the principle of cooperation and association between the motion picture industry and the electrical industry and we are confident that this is the way in which a new art will find its greatest opportunity. "Recognizing the immediate problems of motion picture exhibitors," Sarnoff declared, "the RCA Photophone Company has developed its system so that films recorded by it are interchangeable in all standard reproducing apparatus." "The moving picture is the child of the motion picture industry," Sarnoff said. "Sount reproduction is the child of the electrical sciences. Whatever the fond parents may desire, a really new art was created when the two finally met on the screen." "To me this is the fundamental point of what has happened in the recent association of the electrical and motion picture industries. "Two years ago most moving picture producers were inclined to stand aloof from the significant developments in the synchronization of sound and sight. Sound, they said, was an intrusion on the 'silent drama.' Gradually they began to peep into the backyards of the electrical industry; and finally they stampeded towards the magic word 'sound.' Some of these producers, who repented at leisure and then acted in haste, still choose to believe that all that has happened is that sound has been added {Continued on next page)