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

42 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 17, 1928 From the Palace theatre at Torrington, Conn., J. Scanlon sends us the above, showing how the Palace front was dressed up for presentation of First National's "Lilac Time," starring Colleen Moore. Note also the cutouts and other exploitation on the auto. Method to "Re -Vocalize 9 9 Films Is Developed by Stage Producer (The following is a speech, in part, delivered by Edwin Hopkins before the Society of Motion Picture Engineers at its recent Lake Placid convention. Hopkins was for many years a theatrical routing and booking manager, director, vaudeville writer and producer ior several well known theatrical producers.) THE replacement of voices on talking motion picture films may be accomplished in a relatively simple manner, by inventions which for the purpose of patent title I term Vivigraphic Films and Records (the i's pronounced as in vivid). A film in which voice replacement or voice substitution has been effected may be, more conveniently, termed a ReVocalized Film. Such films are highly useful for a number of purposes. 1. They will enable American films to be re-vocalized for foreign languages, thus preserving the foreign market, which is threatened by English language vocalization. 2. They will enable film players whose gifts of expression are facial, to team with players whose gifts are chiefly vocal. 3. They will make open-air scenes possible, as the re-vocalization being accomplished subsequently, the extraneous sounds made at the time of the making of the original film will not be reproduced. 4. Sound proof studios will be unnecessary for the same reason, when re-vocalized films are made. 5. Directors may direct in the usual way, and not be held to silence on the set. 6. Novel comic effects will be made possible, such as vocalized cartoons and vocalized animals. New Element of Attraction While Re-Vocalized Films are obviously important for well-known players of the screen who lack good voices and stage experience, I believe their value will be greater in bringing before the public vocal players at present unknown. Equal credit should be given publicly to the screen player and the vocal player in Re-Vocalized Films. My inventions effect the synchronization of optical films with phonograph records, both of the disc type and the tape-like film-edge type, when such films and records are made at different times. When actors make the phonograph record subsequent to making the optical film, it is a physical impossibility to make their words agree with the lip movements of the film. One-sixteenth of a second variation destroys synchronism. This is the interval between the taps of a typewriter's keys operated at top speed by an expert. The principle of my invention is to artificially alter, after the sound record is made (the first simultaneously-made sound record being discarded), the locations along the sound track of the various words that are out of synchronism, and so push or pull them back into synchronism. The words which are in synchronism are not disturbed. Words that come too near the initial point and are thus ahead of the film, are pushed back, and those which lag behind are pulled forward. This re-distribution of sound effects along the phonic track or line effects synchronism. It is not dependent on a time element, as it is a physical operation carried out at leisure on the sound record after it is made. It brings the various words into record with the film effects, as it places them at relatively the same distance from the initial point. Sound Pictures Become Possible Thousands doubtless thought of the idea of combining the phonograph with the cinematograph when the latter was .ivented, and making talking pictures. Until recently, however, phonograph recording required the speaker to stand so close to the records that no room was left for moving about a stage. The sensitive microphone and audion amplification now enable the voice and movements to be recorded simultaneously. But when the film player has a poor voice, or a foreign language version is desired, the record must be made later. After isolating the principle of re-vocalization, that of re-distributing the effects along the track of the record, the third step, that of finding a practicable means of carrying the principle into practice, had to be invented. I first provided a cylindrical phonograph record built up of thin laminations, like a stack of thin washers. After recording sounds on such a track, if the sound then lagged when exhibited with a film, it was because it came too far along the track. By taking a thin lamination out, prior to such point, an entire spiral of the record's track was removed, and the sounds brought up to the film. This is best accomplished in a soundless space between words. Where the sound comes too soon, it may be pushed back by introducing a blank lamination, which puts in additional soundless track and delays the sounds. Thus, by inserting and removing laminations the sound effects on the phonograph record are adjusted to the motion picture effects and synchronism is secured. But this is an operation of great practical difficulty and delicacy. The idea then occurred to me that it would be better to leave the record intact, and adjust the optical effects of the film to correspond to the effects of the record. Cut Frame to Synchronize This is much more easily accomplished. When the film's optical effects run behind, it is because the film, up to that point, is too long, relative to the record. I then cut out a single picture or "frame" of the optical film, or more than one "frame" if necessary, which enables the optical effects to be reached at the same time as the acoustical effects of the record. Where the film effects come too soon I insert a duplicate "frame" and thus lengthen the film, so that it will not get ahead of the record. Thus by cutting out "frames" and inserting "frames," I re-distribute the effects of the film to synchronize with those of the record. These changes are made in spots having no physical action, in order not to cause jumps on the screen. It is better to make the film, originally, too long, so that only cutouts have to be made, as it is more troublesome to insert additional "frames" than to cut out "frames." Each frame occupies about l/24th of a second. This makes an average of ten frames per spoken word. When a film gets behind, several frames too many may be cut out, which pulls it up that much ahead instead of merely to exact synchronism. It is more agreeable for the sounds to be sharp, or slightly in advance, than flat, or slightly behind. It might be thought that a great many cuts would have to be made, but the number is much less than might be supposed. I have made a phonograph record to synchronize with a film of "Rip Van Winkle," made by the late Joseph Jefferson, as he used correct lip movements when making the film. 3 More Companies Form in New York (Special to the Herald-World) ALBANY, Nov. 13.— Motion Picture companies continue to incorporate in New York state. Records in the secretary of state's office show that during the past week, the Kinephone, Inc., incorporated with headquarters in New York City. The company did not state the amount of capitalization when filing its papers. The Moviette Picture Corporation, also received its charter during the week, as did also the Imported Photoplays, Inc., with which Joe Brandt is connected. Warners Contracts For Stages9 Actors (S fecial to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 13.— Warner Brothers still continue to add to their lineup of Vitaphone talent. The latest signed are "Red" Corcoran and Irene Stone, Jack Baxley, Bert Hanlon, who will make his third Vitaphone act ; and Jay Vclie, musical comedy actor.