Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

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October 4, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 39 DEVICES FOR SILENCING CAMERAS [Concluded from preceding issue] NEW E. R. P. I. MOTOR Electrical Research Products has recently made available to the studios a new design of interlocked camera motor known as the KS-6723 motor. This new motor is a two pole machine, making its speed 2400 RPM instead of 1200, as on the KS-5210 type. This increase in speed has resulted in a material reduction in size and weight, and permits direct drive. The over-all length is about seven inches and the diameter four and three-eighths inches. As the weight is only nine pounds, this motor with adapters can be mounted directly on the frame of either the Bell & Howell or Mitchell cameras without seriously unbalancing the camera when mounted on the tripod. Also the size of the soundproof blimp can be reduced to a minimum. The official rated power output is sufficient to handle normal camera loads, and under actual test the motor delivers over four times this power without breaking out of synchronism. Due to this large factor of safety, there need be no concern about overheating. A new and very effective automatic cutout has been developed which prevents damage to the camera in case of film buckle. This device can be operated manually to cut the camera in and out. Electrically the motor has a higher impedance than the former KS-5210, therefore the line current is lower. This is an advantage because it results in a smaller voltage drop in the line leads, giving an additional improvement in operation. The higher impedance also results in a smaller disturbance to the remainder of the interlocked system should a camera motor be disconnected from the line while the remaining equipment is still running interlocked. This is important where cameras are to cut in and out during takes. UNITED ARTISTS' SPECIAL MOTOR A recently developed special motor is used on United Artists studio cameras. It is a four-pole, three-phase motor, driven at 1440 RPM (the speed of the shutter shaft) through a distributor which is chain-driven to the regular distributor. In the base of the motor is a six-pole switch for cutting it in and out of the circuit, and a relay for tripping the switch. Studios Using Different Methods of Silencing Camera Bungalows Booths Columbia Blimps or Mack Sennett Darmour Blankets Pathe Educational RKO Tiffany Fox MGM Universal Hal Roach Paramount Warner Brothers Metropolitan Metropolitan Pathe Pathe Tec-Art Tec-Art United Artists United Artists Universal DISTANCE MICROPHONE CAN BE PLACED FROM CAMERA COVERED BY BLANKETS OR BLIMPS Principally Distance Studio Used Device in Feet Educational Blanket 10 to 12 Fox Blanket 10 Hal Roach Blanket 10 to 15 Universal Blanket 10 Metropolitan BlimT> 6 Metropolitan Blanket 10 to 15 Pathe Blanket or Blimp 12 United Artists Blanket or Blimp 5 Columbia Blimp .-> RKO . Blimp 6 MGM Blimp 5 Paramount Blimp 5 CAMERA SILENCING DEVICES, Report No. 3 of the Academy Producers Technicians Committee. Published by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, May 14, 1930. Seventeenth paper of Technical Digest. Studio Device Educational Blanket Fox Blanket United Artists Blanket United Artists Blimp Pathe Blimp MATERIALS USED FOR BLANKETS AND BLIMPS Material Blanket and hair felt mattress to insulate tripod from floor Balsam Wool Blanket with zipper Canvas and sheep's wool; insulated tripod Rigid, sponge rubber, ozite and cedar Papier mache; shoot through glass. Also trying aluminum and rubber type; shoots through glass Fibre and aluminum sheet with felt padding and sponge rubber Rigid, wool and canvas on frame, also rubber Aluminum, yucca, felt and rubber Rigid, lead and aluminum, hair-felt and rubber Rigid, hard materials Semi-rigid, zipper, rubber and rock wool Tec-Art Blimp Columbia Blimp RKO Blimp MGM Blimp Paramount Metropolitan Blimp Blimp TYPES OF MOTORS USED AND TYPES OF CAMERA DRIVE Cameras Studio B & H Mitchell Motors Columbia Rent Std. W. E. In Blimp Darmour Educational Fox Hal Roach Mack Sennett MGM 24 (Not in use) Paramovfnt 37 (Modified) Pathe 1 RKO Tee-Art Tiffany 3 United Artists 2 (Not used) Universal 31 (Silent only) Warner Bros. 20 3 (Modi fled) 8 15 9 (Silent 12 (High speed) 8 (Fibre gears high spetd) 30 Synchronous Std. RCA Synchronous Std. W. E. In Box Std. W. E. In Box Std. RCA Std. also Synchronous & 180 r.p.m. Std. W. E. In Blimp Std. RCA Std. RCA Std. RCA Std. RCA Movements) Std. in boxes orU. A. special motor Std. W. E. In Box Drives Standard Rubber Covered Flexible Shaft Some direct, Some flexible Standard rubber covered Standard rubber covered Direct Standard rubber covered Geared to Standard camera Direct Direct Direct Direct Standard rubber covered or none Standard rub ber covered Flexible and geared CAMERA QUIETING DEVICES USED BY STUDIOS (Report as of January 6, 1930) It should be noted that the following compilation of data from the various studios was made January 6, 1930. As during the course of the Academy activity on the project nearly all the studios have been conducting experi ments and building improved blimps and camera bags, conditions have materially changed. This data is presented as a matter of record and will be revised by any survey of the studios which may be made in the future. STUDIO REPRESENTATIVES Personnel of studio representatives working with Engineers of Sub-Committee on Camera Silencing Methods. Representative Appointed John T. Livadary, Head of Sound Department Neal Jack, Head Electrician H. A. McDonell, Assistant General Manager Arthur Haddock, Chief Electrical Mechanical Engineer William Steincamp, in Charge of Camera Department O. O. Ceccarini, Development Engineer A. M. Granich, Transmission Engineer Virgil Miller, Head of Camera Department L. E. Clark, Technical Director of Sound Don Jahraus, Head of Miniature Set Department Elmer Raguse, Head of Sound Department Paul Guerin, Technical Director Ernest Revere, Head of Sound Department Lewis E. Myers, Chief Sound Engineer Thomas Moulton, Chief Engineer, Sound Department J. Roy Hunter, Supervisor of Sound and Camera Departments Arthur Haddock, Chief Electrical Mechanical Engineer Studio Columbia Darmour Educational First National Fox MGM Metropolitan Paramount Pathe RKO Hal Roach Mack Sennett TecArt Tiffany United Artists Universal Warner Brothers Edison Credits DeForest For Developing Important Link in Talking Pictures Thomas A. Edison, in an article published in the Saturday Evening Post entitled "Patents, Profits and Pirates," gives Dr. Lee DeForest of General Talking Pictures credit for providing one of the most impdrtant links in the development of talking pictures, namely, the amplifier, or loudspeaker. Edison commented on his first demonstration of talking pictures at the old Hampden theatre, New York, in 1913, as follows: "I want to say right here fairly and honestly that not until the amplifier was invented was it possible to make any permanent progress. DeForest supplied that link in the chain." The machine used in 1913 by Edison was a record phonograph, or a sound-on-disc apparatus. The sound-on-film experimentation of Elias Ries and Dr. DeForest had not yet been demonstrated. late lo turn back. Ihe pioneer caravan goes over a treacherous precipice to reach its western goal. Scene i'rom tiie Fox production, tkThe Big Trail. "