Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

40 Better Theatres Section November 22, 1930 The New Motion Picture and the Public carries the action along, showing the individual in his place with relation to the picture as a whole. The accompanying sound must be controlled and amplified to a varying degree to fit the illusion of distance created by the camera. If the dialog be carried along at an even volume, the unreality will be noticeable to the audience. The variation in loudness must at all times be so proportioned as to fit the size of the cut upon the screen. It might be mentioned here that due to the fact that all persons do not hear equally well, the effect must be created for the average. At best, this will be a compromise. The alliance between the brain and the ear has resulted in a very highly developed mechanism, which functions in a definite, predetermined way. The problem of the sound recorder is to capture the sounds as they emanate from the source, put them into his recording machine, where they may be stored indefinitely, and at some time in the future be released into the world. He and his apparatus act solely as a time delay between the creation of the sound and the audition of it by the audience. His particular problem is to store the sound in such a way that when released, it will react upon the ear and the brain of the listener as it would have, had the listener heard the original sound. Several inherent difficulties present themselves. The normal human being is so equipped with two ears, while the microphone has the equivalent of only one ear. The normal human being, from experience, is capable of sorting out the sounds which fall upon his eardrum and of concentrating his attention upon only those sounds which he wishes to hear, while the microphone picks up and records everything that presents itself. Due to the very small time difference of sounds falling upon one ear and then upon the other, the human being is able to distinguish both direction and distance of sounds actuating the eardrum. This effect is lost when recording with one microphone, but all of these limitation of sound recording may be somewhat alleviated by an intelligent use of the microphone. DEVELOPMENTS are being announced every day which help also to broaden the scope of sound recording. The beam microphone, recently brought out, is a case in point. The microphone is placed at the focal point of a large reflector, perhaps six feet in diameter. The reflector is then aimed at the desired point, and a decided directorial effect is obtained. Not only is the sense of distance governed by an increase or decrease in the volume of sound which falls upon our ears, but due to an actual loss of the higher frequencies with (Continued from page 11) an increase in distance, there is an actual change in the quality of the sound. In the theatre there are two principle factors which help to make or mar the talking picture. The acoustical properties of any room or auditorium depend upon so many factors that it is almost impossible to generalize. Of prime importance, of course, are the size and shape. New theatres can be built to conform to the well outlined laws of auditorium acoustics. Theatres already built have the problem of altering the interior to conform as nearly as possible to these same laws. The quality of the reproduced sound depends wholly upon how nearly the theatre can, by alteration, be made to approach the ideal condition. Another important point is the reproducing horns. Two methods of placing the horns are in widespread use today. They may be placed immediately behind the screen, and when so placed they are highly directional, yet are pointed in such a way as to give general distribution throughout the house. The second method that has considerable application is to place the horns around the outside of the screen, which give much less directional effect. Distribution, however, is far from uniform with either method. In the days of the silent picture, the projectionist was important but not nearly so important as he became when the screen has acquired a voice. Upon him rest the responsibility for not only the picture, but for sound control as well. Whether or not the audience is to be tortured with too loud sound, or must strain every nerve to hear at all, depends solely upon him. The question of volume control in the theatre is being solved, many technicians believe, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who have brought the squeeze track to its present state of perfection. The squeeze track is merely a variable density sound track, which has volume control made inherent with the track by a simple laboratory process. The regular variable density track is normally .128 of an inch wide (speaking with reference to the direction of travel of the film). In scenes where half-volume is desired, for example, MGM blocks off half of the width of the track, which accomplishes the desired result (the fundamental principle of the photoelectric cell being that the sound transmitted is proportional to the amount of light falling upon the sensitized surface) . Blocking off half of the track cuts off half of the light falling upon the cell from the energizing lamp and consequently diminishes the volume by half. Any desired cut in volume can be made in the same way. This method of volume control on release prints eliminates the need for fader cues in the theatre. There remains, however, the question of general volume level throughout the picture. As the house fills, it is of course necessary to raise the level. There are many methods of determining the actual raise necessary. The best way, of course, is to station someone in the theatre auditorium who can control volume from his station there by means of a fader. This method requires the employing of an extra person and is seldom used. The next best method is to designate one certain person to keep the projectionist advised at all times as to sound. This is usually one of the more capable ushers. l^ERTAIN points regarding this should be brought out. Sound should be adjusted for the great majority of seats in the house — should favor the best seats instead of the worst. The sound observer should never make his report from observations made at the extreme back of the theatre, nor in any case from observations taken at the rear of the balcony, where projected sound is in famously bad. In many theatres it is a common practice to start the show with sound level high, gradually reducing it until correct volume is obtained. This method would be all right were it not for the fact that our ears, once they become accustomed to lots of sound, become more or less insensitive to volume changes. Thus the level is never brought down as far as it should be because, while it sounds all right to the observer who has been inside of the theatre all of the time, to one who comes in from the outside and who has not been under the influence of the much louder sound, it is insufferably loud. The sound level should be started low and brought gradually up to the value that is correct under the reigning conditions. Sound motion pictures are the result of the efforts of thousands of persons, all cooperating to attain an end. To amuse, sometimes to instruct, always to satisfy the thousands of motion picture enthusiasts, is the purpose for which all in production and exhibition are working. The immediate problem is to get intelligible and pleasing sound into the theatre. The problem can only be solved by a mutual understanding of the other fellow's difficulties. The exhibitor and the projectionist must understand the problems of those who are engaged in recording that sound which they reproduce. And the recording technicians must realize the problems of sound reproduction in the theatre. Each branch must do its part in the path of sound through the studio to the theatre. Perfect pictures come closer to attainment only as this cooperation and understanding is extended throughout the entire field of motion pictures — the studio, the laboratories — and the theatre.