Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

GIVE 'EM A GIMMICK! Hatural VtihH JfnMaHatich CeJtJ Jracthn c$ Cinerama; 'Sutana ' heab £einy tfiade at SO-SO How Natural Vision Functions PROJECTORS POLAROID FILTERS V O #1? train , 0«.p,tol ' ¥.n.« )lmogai an photogrophad Irom two dlHar.rrl point, of ,j.w, M <" lha. ■>'• wan in notura. Each lam. fociMing end con varging on on objact okw practtaly o. do th, human P-o.id.. o Mparola ond complata } dlmantionol pltliai. In lha Ihaolra. tha normal two projacton in o booth p.o,«ci ■ha two laporoto pictvrai onto lha xraan In wparimpoution. mach 01 in nolvra lhar ara projactad onto lha "broin (kaa diogrom). 'Tha r.ghi and I.H Imog*. pou through Poloto.d light Chart plocad In tha portholai o» lha projaciton booth. ©Th. ora wparlmpoaad olmo.i o. on. on o rafWc h*a typa tcraaa. ©The '"««ai ora r.fWtad bod to th* riewer who ,. equipped -rfh f olorotd glOMM. whkh ■OTV. ,0 OCC.CH th, COCreCt tmag. •Mandad for aoch ay., while rafacting tha imoga not tnt.nd.d m thot aya. PROJECTORS CAN BE SYNCHRONIZED FOR SMALL OUTLAY (Continued from Page 10) years on the project. The major film companies, although excited by and interested in Natural Vision, were not able to move quickly enough for Gunsburg. On the other hand, Oboler, a one time engineering stu dent and a notorious gadgeteer, was not only immediately impressed by Gunzburg's process, but as an independent producer, was able to move rapidly ahead. Combining their resources, the pair proceeded with plans fpr "Bwana Devil", an African adventure story, based on a real life incident, that Oboler felt would allow i Natural Vision wide range in its presenta , tion. The shooting of the first Natural Vision 3-D picture meant, of course, moving ontu pioneer ground. The technical crew was . carefully hand picked from the standpoint of getting men who would go outside of the r usual motion picture methods and practices. I Every frame of the film's shooting was an I experiment, one that called for plenty of I ingenuity on the part of everyone concerned. Photography in NV Found Fast and Easy The camera was mounted on the "Blue Goose", a four-wheel drive weapons-carrier with a hydraulic platform on the front of it. By mounting the Gunzburg Natural Vision equipment on this platform, it was possible lo move anywhere on the location with the camera. Doing just this — up mountains, down valleys and into streams — went the "Blue ■Goose", carrying the precious Natural Vision :amera. In other words, nothing had to be jstaged, because the camera could go right II nto the action on the four-wheel drive ,veapons-carrier. Photographing in Natural Vision proved Ho be as fast and as easy — and sometimes | aster and easier — than the conventional J notion picture photography. One of the principal advantages of Natural • |/ision over Cinerama is the matter of cost. |\ccording to producer representative George . Schaefer, who is presently handling the jlistribution (a deal will probably be, made vith a national distributor soon), the thea■ re's regular projection equipment can be used, with cost of synchronization running between $10(1 and $350. It is understood from theatremen who are preparing to install NV that the overall costs run approximately $1200. Cinerama requires an outlay of many thousands for alterations, plus special projection and sound equipment and a huge screen. The deal for "Bwana Devil" is a 50-50 split, with advertising split the same way. Cost of the polaroid glasses, at 10c each, is deducted from the gross. Perhaps Natural Vision won't be a "gimmick" that will develop into an institution. It has many difficulties to overcome — the annoyance of the spectacles, the need to produce special films that utilize most dramatically the three-dimensional effect, the physical readjustment required for projection of such films. Of course, there will be further developments that will eliminate some of these flaws. But most important is its value as a new gadget to draw people into movie houses at a time when such an implement is sorely needed. As George Schaefer so aptly puts it: "The showman's always got to be offering something new. You can ballyhoo an old idea until you're blue in the fafe and it won't get you anywhere. The great Barnum started a two-ring circus when he found a single ring no longer gave him enough exploitation value. When that failed to draw, he had a three ring circus, and so on." The ordinary no longer interests the public, no matter in what industry it is dispensed. With the film business facing greater competition than ever from other fields of diversion, each vying vociferously for the public's dollar, and, of course, the "free" entertainment offered by television as the biggest of all, it is the "outstanding", the "different", the "new", or the "gimmick" that will pull the strongest. True, great motion pictures are still the No. 1 answer to our problems, but novelty is an irresistible factor in the amusement world. Let's have more of these "gimmicks". They give new hope to our industry, and they contain the potential of giving the movie business new life. FILM BULLETIN Dactmber IS, 1952 Pa9. If