The Film Daily (1930)

THE 10 -S&^ PAILV Sunday, Febniary 23, 1930 Theater Equipment By HERBERT S. BERG TRUVI8I0N SCREEN GETS PtlllLYri ENDORSEMENT Philadelphia — The Truvision fireproof glass beaded sound screen, manufactured by the Truvision Projection Screen Corp. of New York, in a recent test here to determine its non-inflammability, was endorsed by the local Department of Public Safety through James O. Mulhern, fire marshal. The various screens put out by the company were subjected to rigid tests as to their resistance to fire. In addition to the above endorsement the fire-proof sound screen received the approval of the N. Y. Board of Fire Underwriters and the Electrical Research Products, Inc., acoustic department. Price Reduction on Both Tone-0-Graph Devices Atlanta — A reduction of $750 has been made on the larger model film and disc Tone-O-Graph sound device being distributed here by L. B. Harrell. The dual apparatus, formerly sold for $3,250, now can be had for $2,500. The amplification system on this model has been increased so that it is now suitable for houses with seating capacities of 1000. The Baby Grand model with the dual system, suitable for houses seating up to 400, sells for $1,750. Savini to Distribute Truvision Sound Screens Atlanta — N. E. Savini, prominent in film and equipment circles here, has secured distribution rights to the Truvision glass-beaded sound screen for this territory. Dividends for Johns-Manville Regular quarterly dividends of 75 cents per share on the common is declared by Johns-Manville Corp. In addition to dividends on the common payable April 15 t6 holders of record March 25, $1.75 per share has been declared on the preferred stock payable April 1 to holders of record March 11. MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS of Every Type Consult Us and Save Money REPAIR SHOP with Experts on Professional Cameras Right on Premises uiiLLoa^HBys Phone Pcnna. 0330 Motion Picture Department U. S. and Canada Agents for Debrle Some Practical Wide Film Aspects and Recommendations This is the seco7id instalment of "Some Practical Aspects of and Recommendations on Wide Film Standards," prepared by A. S. Howell and J. A. Dubray for the Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers. This perforation control is tu be prelerred to the edge control used today .because it will greatly reduce the possibilities ol even the sligiuest error in registration. The guiding oi the him by the perforation faces will permit what we may call a "unit control" for all machinery used in perforating, photographing, prmting, splicing, and projecting. Ihis control will be practically independent of the shrinkage that the film suffers during the laboratory processing operations. The advantages of such control are quite obvious. We would mention that it would prove invaluable in color processes and that in sound printing and reproducing it would afiord a more assured control of the possible side motion of the sound record. A change in film size would necessarily involve mechanical reconstruction of all motion picture apparatus. Iherefore, a complete change in the standard shape of the perforation could be made without extraordinary inconvenience to the industry. The sound record is located, for all proposed dimensions, outside of the perforations, because it may be found advisable in future times, for economical and mechanical reasons, to use m the photographic camera negative hlms of a width narrower than that of the finished prints — a width sufficient to include only the picture record to the exclusion of the additional width of the sound record. This would be in accordance with the practice of photographing the sound record independently and with different apparatus than that used for photographing the picture record. The placing of the sound record outside of the perforations has also the important effect of reducing to a minimum the distance between perforations and guide control rails, thereby providing better support for both the picture and the sound records. Up to the time of writing of this paper, it was quite evident that the sound engineers engaged in research and development activities were quite undecided and reluctant about expressing themselves with regard to the best arrangement for the sound record. This was evidently due to the complexities and the large number of factors involved in the pioblems which were presented to them for solution. It seems logical, however, to reach the conclusion that a longer sound record per picture area would permit the recording of higher frequencies than is possible on the present standard sound record length. It is also quite apparent that a wider sound record would permit an increase in the volume ol sound during reproduction. Increases in the length and the width of the sound record involve, indeed, many problems and considerations which we hope will be brought to the attention of this Society. We may, nevertheless, mention that the advisability of separating the sound record from the picture record, not only during the process o^ recording but also during that of reproducing in order to record higher frequencies than those which are obtained today, has been expounded and supported by arguments of both technical and economical nature. In considering the changes of dimensions in the sound record, Bell & Howell engineers have kept present in their minds the possibility of new developments. The proposed new dimensions and position of the sound record ofTer the advantage that such alterations, in either the direction of expansion or contraction, would require but little, if any, mechanical modifications in the apparatus constructed according to the new proposed standards. Since we are at the present time in the field of (feneralities, it may be appropriate to survey the problems pertainins; to the photographic and projection optical systems. Plwtograplu'c Objective. — The photographic objective is represented in its simplest expression, representing a system in which the two nodal points coincide. If we consider a lens of 50 mm. focal length, focused at infinity as the standard, since such a lens is the most used in actual practice for an image size of 24 mm. width. we find that : A 62.5 mm. (2J4") lens will embrace the same oDject space w-idth for the image size of 30.76 mm. width of the "Economic" dimension. A 77.2 mm. (3") lens will embrace the same object space width for the image size of 35.33 mm. width of the "Spectacular." A 94.1 mm. (3M") lens will embrace the same object space width for the image size of 46.31 width of the "Extreme" dimension. If we now take as a point of departure a 35 mm. lens as the shortest focal length lens used in actual studio practice, we find that in order to cover the same object space width we shall use, for the "Economic" dimension, a lens of a focal length of approximately 45 mm., one of approximately 55 mm. focal length for the "Spectacular," and one of approximately 67 mm. for the "Extreme." This brings to our attention the fact that for the same distance from object to camera, and in order to photograph the same object space width, the wider area film would require the use of lenses of longer focal length than those in use today with the 35 mm. standard film. This phase of the question is important in regard to the depth perspective of the sets photographed. There is no question in our minds that the use of lenses of extremely short focal length, such as 35 mm., introduces a noticeable and disturbing distortion in the perspective depth rendition of the average motion picture set. It is our belief that the use of, say, a 47 mm. lens, instead of a 35 mm., would tend to add to the beauty and naturalness of the picture. It is well known that studio practice requires that all scenes pertaining to one single sequence of a talking picture be photographed simultaneously with a battery of cameras, equipped with lenses of different focal lengths. This arrangement permits the taking of all long shots and close-ups with a single setting of microphones and simultaneously synchronizes all the picture records on a single sound record. The cameras equipped with the shorter focal length lenses which are used for the photo graphing of the "long shots'' are more con cerned with the width of the object than with its height. Vice versa, the cameras equipped with the lenses of longer focal length and m,se<l for the taking of the close-ups are more concerned with the height than with the widtli of the object. In other words, the long shot cameras photograph the ambient, while the close-up cameras photograph the performers. For the long shots, and for reasons previously expressed, lenses of a focal length greater than those in use for the 35 mm. standard will prove more adaptable in the photographing on larger area films, since they produce better perspective and a better relation between the size of the figures and the ambient. On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that the height of the proposed wide films is either the same as that of the standard 35 mm. film or not increased proportionately to the increase of their width. Therefore, in the photographing of close-ups, where only the height of the subject is to be considered, practically to the exclusion of its width, and where the height is to be determined only by a sense of pictorial composition, lenses of the same, or nearly the same, focal length as those in use with 35 mm. film will answer the cinematographer's requirements. The practical range of local lengths used with the standard 35 mm. film varies from 35 mm. to 150 mm. In order to obtain the same image width in the long shot and the same composition of figures in resrard to height in the close-ups, lenses of the following ap proximate range of focal lengths wil be u'ed for the larger area images: 47 mm. to 150 mm. for the "Economic"; 55 mm. to 190 mm. for the "Spectacular"; 70 mm. to 233 mm. for the "Extreme." The Third instahnent of this aricle will appear in tomorroiv's FILM DAILY. GLASS REFLECTORS BEING SOLD BY HE BROS. Glass parabolic reflectors, as manu ^ factured by Alatisse Bros, of New \'ork, are claimed to be superior to the metal reflectors formerly used in floodlight projectors. This, according to the company, is true because the coefficient of reflection of the glass reflectors is much higher and the reflecting surface is more durable. The difference in cost between a permanent glass reflector and a metal reflector, which tarnishes rapidly, will be more than justified by the saving in maintenance expense of continually repainting and repolishing the metal reflector. All Matisse reflectors .lave a hole in the apex for the socket of the incandescent lamp and are made of crystal glass, uranium glass or the nev^ gold glass, as desired. Carrier Washer Systems For Four Texas Houses Dallas — Carrier air washer systems with a Buffalo Silex distributing unit, both manufactured by the Buffalo ^ Engineering Co., have been contractd for by four houses in this territory. Walter O. Jorgenseii has closed a .ontract with the Kerrville Amusement Co.; C. L. Booth, northern Texas and Oklahoma representative for' the company closed with the .Majestic, (Jainesville and B. W. John■on closed a deal with Henry Hall of 4all Industries, for the devices in their Rialto in both Beeville and Kingsville. Dallas Office Opened by Claire for Nu-Aire Corp. Dalla.s — F. J. Claire, Texas representative for the Arctic Nu-Aire Corp. and the Kooler-Aire Corp., has opened offices for those organizations at Harwood St. here. Hydol Fabrics in New Offices H^-dol l'"abrics, manufacturers of drapes and curtains, has removed its ( oflices from 36 East 21st St. to larger quarters at 135 West 44th St. M. Joseph is in charge of the new offices. FLAME PROOF IT JUST WOMT BURN HEWES-GOTHAM CO. 520 West 47th St., New York Tel. Chickering 4531