The film daily year book of motion pictures (1930)

projectionists should check the cueing and familiarize themselves with it before any show is run. In view of the importance of rehearsal, the manager should give it his own close personal attention and supervision. 2 Don't Make the Volume too Loud Excessive loudness of the sound accompaniment is one of the most frequent causes for dissatisfaction with talking and synchronized pictures on the part of the public. The sound should be no louder than is required to enable everyone to hear distinctly when the house is quiet. At rehearsal, determine, in accordance with this standard, the proper fader setting for every reel and mark it on the cue sheet or check it with the recommended setting. Give special attention to places where a change in volume would help realism, as for example, in changing from a distant shot to a close-up. If music comes through sometimes loud and sometimes soft,, remember that it is probably the manner in which it was recorded and in which it is intended to be played, and that to raise the fader setting during soft passages in an endeavor to make the loudness uniform throughout, would be to destroy the character of the music. When the house is only partly filled, it takes less sound energy to produce a certain impression of loudness than is the case when the house is filled. Therefore, the fader setting for the same subject should be one or two steps lower for a partly filled house as compared with a full house. In view of the great importance of proper changeovers and proper volume manipulation in contributing to the satisfaction of the audience, a competent observer should be posted in the house throughout the show with ample opportunity to continuously check the way the equipment is being handled and notify the projectionists whenever changes in volume are needed. 3 Don't Run Synchronized Films At Any Other Than the Standard Speed All synchronized films must be run at the same speed they were recorded — namely, 90 feet per minute, which is obtained when the regulating switch on the motor control cabinet is set at "Reg." This must not be departed from under any circumstances, otherwise the quality of the reproduced sound will be spoiled and distorted. Therefore, any adjustments in the timing of the program at rehearsal must be made by shortening or lengthening parts of the show other than the synchronized subjects. 4 Don't Locate the Horns Unsuitably The position of the horns is a very critical matter in its effect on acoustic conditions in the house, and it is possible for a very slight change in horn location to make a big difference in the manner in which the sound is heard at different points in the house. This matter of horn location is therefore studied with great care by our engineers at the time the installation is made, and once hey have determined the best position, from an acoustic standpoint, the horns must not be relocated, under any considerations. If it is necessary to move the horns to make room on the stage for other features, their position should be marked with the utmost care, so that they can be replaced at exactly the right spot 5 Don't Neglect the Daily Test The projectionists should make a thorough daily test of the equipment before the house opens, in cluding a check of each horn, individually, with speech or music. This is the only certain way of detecting faulty operation in any part of the equipment, particularly a defect appearing in one of the receivers. A test should be made early enough to permit of replacing a receiver if necessary. 6 Don't Neglect the Batteries The projectionists should read th,e battery gravity daily and enter their readings on the battery log sheet supplied. This is necessary to furnish our service engineers with proper data for the servicing of the equipment. The projectionists also must not fail to charge the batteries at sufficiently frequent intervals to keep the gravity above the minimum value specified in the operating instructions, otherwise there is danger of the batteries being injured or becoming exhausted during a show. 7 Don't Neglect Cleanliness Thorough cleanliness of the mechanism and film is essential to satisfactory reproduction. The projectionists should, therefore, make a thorough daily inspection to this end. Particularly, accumulations of dirt or hardened emulsion on the tracks of the tension pads and aperture plates must be watched for, to prevent danger of scratching and damaging the field. Excessive lubrication must be avoided, as it is a prolific cause of dirty films and poor reproduction, and does not remain any longer on the wearing surfaces than would a moderate amount. One, or at most, two drops of oil daily are all that can be used by small parts of the type used in projection and sound reproduction equipment. 8 Don't Run Short of Spare Equipment While the apparatus will give very little trouble if properly handled, in common with all other equipment spare parts will sometimes be needed, and the show may be held up if ihey are not forthcoming. Therefore, do not fail to maintain a proper stock of all necessary parts that require replacement, such as fuses, vacuum tubes, exciting lamps, etc. Whenever trouble is encountered which cannot be remedied by the use of spare equipment or by following the directions given in the operating instructions, call in pur service engineer. 9 Don't Underrate the Importance of the Projectionist While the operation of this equipment is not in any way difficult or complex, it does require to be handled intelligently if good results are to be obtained. Therefore, its operation cannot be entrusted to incompetent or untrained men. 10 Don't Fail to Read the Operating Instructions The Operating Instruction Book supplied with the equipment has been prepared with great care on the basis of years of experience with this class of apparatus, and every point connected with the operation of the equipment and the handling of troubles or emergencies is there, thoroughly explained and illustrated. The manager and all the projectionists should, therefore, study this book with the utmost care. 881