Year book of motion pictures (1929)

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Report of the Fall, 1928, Convention of the Society of M. P. Engineers THE event of the first six months of 1928 that attracted the greatest public attention was, of course, the sound or talking motion picture. The technical press has also paid considerable attention to sound production to the exclusion of other familiar subjects. The amateur motion picture is beginning to take a prominent part in the literature, and as this is an attractive field of endeavor for the inventor a large number of technical articles have been published. In general, the literature of motion pictures has taken a great increase during the last few months, so great an increase in fact that in making up this report some thought had to be given to the subject of economy of space, otherwise it would get out of reasonable bounds. A preliminary list of references to be covered contained 389 items in place of the usual one hundred or so. In order to restrict the references to a number that could be handled, all patent references were excluded on the score that a patent is more apt to represent plans for the future than actual progress at the time of publication. A second restriction in number was made by dropping all references to articles appearing in the Transactions of this society as it seems probable that the membership is in, such close touch with the authors and papers that further references would be of small service. ' The report was submitted by Frank Benford, chairman; J. I. Crabtree, E. E. Egeler, K. D. C. Hickman. The Report (Original Sources of Data Pertaining to Technical Devices and Technical Problems Discussed Aire Indicated by Reference Marks in the Articles. A Complete List of These Sources Immediately Follow) Amateur Motion Pictures The amateur who takes and projects motion pictures is now having set before him an equipment that rivals that of the professional in perfection and completeness. The amateur size camera comes with sets of interchangeable lenses that rival in speed the best available for professional use: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9,10). Many of the tricks that make photography such an interesting pursuit are coming within reach of the amateur: (11) and with the formation of clubs: (12) and the publication of magazines devoted to amateur motion pictures we may expect, in the immediate future, a large group of skilled motion picture amateurs that will resemble the radio amateurs that were, in a large sense, the founders of the radio industry. The combined camera and projection machine has received considerable attention and this economy will doubtless bring many additions to the ranks : (13) Both arc and incandescent lamps are made for home use, (14, 15, 16, 17, 18) and rather full instructions for scenario writing and general technic have been published: (19, 20, 21, 22, 23). One feature of particular interest is a group of flares made to burn from one-half to four minutes so that out-of-door photography at night now comes within the reach of the amateur: (24). I* is inevitable that panchromatic films: (24) be available in small size and with developers, printers, exposure meters and other studio devices: (26, 27, 28, 29, 30) available it is readily seen that many of our hemes are destined to be Holly woods in miniature. Cameras and Projectors Portable cameras of professional size have received due attention and speeds of from 150 to 500 exposures per second are now claimed: (31, 32). The striving for a non-intermittent mechan ism still goes on: (33) while worm gearing has been used in the mechanism of both camera and projector to attain quieter and smoother operation: (34). A novel 180° single shutter placed between the light source and film and double speed rotation is claimed to give good optical results and provide a cooling draft for the film: (35). Quick threading is a feature of one professional portable camera (36). A historical discussion of pulldown mechanisms has appeared: (37). One camera is provided with straps to go around the chest and shoulder of the cameraman, who thus becomes his own tripod: (38). Pictures in Colors The literature of motion pictures in colors has been neglected lately in the face of other more recent developments, but a review of the embossed cylindrical lens has been published with a view of settling certain controversies about patents and patent dates: (39). Education by Motion Pictures There has been considerable discussion pro and con as to the usefulness of motion pictures for educational purposes: (40, 41) and the film is rapidly coming into use in grade and advanced schools: (42, 43, 44, 45, 46). In Germany motion pictures are used for teaching civics in small towns and villages: (47). In the grade school, geography: (48) and mathematics: (49) are being taught by motion pictures, and one school reports visual instruction as yielding 37 per cent better grades than oral instruction: (50) In colleges the teaching of anthropology: (51) social geography: (52) and astronomical physics: (53) are aided by pictures. One university is giving a four year course in motion picture technology: (54) which doubtless will add to the uses of motion pictures in advanced college work. Films and Emulsions A description of a new panchromatic negative has been published giving speeds under four kinds of light: (55). Several new developers have been suggested, one of which does not show any particular advantages over common developers: (56) but the other is said to be suitable for fine grain images: (57). The speed of the Eastman duplicating film has been found to be about one-sixth that of the positive motion picture film: (58) and the experimenters also published data on the time-gamma curves. Several methods of saving underexposed: (59, 60) and light struck films. (61) have been publish ed; the latter being of particular intere>t to the amateur photographer. One new suggestion for hypersensitizing has been made (62) and an extensive study of the presentation of film has been published: (63). Two papers describing laboratory methods for hot (64) and cold: (65) weather give useful data. The relative effects of the mirror arc and incandescent lamp in producing buckling have been found equal. It is suggested that buckling is due to improper drying: (66). Several new imbibition processes suitable for relief images on glass have been described: (67). 991