The film daily year book of motion pictures (1931)

USE OF THE STANDARD IN PROJECTION On the opposite page is a chart of the standard print. Study it. Notice the leader lengths and change-over cues. Every reel which you receive from the exchanges marked STANDARD PRINT MAKE-UP should be exactly in accordance writh the chart. If upon inspection you find that it is not, notify the exchange at once. Change-over System Tlie studio will start and finish picture action on fades whenever possible. (Otherwise significant sound will be kept at least five feet from the start and finish of the picture. This insures steadying down of the incoming projector before significant sound is reproduced, and also allows a margin of safety on the change-over. Tlie standard uses visible signals for motor and change-over cues. The visible signal will show as a round black dot against light background and as a white circle against dark background. The motor cue consists of the standard visible signal printed in tlie upper right-hand comer of four consecutive frames. The first of these frames is exactly twelve feet from the end of the picture. This distance, like the length of the synchronizing leader, was designed to accommodate the variety of pick-up speeds among machines in use. The change over cue is a mark like the motor cue on four consecutive frames, the first of which is one foot from the end of the picture. Tn placing tlie change-over in this position, it was assumed that half a second is the average time it takes an alert projectionist to see the cue on the screen and throw the douser switch. It is essential that the projectionist throw the change-over switch immediately the cue flashes on the screen if the change-over is to be perfect. Wlien you see the motm cue, start the incoming projector. When yof see the change-m'er cue, throw the douser switch. Differences in Motor Pick-up Speed The motor cue is twelve feet from the end ot the picture on the outgoing reel. At ninety feet per minute, these twelve feet take eight seconds to run out. Your problem is to determine how many feet of leader your incoming projector will picV up in these eight seconds. This 'S the "actual change-over footage" for that particular projector. It wi|l not be the same for all projectors, because the motor pick-up speed is always the same for any one projector, so that you can determine the actual change-over footage once and for all for each projector. Finding Your Actual Changeover Footage Plan to spend fifteen or twenty minutes' rehearsal per projector when you receive your first standard print, in order to determine yotar "actual change-over footage." Place the footage frame numbered 1 1 in the aperture of the incoming projector. Then change-over according to the cues, starting the motor of your incoming machine the instant you first see the start motor cue and throwing the douser switch the instant you see the change-over cue. If there is a lapse between the two reels showing on the screen try it again by placing the footage frame number 10 in the aperture of the incoming machine. Continue this process with the same machine trying footage frame numbers 9, 8. 7 and so on until you have found the foot, and the frame in the foot, which when threaded up at the aperture will give you the exact change-over. This frame then marks your exact change-over footage for that machine. Suppose, for example, it is the third frame ahead of the 7 mark. Then you know that on every standard print, if you place the third frame ahead of the 7 mark in the aperture of that incoming projector, the change-over will be perfect. Repeat this process for each projector you have, as there is often a difference between the pickup speed of projectors even in the same projection room. Checking Synchronism In projecting sound on film if you wish to test the length of your loops to insure synchronism, thread up so that the start frame, or any other numbered footage frame, is at the aperture. A diamond mark should show at the sound gate, as the diamonds are placed twenty frames ahead of each footage numeral. You can then turn down to have the correct frame in the aperture for the change-over. Threading for Disc Set the needle on the disc at the synchronizing mark, and thread the start mark frame into the picture aperture of the projector. Then turn down the projector until the correct frame for changeover appears at the picture aperture. While turning down, note the number of revolutions of the turntable, so that you can short-cut this process next time. Note: Partial Exceptions to tlie Standard — The dubbing process of some producers releasing on disc necessitates the use of more tlian twelve feet of leader between the start frame and the action. These prints will be standard in other respects, and, as the footage will be numbered at every foot up to the start frame, the projectionist can readily see the length of his leader without measuring. 702