Home Movies (1943)

PAGE 406 HOME MOVIES FOR DECEMBER Simple Diffuser To obtain best photographic results in closeups made under artificial light, the harsh light of photofloods brought up close to subject must be diffused. A practical diffuser applicable to the standard type clamp-on photoflood reflector may easily be made by stretching a piece of white silk or cotton between two light strips of wood or thin doweling, and fastening a spring clothes-pin to the center of the top strip to act as a clamp. In use, it is simply clamped to rim of reflector as shown in accompanying photo. Clothes-pin holds fabric sufficient distance to prevent burning, although prolonged burning of the photoflood might tend to scorch fabric, requiring that it be replaced. It should be remembered that use of a diffuser materially reduces the volume of light, and a meter should be used carefully in checking the light after the diffusers have been mounted in place. — LeRoy Altchnler, Colo. Springs, Colo. 16mm. Printer The materials necessary to build this very effective 16mm. film printer are not expensive and are quite easy to obtain. The "heart" of the outfit consists of the gears and intermittent movement THE E X P E vammmmmmmtmmmmmmmjmmmmm taken from an old toy 16mm. Keystone projector. (These are still available from some of the older and larger photo supply houses.) This unit is mounted upon a board base io'/V'xi i J/2" set upright. The lamphouse is a small tin can inside of which is mounted a small socket and a 6 volt automobile headlight bulb. To prevent light escaping between lamphouse and film aperture, a short piece of metal tubing is soldered over lamphouse opening, then to the film gate, as shown. The two rollers which serve to guide the film to and from the spools, are made of J/4" wood dowel. Holes are drilled in the center and the rollers mounted loosely on the base by means of slender screws. The film reels are fitted on to a post extending from the printer by means of bolts. The reels ride freely on the bolt spindles and are retained in place by nuts placed on the bolts after reels are mounted. A rheostat (I used a Yaxley No. 9) is used to control the intensity of current reaching the lamp, thereby affording a control of the printing densities. The usual 110 volt current is reduced by means of a toy transformer connected to the printer as shown in the wiring diagram. The "throw over" snap-type switch breaks the current after printing operations are completed. Although this printer is hand operated by means of a small crank, a small motor easily could be fitted to the printer by replacing hand crank with a grooved pulley for a belt drive directly to the motor. — Stanley Adams, Abilene, Texas. Editing Aid Here is a tip to aid the amateur who must cut several scenes from a roll of film for such purposes as adding dyefades, or to intensify or reduce the image. Where the film sections must be ii 1 11 n T i I, respliced in the same position within the film from which they were taken, these positions may easily be identified if the nrst frame of each scene clipped is left on the main reel of film. In other words, instead of cutting the scene at the first frame, clip it at the second frame line. The cut reel of film need not be respliced until the scenes are returned to the reel. The breaks need only be wound one full turn until they are secure, then the film wound to the next point of cutting. — Stanley jepson, Bombay, India. ■MlflftOR Vertical Filming Here is a simple cinematic trick which enables the cinetographer to accomplish vertical filming with camera mounted horizontally on tripod, when the tilt-pan device does not permit a full right angle tilt of the camera. It is particularly adaptable in shooting vertical titles where loose title letters must be mounted upon a horizontal, or flat title board or in filming operations in surgery or dental techniques. By mounting a mirror at right angles in front of the camera so it will reflect an image beneath it, the image may be photographed by the camera focused upon the mirror. Alignment, of course presents a problem, and where the camera does not provide for focusing through the lens (as does the Cine Special and the magazine loaders) the image may be lined up visually first, then the camera mounted so lens is in alignment with center of mirror. In determining focus, measurement should be made from object to mirror, then from mirror to camera lens, and the two distances added for the correct total distance of object to camera lens. — Ah in Decker, Terre Haute, Ind. Developing Kit Sketch shows a thoroughly practical jam jar home developing outfit for short lengths and "test strips" of film. It consists of a jam jar with screw-type metal 1 , H>2 FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW