Home Movies (1944)

HOME MOVIES FOR JANUARY CINE WORKSHOP ly clean and polish outside surface of jug, then wind length of film to be toned around the jug, as shown in cut, with emulsion side out. Secure ends of film to jug with short pieces of scotch tape or by rubber bands. For the tinting solution, it will be necessary to provide a deep receptacle equal in height to the gallon jug and large enough to receive the jug with sufficient room left for the solution. This should be a deep crock or an enameled pail. A galvanized pail may also be used by first placing a large piece of oilcloth within it in such a way that the solution will be held by pouch formed by the oilcloth. The solution should not be placed in metal containers.— Arthur Ball, Denver, Colo. NOH-VRIP OIL CRN Stops Oil Smudge Getting oil on fingers and subsequently on films after lubricating your projector need no longer be feared if a simple drip absorber is applied to your oil can as pictured here. Simply wind a short length of string around spout of oil can about one inch from the tip, and tie it tightly. Thereafter, any surplus oil flowing down from tip, after an oiling operation, will be absorbed by the string, and will not flow down the spout to cover the can and soil hands. — Herbert Faust, Madison, Wise. Spooling Film An aid to spooling positive film under a safe-light is to paint edge of slot in core of spool with white paint, also to paint a white line on side of spool opposite slot. The white lines are easy to see in glow of safelight, enable guiding end of film quickly into slot of spool. — Roland Krause, Minneapolis, Minn. Inverted Filming To hold camera steady on tripod for inverted filming, in lieu of an inverted bracket, a simple device for the purpose can be made from a wooden cigar box. As shown in cut, bottom and lid of cigar box are removed. A quarter-inch hole is drilled in center of either end. The box is mounted on the tripod and secured in place with a No. 20 wing nut. Camera is then mounted upside down within the box by means of a J/4" No. 20 machine screw. This device will prove sufficiently rigid for the average 8mm. camera. — Lester Bowles, Clinton, Iowa. Pilot Light An emegency pilot light for projector may be made by tying a small vest-pocket flash light to a spring clothes-pin, as illustrated. The clothespin may then be clipped to a protruding part on projector to furnish illumination for threading or for inspection of film loops during operation of projector. This device also will serve as a light source for making notes during screen PACE 23 gadget*, trick* & shortcut * contributed by, Cinebug,* ing of pictures. Merely clip it at top of note book and light from flashlight will cover the page on which notes are to be written. — Barbara J? at ton, Santa Barbara, Calif. Film Viewei A satisfactory magnifying film viewer can easily be assembled from articles obtainable from the average dime store — a magnifying reading glass mounted in a plastic frame with handle, and a rubber vacuum cup fitted with a small bolt and nut. Assembled together, as shown in cut, the unit may be attached to editing board or table, permitting inspection of film as it passes beneath it between rewinds. — Gerald K. Moore, Newark, N. J. Cleaning Film Gate It's a good idea to make a regular practice of cleaning the camera film gate to avoid fuzzy borders on frame lines of your films. Accumulated fuzz and dirt can best be removed from the frame aperture by removing lens from camera and getting at the aperture from front of camera. After lens is unscrewed from camera, allow the motor spring to completely run down. This will allow the shutter to stop at open position, enabling you to use a small camel's hair brush to whisk away any dirt accumulated on edges of frame aperture. Viewing the film gate from front of • Continued on Paj?c 40