Home Movies (1946)

HOME MOVIES FOR SEPTEMBER 549 gadget to be folded compactly for easy carrying. When shooting afield where a high wind tends to rock the tripod-mounted camera, a rope and heavy stone may be employed to provide a weight anchor for the camera support. When shooting from a moving vehicle, best method is to tie down the tripod by means of a length of wire secured to tripod head and secured to the floor or platform with a screw hook. The wire is tightened by m;ans of a turnbuckle, obtainable for about 15c at any dime store. — H. Simonson, Los Angeles, Calif. Temporary Splicing when screening a series of short rolls of films or when running spools of film to be edited, I splice them temporarily with narrow cellulose tape. Care is taken, of course, to avoid covering the sprocket holes. Also, instead of reeling the film inspected or screened, I run it into a cloth lined basket. Film never tangles if reasonable care is used when rewinding. — Max Clements, Las Cruces, N. M. Short Length Storage I recently adopted the use of discarded typewriter ribbon boxes as means for storing short lengths of film and titles. Contents of each box is identified with description inked on a strip of adhesive tape placed on outside cover. — George A. Lazzati, Brooklyn, N. Y. Title Centerer The photos below illustrate construction and use of a parallax compensating template that may be used in filming titles or in small objects photography to accurately center camera with subject. The illustrations show the step-by-step procedure. In Fig. 1 the camera is placed lens down on a sheet of tracing paper and the lens position outlined with pencil. Then the view finder position is traced WOODEN TROUGH APPROX. 2'/i." X 12" )( Z" Dp. STfMIOfiRRy ELECTRODE MOVABLE ELECTRODE:^ TO IIO-V INSULftTEO W/RB TO l-N?Z PHOTOFLOOD TO I-N92 PHOTOFLOOD COPPER PLRTE DOUBLE CONVENIENCE OUTLET on the paper, a pencil line indicating its field of view. A dot is placed in exact center of each outline and the amount of separation between the two indicates the amount of parallax. This is fixed for any distance. The next step is to draw on a sheet of tracing paper the template or centering guide, as shown in Fig. 2. Draw rectangles around each dot corresponding to size of title to be filmed — dotted line for the top rectangle which represents the viewfinder field of view, and a solid line for lower rectangle representing field of view of lens. To use, place transparent template over title, (or object to be photographed), centering it in the sold line rectangle as shown in Fig. 3. Then, looking through viewfinder, adjust camera until the dotted rectangle is accurately framed in the viewfinder. When this is done, the title is accurately centered with the camera lens. The template may be removed and the title filmed as shown in Fig. 4. To us for larger title areas, simply enlarge the rectangles to the desired size and proceed as above. — R. D. Thompson, San Francisco, Calif. Aqua-rheostrat An inexpensive rheostat capable of controlling up to No. 2 photoflood lamps can easily be constructed by the average workshop hobbyist. Such a rheostat will prove an efficient means for making fades when shooting titles and for dimming photofloods between takes when filming scenes indoors. The sketch above gives details for construction. Gadget consists of a wooden trough with the seams secured against leakage of liquids. Two copper electrodes are provided, as shown — one stationary and one movable. Handle of latter should be well insulated. Method of wiring is shown in diagram. In use, the trough is filled with sufficient water to cover the electrodes. A weak solution of salt is added to give maximum conductivity to the water. Amount of salt to be added depends upon volume of water and must be determined by tests. Next step is to plug in extension cord to a 110 volt source and move the free electrode slowly toward the fixed electrode to increase light intensity and away to decrease it. Keep hands out of water at all times to avoid shock. — Phil Subry, Denver, Colo. Film Storage Department stores and War Salvage outlets throughout the country are currently marketing a surplus supply of air tight ammunition boxes. These make excellent film storage boxes for reels of either 8mm. and 16mm. films. They cost in the neighborhood of thirty cents each. — B. Herschensohn.