Home Movies (1950)

WORKSHOP ing up through the metal, which is drilled at the desired points. Aluminum being very soft this drilling is readily effected with the smallest of hand drills. This strip has to be affixed to the tripod screw and a hole is drilled and then reamed out to the right size for this at one end of the metal, care in this case being taken to see that the exact mid point is struck or the final shapes will not lie at a true rightangle to the lens, which is fatal to good results. The hole should be about V/2 inches in from the end. The strip fits over the screw and complete rigidity is given when the camera is in position. If the strip is to be used PIG. l PIG. 2 without a tripod this can be done by getting a bolt which fits the camera half of the connection and bolting the metal on by means of this. The simple sliding frame as Figure 3 is now made. This is merely a base (which must slide accurately between the side strips) and two slotted verticals as (a). These verticals can be single pieces of wood slotted or be built up of three short lengths each, the center length in each case being slightly narrower, thus giving the channel. Strong glue will! hold the lengths together but if much out-door work is anticipated several brads can be used in addition to the glue. Whichever type of vertical is used they are held to the base in a small recess. Employ a set-square to make sure that a true ninety degrees to the base is obtained. Finally come the masks. These are squares of very thin plywood or further pieces of aluminum and they slide as required into the vertical slots. The side which will face the lens is either covered with black velvet or painted a matte black. From these masks the desired shapes are cut, the greatest care being taken to see that their centers agree accurately with the optical axis of the lens. This is most important with the circle, which is only 1 inch in diameter. The shapes will include a heart, fieldglass design, etc., but these too will have their centers in respect to the lens. The equipment is now complete. To use the circle for irising effects, it is put in the frame and then moved gently to or from the camera, as the case demands. When the mask is close up to the lens the full picture is taken but as it is pulled away the field of vision becomes smaller, until at the end of main strip it is but a pin-point as far as taking is concerned. On the screen this reducing in size appears like the picture closing in from all sides. By starting with the mask well away and bringing it up toward the lens and unfolding and widening picture is secured. To use the shapes, a few tests will show the exact position which allows the outline to nicely fill the picture without being too small or two large. These positions when found must be readily repeated. A further use for this extra fitting is the making of titles superimposed on a moving background. Here a sheet of plain glass is slipped in to the uprights bearing the desired wording. The camera now set in motion records both the words and the scene behind. White ink is the best for writing the titles. With a little care this idea can be employed to give words which starting small appear to grow and come towards the observer till they fill the whole picture. Also they can be made to suddenly disappear altogether by stopping the camera, removing the glass and then carrying on with the shooting. In fact this intermediate glass idea can be made to give quite a number of effects. The length of strip above is given as one foot. This is on the assumption of a 1-inch lens but a few tests would soon show the variations necessary for other focal lengths. — H. A. Robinson, Bebington, Cheshire, England. Versatile Sticky Tape When editing films, I have always found it a problem to keep the short lengths of film so that they could be found in a moment when needed, yet would be safe from harm. Several ideas which I tried either resulted in damaged film or threatened to do so. Now, however, I have found a method which is extremely convenient, yet entirely safe. A piece of soft cloth, such as outing flannel, is fastened to the edge of the editing table with thumb tacks. The piece I use is a yard wide and two yards long. Then a strip of half-inch adhesive tape, of practically any sort that happens to be handy, and slightly more than a yard in length, is fastened out, with a thumb tack at each end. The cloth hangs straight from table edge to floor, then is spread out flat. Each strip of film is pressed lightly against the adhesive tape and hangs down the face of the cloth. If long enough to reach the floor, the balance is coiled on the end of the cloth. It is a very simple matter to find a desired strip, or to alter its position, and there is no possibility of damage to even a single frame at any time. When one is through editing, the strip of tape is thrown away, and the cloth is folded up and put away until the next time it is needed. This completely avoids the bulkiness of film bins and similar arrangements. Roderick A. ^outh worth, Binghamton, N. Y. Ideas Unlimited What's your favorite kink, gadget or short cut? If you have constructed an item you like, tell us about it. Include photo or rough sketch if possible. Rate for each item accepted is $2 to $3. Home Movies, 3923 W. 6th St., Los Angeles 5, California. 287