Home Movies (1951)

TITLE CENTERING GADGET A piece of aluminum, turned down to the cone shape shown in the sketch will make a fool-proof centering gadget for use when titles are to be made and exact centering is essential. vim cine CLAMP FITS LENS BAP.KEL 1 Device in o*£ . When the device is clamped on the lens barrel, the point "A" is exactly at the center of the lens. Then, when the card holder is moved up to point "A", it is a simple matter to center the title card. After centering, slide the title back to the desired distance, remove the device, and the title is ready for shooting. — (By John Pontet, Los Angeles, Calif. .) RAPID DRIER FOR MOVIE FILMS Drying movie film is a long and tiring job — but it must be done, and done right. Dust, the old bugaboo of all amateurs who process their own film, becomes a very real problem because the tiny image can easily be ruined with a few feet of dusty and scratchy film. One fool-proof way to avoid all this is to use a drying solution, easily made by the amateur himself. When this rapid drier is applied to the film, after thorough washing, it can be projected within minutes of the time it is taken from the wash water, and in perfect safety. First, wipe the film with a chamois, or cotton batting which has been wrung almost dry — so that most of the droplets are gone from both surfaces of the film. Then immerse the film in the drying solution and keep it moving for at least two minutes. Remove from solution — wipe dry as before, and the film should be ready for projection within five minutes. A word of warning. Do not use excessive heat to hurry the drying process; use a fan by directing a stream of air in the general direction of the drying film. Here is the Ansco Rapid Film Drier, released this week by Dr. Herman H. Duerr : Rapid Eihn Drier Denatured No. 1 ethyl alcohol 865 cc Ethylene glycol 90 cc Formalin.__ 40 cc Amyl acetate 5 cc (This formula has been used in drying thousands of feet of movie film — with excellent results, and is fool-proof. But instructions must be followed exactly: Wipe film with sponge. Immerse in solution for three minutes. Wipe again. Film will be bone dry in five minutes. —Ed?) MAGAZINE LOADING In the Cine Workshop of the January issue of Home Movies there is an article entitled Magazine Loading Instructions supplied through the courtesy of the Superior Bulk Film Company, Chicago, Illinois. I have had some experience in reloading 16mm magazines and by actual trial have found the method described to be very unsatisfactory and unreliable. A description of some of my experiences will serve to illustrate the above statement. While I was in Japan it was extremely difficult to procure film packaged in the containers necessary. Roll Kodachrome 16mm film could usually be obtained. In order to have magazines it was necessary to get them where and when you could. Some surplus magazines were occasionally available, sometimes with old film or sometimes with no film. Most of the magazines with old film were threaded according to the illustration in the January issue. As a result, I loaded some in this manner and found them continually jamming and unreliable. Finally I was able to procure a new magazine loaded by Eastman. I cut the feed spool free in the dark and then looked to see how the magazine was threaded. I then rethreaded the magazine and found it to run perfectly. As a result I have reloaded numerous magazines and have yet to have one not feed perfectly. The drawing illustrates the proper method. 1. Remove cover by taking out the two retaining screws. Make sure that film gate is in proper position so that notch fits into gate groove; set gate tension spring into place. 2. Two posts in ullustration each have a loose grooved sleeve on them. Into the groove of each sleeve is a curved retainer wire. The projections on the drive sprocket turn into these grooves. 3 To load magazine remove the sleeves and retaining wire. Place film, wound with emulsion side in, on feed spool. Thread around sprocket wheel as in illustration, around tension spring, past gate, and down the side of the magazine, outside of posts. Carry film almost to end of magazine, forming a small loop. Bring film back and over the drive sprockets a second time and onto the take-up spool. Make sure film perforations are on sprockets of drive, then replace sleeves and retainer wire. CAUTION: Do not place more than 50 feet of film on feed spool. 4. Set footage indicator in cover by pushing the spring pin on the underside of cover as far as it will go, hold fast with forefinger on top of cover. Set cover onto body of magazine and release indicator spring. Indicator will show footage in magazine. Replace retaining screws and magazine is ready for use. I believe the publication of this method might save others the loss of film, headaches, and the most important, not being able to get the action or scene you desired to record. — (By M. J. Real, M.D., Scon Air Base, Illinois.^) TITLE TIP Easy-to-film title effect is the jumpon spellout, in which letters or words appear one at a time, to spell out the title. This is done by propping a pane of glass approximately 8x10 inches against a blank background, or one that establishes the mood of your movie. Paint or paste on title letters or words. Place these on the glass, one at a time, and then expose a few frames after each letter is added. — (By George Edgerton, Wilmington, Delaware?) SIMPLE FADER Excellent fade effects can be achieved indoors by simply shutting down the light from the photofloods, rather than by stopping down the camera lens. Most electric stores carry a gadget known as a "dim-a-lite. " This device is used for dimming house lights, and sells for about a dollar. If this is inserted into the light socket before the flood light is put in, it will gradually dim or brighten the light, as required. 168