Home Movies (1953)

An Afternoon PROMIOI POUTERS By ARTHUR MARBLE So much attention is given to the art of amateur movie making that the process of projecting the picture is too often taken for granted — with the result that audiences are often bored by and indifferent to pictures that had they been properly shown might have captured and held their interest. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the everyday problems of projecting amateur motion pictures. 1. To Show or Not to Show? There are some types of movies that should not be shown outside the family circle. One of the standing jokes of amateur movie making is the situation wherein guests sit helplessly by while the film enthusiast (usually the head of the family) inflicts mediocre family films on the captive members of the audience, who cannot with propriety bespeak their true feelings which might be "Help! let me out of here!" There are three types of films that should be considered carefully before they are shown outside the intimate group of relatives. The first is unedited films that have poor shots interspersed with the good. Such pictures require too much explanation and can be embarrassing both to the maker and the visitor who is forced tc see them. The second type of film that ought to be seriously questioned is the snapshot type of movie that simply shows children or other members of the family doing "cute" stunts. Such pictures are no more pleasant to watch outside the home circle than plain show-offs in real life. The third type of film that ought not to be shown outside the next of kin is the one that is so poor in quality that it is no credit to the producer. Such films should be reserved for private showings — the more private the better. The first cardinal sin of projection is to show the wrong kind of films to the audience. 2. Are You Prepared? Outside of a poor film in the first place, the most common cause for failure of a film showing is lack of preparation on the part of the projectionist. It is his duty (1) to check the film (preview it if possible) to make certain that it is in good condition; (2) to look over the projector to be sure that it is in proper working order. Checking of the film may call for minor repairs where there is damage that may interfere with the film showings. While most film distributors carefully inspect their films after each showing, there are still many films in circulation that are not properly inspected. When the operator fails to make his own inspection prior to projection the result is often a series of embarrassing stops during the course of the show. Inspecting the projector involves making sure that the main parts are in working order: the motor, the lamps, the threading mechanism. The projector should always be set up well in advance of the appearance of the audience, for only in that way can the equipment be tested without distraction or waste of time. The second deadly sin of projection is failing to prepare both films and equipment in advance of a film showing. 3. Are You Ready For Emergencies? How true it is paraphrasing Robert Burns that the best laid plans of the projectionist often result in emergencies. A lamp burns out. the film comes apart, the sound track cannot be heard. So planning must go beyond just ordinary checking of film and equipment, it should include a little repair kit for the ordinary predicaments — such things as cellulose tape for temporary splices (to be removed after the showing since most film distributors have a strong aversion to the stuff!), an extra main bulb and an exciter lamp for the sound unit. If the showing is an extremely important one or before a large audience, it is an excellent plan to have an extra projector that may serve well if it does nothing more than give the operator a wonderful feeling of added confidence. He knows that it would take a major catastrophe to stop his show. The third deadly sin of projection, then, is failing to be primed for emergencies. 4. Is the Projection Suited to the Audience? The competent projectionist is constantly alive to the comfort of the audience. When members of the audience file into an auditorium or projection room they may not all be aware of the fact that there are some seats in the hall where the screen is clearly visible yet the picture may be very poor. Especially is this true with • See PROJECTION on Page 56 with PIus-X Film By L. L. ROWE EASTMAN PLUS-X I loaded my Bell & Howell 70DA camera with a 100-foot roll of Eastman Plus X, and drove out to the beach at Santa Monica. It was a bright sunny day, with big puffs of white clouds floating overhead. The setting was perfect. I used my Weston Exposure meter to get a reading of my subject, which was a house with blue sky and white clouds behind it. At 16 fps, without a filter, I would have had to shoot at f 16, but I wanted this to be a picture with a punch. So I attached a deepred filter, (Kodak Wrattan A) to a 1-inch lens. With this, the clouds would stand out very clearly. Then I changed my lens opening to compensate for the reduction of light. Instead of shooting at f 16, I was going to take my picture at f5.6. Kodak recommends that you use three full lens openings larger for this deep-red filter. I got some great pictures of the house on the beach with clouds and sky behind it. I had used fifty-feet of my hundred-foot roll and, with the remaining fifty, I wanted some action movies. That same afternoon, about three o'clock, I was up in the top row of a football stadium, preparing to shoot a football game, in the middle of fast and furious action. I set up my camera on a tripod and attached two telephoto lenses. I used a 2l/^-inch and a 3-inch lens. This brought the action right into my lap, so I began shooting at 32 fps. This slowed the action considerably, so that when the pictures would be projected at normal projector speed, which is 16 fps, every block and every tackle of the game could be easily followed without having the entire film flash on and off the screen in a matter of seconds. When shooting action at 32 fps, I allowed two full stop openings on my lens, so that instead of shooting the action at the lens opening of f8 at 16 fps, I was filming the plays of the football game at f5.6. The results were really terrific. Eastman Plus X is fine for outdoor shooting, and also to use with various filters. It's a highly satisfactory film. 53