Home Movies and Home Talkies (Jun 1933-May 1934)

96 HOME MOVIES & HOME TALKIES of certain scenes, such as those in which light green leaves or grass figure prominently. Again, in orthochro matic film, blue comes out much too light and red much too dark. With panchromatic film reds come out much more naturally. Panchromatic film is not necessarily uniform in its rendering, however, and most of it is still too sensitive to blue, for which reason filters aie often used with it to repress its excessive sensitivity in some directions. A yellow filter of the correct dejDth used with a panchromatic film will sufficiently repress the blue to show up white and fleecy clouds on a blue sky. Blue, of course, is darker to the eye than white, but with orthochromatic film it will photograph practically white, which is the reason why in many cases those pretty clouds did not appear in your final film ! Recently, too, green filters have been introduced for use ■with certain pan films. A green filter is one which represses both an excessive sensitivity to blue and a similar excessive sensitivity to red, for some panchromatic films are too sensitive to red just as the orthochromatic films have been too sensitive to bkie. The latest super-sensitive pan films have the excessive sensitivity to blue repressed considerably and actually give without any filter at all as good a rendering as was previously obtained with the ordinary panchromatic film using a light filter. Speed Tables But to revert to the question of speed.* With the 9i-mm. size, reversal and neg.-pos. films ai-e obtainable both in orthochromatic and in panchromatic varieties. With every Pathe camera is supplied a little booklet oi' instrvictions in which you will find a table for exposures giving a good general guide without the cost of a meter. These tables are worked out for the ordinary orthochromatic film Pathe, and if you are using the now P.S.P.F. film, which means fine grain high speed panchromatic, you can reckon that this is twice as fast as the ortho variety. Just recently, too, there has been a considerable improvement in the orthochromatic stock which is now supplied in the fine grain variety. The Gevaert 9i-mm. ortho film will be found to be faster than the Pathe orthochromatic, and you should bear this in mind when you are changing from one to the other. The new Pathe fine grain ortho film, however, is slightly faster than that previously sold, quite apart from its considerable improvement in quality. Sixteen Films In 16-mm., again, you can get reversal and negative-positive in ortho and i^anchromatic. There are, however, three kinds of film to consider in the 16-mm. size, the orthochromatic, panchromatic and super-speed panchromatic. This last is twice as fast as the ordinary panchromatic, for which most of the exj osure tables have been worked out. Both Kodak and Siemens have marked on the front of their cameras little exposure tables which will be found very useful and generally reliable, but you should i-emember that these have been worked out for the ordinary pan speed, which is aboiit the same as the ordinary ortho 16-mm., and not for the super-pan. In 8-mm. so far there is but one kind of film available, and this is a reversal panchromatic film having about the .same speed as the ordinary IG-min pan film. It is not so fast as the super-pan (of which the Kodak sviper-sensitive and the Agfa Novopan are excellent examples), but is probably slightly faster than the ordinary panchromatic, besides having a remarkably fine quality and irrain. Filming a school story at Shrewsbury (See also illustration on page 102) FROM HERE AND THERE A Useful Hint The P^uiTtiR, Home Movies and Home Tat.kies. Dear Sir, — When I am editing films I find it very convenient to have a book at my side so that I can push the (nit ends in the book, v.hich holds them till you are reatly to join them. -Yours trulv, Bolton, Lanes. Robert Owen. On Titles The Editor, Home ]Movies and Home Talkies. Dear Sir, — In reply to Mr. Harry Walden's letter published in your July is.sue, I should like to point out that the titles in Mr. Ahern's film were not of the type described by Mr. Mantle in your June issue. We have seen this film ourselves on sevei'al occasions. On inquiring from various friends and others, we find that the spoken title suporimjjosed on the bottom of the picture is greatly preferred as there is action to look at if one reads the title through qviicker than the film editor allowed ibr. — -Yours faithfullj% Kenneth F. jMiller, Vice Pr es ident , Beckenham Cine Society. 61, Queen's Road, Beckenham. A Good Suggestion The Editor, Home Movies .and Home Talkies. Dear Sir, — May I suggest that a very interesting film may be made under the title of " Month by Month." I commenced making one in February and have divided the film into sections comprising shots taken during each month, the main title for each month being the resjjective month's name. It is surprising how continuity can be maintained with the ^■arious subjects filme^!, both personal and of general interest. As an instance may I quote my effort. The film commences : Ma in title ' ' Month by Month," followed by a jumbled mass of cuttings from a calendar, then first sub-title " Februaiy — Grey Seas — Grey Skies," the shot following being that of a rough sea ; then follows " And Snow," with some snow scenes. This treatment is continued up to the present time and includes holiday scenes, etc. At the end of the year one is possessed of a complete record of the year, widely varied yet with a continuity that ])i'ogresses. \\ ishing Home Movies and Home I'alkies every success, I am, Yours faithfully, J. C. Scott. International Competition In conjunction witJi our French contemporary, Cine Amateur, the French Federation of Amateur Cine Clubs have organised the Third International Contest for the best Amateur Films of 1933, which will be held in Paris on December 8, 9 and 10 this ye^r. The competition is open to genuine amateur clubs only, and but three sizes of film may be entered — 16, 9.5 and 8-mm. — under three classes, viz., (a) those made from scenarios ; (6) travel and instructional films ; and (c) films not included in (o) and (b). The Federation's Delegate for foreign affairs is Mr. T. Shaw, Jimr., 94 rue Saint-Lazare, Paris (9e). Secretaries of clubs intending to enter should write to Mr. Shaw as soon as possible, and in any case before the end of Sejitember. Camera & Gramophone Co. A large nimiber of readers will, we know, be interested to learn that Mr. Fred Stillman, who has helped so many movie-makers along the road to success, has recently joined the Camera & Gramophone Co. in the capacity of manager. All who know Mr. Stillman will join with us in wishing him the very best of luck in his new jjost.