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

314 HOME MOVIES & HOME TALKIES A'^New Gevaert 16-mm. Film Gevaert film has been growing in I)opularity among home movie-makers for some time, being as a matter of fact the only make of film on the British market which is available in both 9.5-mm. and IC-mm. sizes. We have now received the Gevaert 16-mm. Pan. Super Reversal Cine film, which has gained such a good name for itself in the 0.5-mm. size. It has an excellent emulsion, a very fine grain, good gradation and high speed. The makers' claim for it 1,300 H. & D. or 23 Scheiner, but both Scheiner and H. & D. figures have been so much exaggerated by rival makers that we have ceased to attach any particular importance to them. So far as practical working speeds are concerned (that is, for use with exposure meters) we should rate this film with the super-speed varieties, and we are very pleased with the results we have obtained when exposing it in this way. As is the case with other Gevaert films, the new 16-mm. Pan. Super Reversal is sold at a price which does not include processing rights. The 100 ft. spool costs 19s. and the 50 ft. 10s., the price for the subsequent reversal processing being 8s. and 5s. lespectively. Readers will notice that this makes the total price, including processing, only 27s. per 100 ft., which is appreciably lower than the usual 32s. 6d. charged as the inclusive price for Super Pan. film. It is interesting to note that this film can be processed either as a negative for those who prefer the negative-positive method or reversed for those who prefer reversal films. The film when processed as a negative and a positive print supplied costs 32s. 6d. inclusive per 100 ft. and 17s. 6d. inclusive per 50 ft. We congratulate Messrs. Gevaert on their enterprise in marketing this excellent film at such a popular price, and we are sure it will do much to popularise 16-mm. cinematography. Dallmeyer Title Service The well-known firm of J. H. DalLmeyer, Ltd., 31 Mortimer Street, W.l (whose Title Outfit was reviewed in our August, 1932, issue), are now offering an efficient title .service in the 16-mm. size for those readers who do not care to prepare their own, and a specimen title which has been submitted to us as a sample is certainly of a high standard. The prices are very reasonable : — Straight title of 1 to 8 words up to 2 ft. of film ready for splicing cost Is. 6d. each ; 9 to 18 words up to 2 ft. 6 in. of film, 2s. ; 19 to 24 words up to 3 ft. of film, 2s. 6d. A minimum charge of 5s. is made and if necessary fades in and out, lap dissolves, animated running titles or combined titles with still and moving objects can be made at a slight extra cost. The comjiany will also undertake to cut and edit customers' films, inserting titles where indicated, at a reason able rate. The better the film the greater the need for good titling, and we feel sure that many readers will be glad to avail themselves of this excellent service. The Econasign Cine Sub -Title Printing Outfit The Econasign outfit, to which a brief reference was made in our last issue, will appeal to a large munber of readers who, while not possessing sufficient skill actually to design and paint their own lettering on title cards, yet want to make something a little more original than a title with plain cut-out letter.'; on a board or card. The Econasign outfit con.sists primarily of six transparent stencil sheets out of which are cut several foiuits of letters, ornaments, borders, etc. ; a guide board. an inking outfit, including a special ink material, pad and brush, sundry pins and other accessories. There are a nvmiber of features about this outfit which call for special mention. For example, ordinary stencils are so cut that they leave gaps in certam letters, such as R, which cannot be cut out complete in stencil form, otherwise there would be nothing to support the blank space in the upper portion of the letter ; in the Econasign stencils such letters are divided into two parts, so that the user stencils the first portion and then overlaps the second, in which manner full-line letters can be made with the greatest ease. The second special feature is the provision of the guide which enables the letters to be kept in perfect alignment with a minimum of effort. Another featui-e is the nature of the ink and brush, which remove the risk of smearing, the letters being jet black, sharp-cut, and as perfect as if they had been printed in a machine. As there are two complete alphabets in capitals and two complete alphabets in small letters, suitable numerals being provided in each case, and as furthermore numerous ornaments are provided, there is no difficulty whatever in making up professional style titles to suit any subject. W^e had no difficulty in making successful titles at our first effort and can fully recommend the outfit for the purpose for which it is designed. At 21s. post free in Great Britain it represents good value. It has been submitted to us by the Econasign Co., Ltd., 92 Victoria Street, S.WA. The "Tripoflo" 16-mm. Developing Outfit In December, 1932, we reviewed the " Tripoflo " 9.5-mm. drum developing outfit, and we have now received the equivalent 16-mm. outfit, which is illustrated this month. A large number of home movie-makers do not like sending their films to the proce.ssing houses to be finished, feeling that they are not really mastering the hobby unless they do everything themselves, including processing. In the past this has been rather an uneconomical procedure in the 16-mm. size, as the films were until recently sold at a price which included free processing, but since first of all Messrs. Gevaert, Ltd., and later, Messrs. Selo, Ltd., began to market their film at a price which did not include processing rights, there has been a distinct saving in processing one's own. There are, of course, two methods of processing cine film — the reversal method and the negative method. Each has its advantages, the reversal method enabling the film to be finished ready for projection with no apparatus other than the developing outfit, while the negative method which has the advantage that a great deal better control of the finished print is available, although a printing machine is required to make a positive print from the negative. The "Tripoflo " 16-mm. outfit consists of a drum for carrying the film and a tank in which the drum can rotate. Both drum and tank are of stainless steel, the tank being provided at the bottom with a plugged aperture through which the solutions can be run off when required, while to one end of the tank is fitted a spray tube to which a length of hose is attached for connection to the nearest water supply. One of the advantages of the "Tripoflo" method is that the film need not be touched with the hand after it has been wound on and after the final washing it is only necessary to hang up the drum and let the film dry in situ. Full particulars of the composition of the various developers recommended are given in the instruction sheet. The price of the 16-mm. outfit to take 50 ft. of film is £9 10s., and we are sure it will appeal to inany readers who like to do everything themselves. The whole apparatus is very well made and functions quite satisfactorily. It has been submitted to us by 'the "Tripoflo" Company, 135 King Street, Aberdeen. For our many new readers who did not read our earlier review, we may say that a similar outfit for 9.5-mm. film costs £6 10s., and this can be recommended. Patriotic Trailers Too often a home cine entertainment finishes with a jerk, ihe last film running out and leaving a glare of white on the screen. A much more suitable conclusion to the entertainment is given by a "trailer" with the words "The End " and with a portrait of His Majesty the King. Mr. W. S. Jackson, of 8 Walton Road, Stockton Heath, \^^arrington, has recently sent us for review a number of titles, excellently photogiaphed in both the 9.|-mm. and 16-mm. sizes, and particularly we were impressed with the continuous animated title of the Kuig, showing the Union Jack waving above the globe, over which was super-imposed {Continued on page 312)