International photographer (Feb-Dec 1929)

Eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1929 ^ound l^roof Stages V\(ot V^ecessary "Quiet, please!" A bell rings a warning jingle. The great iron doors at the entrance of the sound stages have rolled closed. The cameraman is locked up in his sound proof "doghouse." The recorder is in his booth. All is as quiet on the stage as a mouseless house on Christmas eve. A man at a little switch box sees a light go on, and calls: "Camera ready!" A minute later he adds: "Recorder ready!" A prop man with two painted sticks steps in front of the camera, directly in front of the scene to be photographed. "Motors!" calls the director. And a minute later, "Mark it!" The prop man slaps the sticks together and steps out of the camera range and Bebe Daniels goes into her song! A scene from "Rio Rita," the alltalking, all-musical Radio Picture version of the Flo Ziegfeld extravaganza is in production. It is an appropriate time to examine the sound system used by RKO Studios. There's R. H. Townsend, head of the RCA Photophone system on the West Coast, over there by Luther Reed, who is an associate producer on the film. In the next intermission period, we'll call him over and ask for an explanation of the Photophone system. Two bells relieve the tension on the stage. The doors roll open for ventilation. A buzz of conversation slaps the silence. Townsend smiles a greeting and walks over to the visitors. "It all starts at the 'mike'," he says in answer to a request for a description of the Photophone system. He pointed to the little round metallic instrument hung above the actors' heads just out of camera range. "The sound wave started by speech or music is changed by the microphone into electrical vibrations, magnetic field. On this loop of wire BY DON EDDY, Publicity Director R. K. O. [At the request of some of our brothers far away from Hollywood, The International Photographer herewith presents a few photographs and a short sketch of a sound system — in this case that originated and used by R. K. O. This system, simple and easily operated, has enabled the R. K. O. Studios to turn out production both quickly and satisfactorily. While this sketch is not technical it will be found interesting by anyone interested in talking pictures. — Editor's Note.] These vibrations are amplified and transmitted through the unit's system to the recorder." Townsend led his guests over to the recording booth. There on a platform, built on a little truck, was a compact system. At the right was a series of panels. At the left, raised on a box, was an apparatus looking not unlike a camera. "The top panel on this board," Townsend explained, "is a 'mixing panel: There are six knobs or regulators on the top two panels. Each dial controls the output of a microphone. In the case of an orchestra being recorded, the mikes are placed to catch the contrasting instruments and the volume of these separate parts of the band can be regulated by the dials. The same procedure can be followed in recording the dialogue of a number of people. "The regulator or central control on the panel next to the bottom is the general volume control. With this, voices or instruments can be made to fade out, or be boosted to a high level. The bottom panel contains the meters. The instrument at the left is used to record the electrical vibrations caused by sound waves on the film." He pointed to a delicate little device which protruded slightly below the magazines containing the film. "Here is a loop of wire in a strong is cemented a tiny mirror. From the mirror is reflected an intense light which in turn is focused on the film, exposing it and making the sound track. The electrical vibrations, set up by the sound waves and amplified through the system cause the wire to twist. "As the mirror vibrates, there is an increase or a decrease in the light falling on the film; the light being focused through an optical system. By varying the width of the exposure, the sound track is thus photographed. It is photographed in precise synchronization with the photography of the action." The visitors waited respectfully for a moment and then one said: "And that's all? It sounds a great deal more simple than I had expected." "It is a great deal more simple than the layman has been led to believe, this recording business," Townsend said. "Our greatest difficulty just now is not in the perfection of the equipment but finding men who know how to use it. "There is really nothing very elaborate or complicated about recording. It's largely a matter of placing microphones, twisting dials and lettins: the system work for you. "The trouble is that we have a hard time finding men who will let the system work. They are more anxious to prove their engineering ability than their knowledge of requirements for the 'mike' itself. "A man who knows tonal qualities, who has a dramatic instinct which tells him that a sentence here should be whispered, an emphasis put on this word, a pause following that, is the best recorder. "It is not necessary to have sound proof stages to make sound pictures," Townsend concluded. "Its mobility is one of the great advantages of the Photophone system and sound pictures can be taken in any place which is free of outside disturbances." Top Left — A full view of the RCA Photophone equipment. The "mixing panel" minus the top panel is at the right. The film magazine and the loop on which the mirror is cemented, can be seen slightly to the rig bt of the film magazine. At left of this is the camera and the pilot ray. Center and Circle — A sound stage at the RKO Studios, where Radio Pictures arc made. The camera booth is at the left. The RCA Photophone recording unit is at the right. In the center of the stage is the microphone suspended over the heads of the players. Oval — Note the microphone suspended out of camera range, above heads of players. Often it is camouflaged in various ways. Lower Right — Complete reverse view of RCA Photophone equipment used at RKO Studios mounted on stage truck. Note tubes and ■wiring system.