The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1930)

ceived by the creative mind of the artist and recorded by his skill in visual form — was originated by the impressions and nerve reactions of the artist's eyes, and that his work also, becomes of importance and value only by visual inspection. To study screen sizes and proportions from the ground up, we are therefore forced to first study the optical characteristics and psychological reactions of the natural human vision. It may be considered unfortunate, that commercial eagerness selected lately more or less arbitrarily, a few shapes and sizes, before art, science and engineering had the ooportunity, to harmoniously develop and recommend a new standard, and that certain exponents of the industry so vigorously supported this secretly developed innovation with unlimited capital and most energetic technical and commercial activities — that we are facing a similar situation as thai created bv Edison and Lumiere years ago. To return to the human endowment which is the basis of all artistic conceptions, endeavors and work — natural vision. Natural Vision It is of elemental necessity to first thoroughly understand what natural vision is, its psychological characteristics and physical limitations. It is a classical example of the evolution of the genus homo. There is a vast difference in the structure, efficiency and the nerve reactions, between the optical system of the different species of the animal kingdom. Let us consider for the purpose of this article, with due apologies to the exponents of religious philosophy, and solely from the optical point of view, man as the mentally highest type and only truly upright specimen of the ape family. There are even between the ape's and upright man's optical systems differences, solely the results of evolutionary adaptation to the mode of man's normal physical behavior. The normal upright position of man evolved characteristics of his optical system, which are best described on hand of diagram 1. The normally upright posture of the head developed the normally horizontal position of the optical axes of his eyes. Without going into the progressive results of evolution, determining its details, the field of vision is shown for the right and left eye. The parallax or horizontal distance between the two eyes (about 70 mm.) has been disregarded in this diagram, because it disappears, as far as its effect upon the field of natural vision is concerned, if we consider only distant, converging vision; an assumption, justified for the scope of this article. We observe, that the field covered by the vision of both eyes, is approximately heart-shaped, with two lobes attached on each side, extending downwards and representing the vision of the single eyes only. The axes of the two eyes are both projected upon the center of the diagram. The totality of vision, however, extends from this center more downwards than upwards, and a rectangle, closely following the outlines of vision totality, shows a dimensional proportion of very nearly 5x8 (see dotted rectangle). T Four ] This totality of natural vision, for a normal human eye, is of course only correct for a fixed position of the head. Analyzing our viewing a screen picture, we can consider this condition only, as the movement of the eyeball is very much more rapid, than that of the head. There are however, within the range of eyeball motion also zones of comfort and discomfort, extending from consciously effortless ranging of the optical axis to its deflection by perceptible muscular effort or even painful strain. Considering the most important direction or meridian of vision, i. e., the parallactic or horizontal range of vision, we find that the extreme, covered by painful muscular exertion, covers in the average about 100 degrees on each side. This zone is, however, only relating to the respective single eye. The next zone, covered in its extreme by perceptible muscular effort, covers about 70 degrees on each side, whereas the consciously effortless range of vision of both eyes, covers theoretically about 38 degrees on each side. In actual, every day natural vision, both eyes cover horizontally about 30 degrees on each side, or we have an effortless view of about 60 degrees in the horizontal meridian. In the vertical meridian the effortless vision extends to about 15 degrees upwards and about 30 degrees downwards; this is a classical result of evolution of the human optical system — following the normal movements of upright man on the ground, with most attention necessary for obstacles or dangers, characteristic of the ground he walks upon. The diagrammatic curves of muscular efforts for the deflection of the optical axis of the human eye from its normal position, looking "straight forward," shows the geometrically increasing energy, necessary to look "sideways, up or down" to the limits of vision. They also show the nearly effortless instantaneous covering power of the eyes for binocular vision, 15 degrees up, 30 degrees down, 38 degrees each side. If we inscribe into these limits a rectangle, we find it most closely expressing a dimensional proportion of 5x8. It has been of singular interest to the author, to find that the results nf his research work in natural vision, simply on a basis of analytical logic (abstract as far as screen sizes are concerned), coincides with the results of statistical research, so thoroughly conducted by others. Rectangular Border Line It may be of interest to consider here for a moment the reason, why pictures are usually contained within "rectangular" borders, when we know the actual peculiar curved border line of natural vision. Our earliest records of primitive pictorial art show no border lines. We find borders only when architectural art was sufficiently developed to show beauty in "significant forms," characterizing the various epochs in architecture, be they Chinese, East Indian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Hellenic, Mayan or others. The hard material used for the edifices constructed under these different significant forms, forced upon the early artist, the characteristic human deviation from nature — the straight line. In the design of the earliest monuments, there naturally appeared surfaces, bordered in their simplest and most impressive contour, by straight lines, as rectangles. If the predominant proportion of height and width in the most "beautiful" examples of classical architecture of 5x8, was the result of the innate sense of beauty of the builder — if it was his endeavor to follow the effortless range of vision of his eyes — designing and correlating his system of beautiful proportions for a definite viewing distance — we do not and never will know. Fact is, however, that these proportions were established in the progressive architectural arts. Fact is also that there came a time, when such surfaces were embellished by a variety of designs in order to cover their plainness, a time, when pictorial art was called upon to beautify these surfaces. Of our earliest records of pictorial art, mural paintings fall within this class. It was not a question for the painter to design a fitting border for his composition. The question was to compose his picture for an already existing border line. The esthetic pleasure, produced by the viewing of such "beautiful" forms, associated the combination of paintings and rectangular borders for all times, as a necessary basis, for all future artistic endeavors in pictorial art. A rectangular border of 5x8, as an absolute "necessity" for finished beauty in a picture, is successfully contradicted, however, by the fact, that we have a great many masterpieces, especially in movable paintings, which, although mostly rectangularly framed by no means show the 5x8 frame proportions, but follow the concept of composition, to whatever frame proportions the sense of beauty of the painter selected. Even today, the director and camera man have to exert more than ordinary artistic efforts, to always cover the unchangeable frame area with beautiful compositions. The foregoing statements seem to indicate, that a 5x8 motion picture frame should best cover all artistic and esthetic demands. The actual size of the picture to be shown on the screen however, is governed by more complex conditions. The underlying condition is always the limitation of effortless natural vision without head movement. If such condition is covered, then the picture is "easy to look at" — it can be viewed with the maximum of comfort, and the public is pleased (in this respect). (To be concluded in September) PATSY MILLER PLAYS M. OF C. The first feminine master of ceremonies in the Screen Snapshots series is played by Pasty Ruth Miller in the Snapshots issue twenty-five directed by Ralph Staub for Columbia release. With the aid of a get-there-in-a-hurry machine invented by Miss Miller's husband, Tay Garnett, Patsy introduces to the audience Raquel Torres, Eddie Cantor, Ronald Colman, Samuel Goldwyn, Davey Lee, Dorothy Revier, Matt Moore, Eddie Buzzell and Evelyn Laye, noted English actress.