The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1936)

Twenty-eight T h INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1936 SOME DATA ON BUILDING A TITLE BOARD {Continued from Page 16) best determined by test. It is well to spend as much time as is necessary in checking these guide lines, for once determined they can always be depended upon when you come to making your titles. Exact focus between your card and camera lens, at such short distance, is usually obtained by unscrewing the lens slightly from its mounting. Again, it is necessary to make tests to determine exact focus. The next consideration to be met in building your own title board is the matter of lighting the card for exposure. In this respect, there are three choices: Ordinary daylight, Photoflood bulbs, and Projection type bulbs, which we shall discuss in order. Ordinary daylight, there can be no doubt, is the cheapest and the simplest lighting source. But in the matter of lighting when you will want to make titles at any time during the day or night, nature's own light is not the most convenient source to depend on. Besides, you can never get constant results in exposure, which is an absolute requisite in photographing any title matter. The Photoflood bulbs are quite ideal. Their light is brilliant and efficient, and their first cost is very low. They also possess an advantage in that they may be burned in any position, which is a matter to consider, for you may some time desire to tilt your entire title board when employing movable letters on your title cards for purposes of animation. The only slight drawback of these bulbs, from the view point of service, is the short life of the Photoflood if you will be making a great number of titles. The Projection lamps, for example the 250 watt type, are equally ideal for lighting a title board. They must, however, only be burned base down; tilting them to any great degree will cause them to burn out prematurely. Projection lamps possess the advantage of longer life than Photofloods; and though their first cost is somewhat higher than the Photoflood, replacements are few and they deliver fine service. Whichever type of artificial light source you choose, Photoflood or Projection, reflectors are essential. As the lamps will be permanently mounted to the title board, the reflector not only will give fullest efficiency to your light source, but more important, they will cut off any extraneous light rays from the camera lens. Perfect positioning of the reflectors, it must be noted, will leave the taking lens in shadow. The permanent mounting of the lamp sockets on the title board can only be determined by test. Generally speaking, the lamps should be practically even with the camera lens and to each side of it, on a small title board. In no case may there be any trace of a "hot spot" on the title card. The lighting must be very even, each lamp socket being equally distant from the title card frame. A toggle switch, controlling both lamps, should be mounted at some convenient location on the title board. Usually this will be near the rear of the board, and near to the operating button of the camera. A female supply plug is also attached to the board. In some instances, it may be found convenient for purposes of focusing, etc., to light only one lamp at a time. This may be accomplished with pull-chain sockets, holding your lamps, making them independent of each other. Whether you will want to make your titles fadein and fade-out will depend upon what film you will use. Ordinary positive titles (quite often called, direct) can not have fades imparted to them. However, there may be occasion when you will be making negative titles, or titles on reversal film, in which case fades can be obtained. It is advisable, therefore, to equip your title board for any such instance. Probably the easiest way to secure fades is by the so-called "fading glass." This is a glass slide, clear at one end, which gradually darkens into perfect opacity at the other. Since, in the operation of the "fading glass," it must be passed in front of the camera lens while the latter is in operation, your fades will be far less subject to any possible error if a guide is provided to accommodate the "fading glass." This guide may be fashioned of metal or wood. It should be permanently attached to the base of the title board, so that it will hold the "fading glass" at the center of, and just clearing, the camera lens. This guide, or holder, will permit smooth action of the "fading glass", thereby greatly improving the quality of your title fades. The final touch to your home-made title board should include one or two coats of a good shellac, applied to all wooden surfaces. Should there be any reflection from the title card frame, due to its relatively close proximity to the lighting units, the frame should receive a coat or two of flat black paint. This will produce a dull black finish which will "kill" all reflected rays. New Standard 2000 Foot Reel Std j|" Bushing Keyway 24 G Lightening Holes Turned 6* Flattened Edges Rolled Edge "T"T Section B-B Designed IZ-17-34 by A G W Revised 3-28-35 9-21-35 by A G W Traced 11-4-35 by H R A STANDARD 2000 FOOT RELEASE REEL FOR 35 MM. MOTION PICTURE FILM RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE ACADEMY Of MOTION PICTURE ARTS 4 SCIENCES HOLLYWOOD. CALIFORNIA Original specifications approved 7~30'35 Revisions approved 11-6-35 by Research Council AMPA S Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.