The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1936)

Twenty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER October, 1936 tive film. Examination of negative film, for editorial purposes and so forth, can be had by the use of a film-viewer, an accessory which will not cause damage or possible scratches. Temptation to project negative is best avoided by immediately coiling all negative film on a wooden core, and not onto a projection reel! Processing Drum Note: Amateur movie makers, who contemplate processing their own films with home-made apparatus, will do well to give particular attention to correct construction of a film drum. To withstand laboratory service, such a drum must have very rigid construction. The cross-slats, on which the film is wound, must have rounded corners. Sharp corners cause annoying creases in film which, in the case of negative, interfere with good printing contact; or with prints, cause poor out-offocus pictures. Film Chamois: The best quality chamois obtainable is never too good for use with motion picture film. In cleaning and removing excess moisture from a movie film which has just been processed, it is very easy to mar the delicate, moist emulsion. Only a good quality chamois will give satisfactory results. Such can be obtained for about $1.50. Don't allow yourself to be tempted into purchasing cheap chamois imitations, or inferior quality, as it is false economy and will very likely result in much ruined film. Hallowe'en Filming: That good, old night when Spooks abound and do their tricks — Hallowe'en — is also a night for the cine camera to do its tricks, too! And that's not all. It's the occasion to try your hand at making silhouettes. Regular black and white film is best suited for silhouettes and will do nicely for your animation or stop motion work. All sorts of camera tricks can be tried out, with eager assistance from the family youngsters as your stooges. Afterwards, when you continue photographing the Hallowe'en party, change to color film for your "straight" shots. For the ambitious cine experimenter, Hallowe'en is a three-in-one night: animation, silhouettes and color work being accomplished at an apt time. Questions and Answers By F. Hamilton Riddel 1. How many individual frames are there in 100 feet of 16mm film? Since there are 40 individual frames to each foot of 16mm film, 100 feet contains 4,000 separate views. 2. At what speed does Light travel? Light travels at a velocity of 186,000 miles per second, traveling at a much greater speed than sound. This is evidenced by the fact that we always see a flash of lightning before we hear a crash of thunder. 3. What is halation? Halation, the sworn enemy of every movie maker, can be defined as a halo of light seen around the image of a bright object in a motion picture print. It is scattered light, most often met in photographing interior scenes; and white buildings, etc., in exterior work. Modern films have special non-halation coatings to minimize the effect of halation, which are most efficent. But this does not mean that one can be careless, for example, in allowing the rays of a photoflood bulb to shine directly into a camera lens. Interior camera set-ups must always be arranged carefully to avoid halation. 4. What is the base of safety film made of? The base of 8 mm., 16mm., and other size safety films, is cellulose acetate. This is a non-inflammable material. 5. I contemplate doing some animation work with toy animals and circus clowns — how can realistic movement be obtained? Animation is one of the most interesting types of movie making, but it must be painstakingly done to be effective. Action is obtained by moving the miniature figures slightly between each frame exposure. For successful animation, it is necessary to study and analyze motion. This can best be done by studying, in a film viewer, a strip of regular film; or better yet, a cartoon subject, in order to determine the correct amount of change of action in each frame. Animation shooting takes time — only a comparatively few feet of film per hour can be taken — but the screen results are very worthwhile. 6. Why do my pictures appear "jerky" on the screen? Assuming your projector to be in perfect order, your pictures appear "jerky" because you did not hold the camera steady while making the picture. This is so often a common fault witnessed in amateur movies. During the entire time of exposure, great care must be exercised to hold the camera steady! 7. I have some very old 16mm film, not in the best of condition, which I should like duplicated. Is this possible? If your original film will run through a projector, yes. However, the duplicate will carry the transferred scars and mars of your original. This cannot be prevented, but its effect can be minimized by carefully preparing your original for the duplication process. That is, by cleaning the film and removing any suspicious looking perforations. Note: As a service to amateur movie makers, we extend a cordial invitation to write in questions which will be answered in this column. Address all such letters to: Questions and Answers Column THE INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER 506 Taft Building Hollywood, California ICTER^ rWnli^bV anA COi^br i Daytime ~Fv^ ScenesDiffused. Fccus.arcd many ^rber «Ff«crs UMb any Camera In any Climat-e Gcorcje H. Scheibe ORIGINATOR OF EFFECT FILTERS 1927 WEST 78™ ST. LOS ANGELES. CAL.