International projectionist (Oct 1931-Sept 1933)

28 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST December 1931 FROM FOREIGN FIELDS New French Devices A PROJECTOR provided with a means for directing air on the film during projection. Three nozzles blow air on the film at the gate and on each side thereof. ... A film splice for repairing breaks in films. The two ends of the films are cut to form convex and concave ends, which are overlapped and cemented together. ... A system synchronizing an orchestral accompaniment and motion pictures, which includes a separate film, synchronized with the picture film, having notes on it which may be read by the orchestra leader. . . . A sound film on which the area for sound is indicated by a tint, or the like. A projector that will allow better sound production by eliminating vibration, and do away with intermittent motion of the film. Called the "Universal" projector. ... A four-color process in which a beam splitter is placed behind a revolving filter carrier. The revolving carrier has two different filters which are alternately in the beam. The beam splitter has two' different filters in the two beams, thus providing four different filter combinations. New English Devices AN apparatus in which, while one or more films are being projected, the parts of the same films that have already been projected or other films are being rewound. ... A reflecting device which laterally reverses the projected image provided in the beam of a projector having in combination with it a sound reproducing unit using a photographic sound record on the film. Projection from the rear of the screen without changing the position of the film is thus accomplished. ... A projector provided with electric contacts normally held open by the film and by a belt transmitting motion to the film feed mechanism. Breakage of either the film or the belt will cause the projecting lamp to be extinguished, the lights in the theatre switched on, and the motor stopped. A method of sound picture production which comprises an acted performance concurrently with a phonographic rendition of the sound part incident to the performance. The photographic and sound apparatus being perfectly synchronized. The sound record used may thus have been prepared by any desired person or musical organization. New German Devices A PROJECTOR provided with a driving mechanism which converts continuous movement into intermittent motion; brought about by a particular form of chain drive. ... A projector in which the film runs continuously except at oscillating gate, where movement of film is intermittent. The speed of the movement during the period of motion is faster than the movement of the film at take-up sprockets. ... A safety screen made of a sheet of glass containing on its surface positive or negative cylindrical lenses. ... A projector case which may be opened up and contains a screen at one end. An optical means in a sound projector for picking up the sound irrespective of the location of the sound track on the film. An arrangement which avoids fringes in the projection of color pictures by a process using lenticular films. ... A support for a camera to allow the camera to be shifted to different positions for taking two successive pictures for stereo purposes. ... A method of printing sound records on narrow film which includes perforating the narrow film to correspond to the wider film. . . . A projector in which, when one film is exhausted, the end of the' film is automatically attached to the trailer of the exhausted film and threaded through the machine. Russian Color System NIKOLAI ANASHIENKO, Russian inventor, is reported to be working on a new system for colored pictures. The idea is claimed to be a radical innovation but at present is being held back because of the presence of flicker in reproduction. Anashienko's method employs a revolving disk and two filters. Pictures are photographed through a single lens and the camera with all associated apparatus is not in the least complicated. Wage Scales Abroad AS a result of intensive agitation, French projectionists have secured an increase in salary. Theatre projectionists have agreed to take 230 francs (approx. $9) a week for theatres opening three times a week, and 550 francs (approx. $21.50) a week for a six-day week. Each supplementary performance will be paid for at a rate of 50 francs (approx. $2) per time. Our British Friends Dear Mr. Finn: May I impose upon you by asking you to extend, through the medium of International Projectionist, to our brother craftsmen in America and throughout the world the best wishes of the officers and directojrs of the Guild of British Kinema Projectionists and Technicians for a very prosperous airtd happy New Year? At the same time I should like also to express the thanks of this organization to American projectionists for doing in such splendid fashion so many worthy things which have been of such great help to us here in England. Stanley T. Perry, President, Guild of British Kinema Projectionists and Technicians. Theatre operators in Mexico are also having their troubles these days as a result of projectionists forcing the closing of houses when their wage demands were not met. The owners replied that the existing rate of wages was already too high: 18 pesos (approx. $8) a day for first-class men, and 12 pesos (approx. $5) for assistants. These figures, while not high for projection work, are regarded as "big money" in Mexico where the average family income is about $25 weekly. German Sound Installations THERE were 1,132 Klangfilm, Tobis, and Gaumont reproduction machines installed in German cinemas by October 1, 1931. Of this number 561, or 49 per cent, were with single projector and 571, or 50 per cent, were with double projector. Of the total number 322, or 28 per cent, were of the film and disk inSthod; 762, or 64 per cent, were film bhly; and 48, or 4 per cent, were disk only. Forty-five per cent of the total number of machines are of the sound on film type with single projector. These are installed chiefly in small-sized houses, of which there are a great number in Germany. 'Something from Nothing' A METHOD of producing "sound out of nothing" by drawing and photographing a sound track has been perfected, after many years' experiments, by Rudolph Pfenniger, of Emelka. The sound track along the side of the film is artificially drawn and then photographed, the results being similar to those of the sound recording apparatus. This method will be employed in the Emelka sound short "Die Tonende Handschrift" ("The Sounding Handwriting"). | Superimposing Film Titles ACCORDING to a report from Oslo, Leif Eriksen, of the Norweigian branch of an American company, has invented a process for superimposing titles on film. A great improvement has been brought about by this invention, it is stated. Eriksen has patented his method, but has not as yet disposed of the patent rights. It is understood that the process consists of printing the titles on the film with a certain acid so that the printing appears in white, showing in white on the screen also. Of course, the film can be run through the projector in exactly the same way as before, as the printing does not interfere with it in any way.