International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1946)

tripped over can easily be avoided when equipment is installed. Floor coverings with snags or breaks are very dangerous and should be replaced or carefully cemented down. Grease or oil spots or carelessness in dropping carbon stubs can cause a bad spill which may result in broken bones. Bare concrete floors have been pointed out as a menace to the life of projector parts and film; however, the same dust is just as destructive to projectionist's lungs. Some years ago it was customary to paint projection room floors with sodium silicate (water glass). This was fairly successful in giving a smooth finish to the floor and in preventing, for a considerable time, the dusting off of the cement surface. In damp weather, however, this material becomes a semiconductor of electricity, and there are possibilities of a violent shock if all equipment is not carefully grounded. Examining film by rewinding it with the edges held between the thumb and forefinger is particularly dangerous. The exchanges maintain, and correctly, that this tends to crack sprocket holes and damage the film; but the real danger is the sharp edges of the film which will cut into the flesh like a razor blade, the dirt or dust on the film offering an excellent means of infection. A bottle of iodine and a number of bandages should be handy in every projection room. (Ed.'s Note: Mercurochrome, widely used as a "substitute" for iodine, is nothing of the sort, not having as much strength.) Carelessness With Chemicals Chemicals in common use in the projection room deserve some attention. Consistent exposure of any part of the body to lubricating grease and oils often results in serious irritation and may induce skin cancer. Many projectionists, in order to save their good clothes, keep at hand a pair of dirty oily trousers which they put on when making extensive repairs to their equipment. These oil-soaked clothes frequently result in painful sores due to the fact that certain skins are allergic to petroleum products. It is an established fact that ninety percent of the skin cancer epidemics which periodically break out in various industries are the direct result of the continued contact with dirty clothes saturated with oil or commercial solvents. Many projectionists compound their own film cement, some of which is at once both wonderful and frightful. Frequently, glacial acetic acid is used. The fumes of this poison are violently irritating to the nasal passage and throat, and the projectionist who gets it on his fingers may carelessly rub his eyes, thereby occasioning a dangerous inflammation. Arthur W. Sweet Some Variations in Print Density By ARTHUR W. SWEET MEMBER, LOCAL NO. 528, KINGSTON, ONT., CANADA IT SEEMS to me that the recording on the prints that are coming through now, considered point by point, are definitely not up to the standards of three or four years ago. I am not referring so much to overall quality of prints, although this leaves something to be desired, as to the matter of sound level. All projectionists have experienced no little difficulty due to variations in print density. I have witnessed density changes from one reel to the next which involve a change in fader setting of from one to three points. This trouble is particularly acute where one-man room operation prevails, with its manifold demands upon the projectionist's time and attention. Hollywood makes great pretensions to attaining print uniformity; but we projectionists know from long experience that no such ideal state of affairs exists. Maybe the studio technicians are trying to overcome this difficulty by denying its existence and by "eliminating" the trouble verbally instead of tackling it head-on. I have just finished running the Technicolor picture Thunderhead, by all accounts one of the better pictures upon which was lavished an ample budget and every possible production value. Pictorially beautiful this picture is, but the sound level was a glaring example of production shortcomings. So low was the dialogue in spots that I had to raise the fader level three steps, while at the same time other background noises, such as the whinnying of horses, was so loud as to completely blackout the dialogue. Certainly the problems of film recording are many and varied, but maintaining proper sound level can be acomplished with a flip of the monitor's finger, irrespective of how wide are the variations. Considering radio broadcasting as a basis for comparison: we all know that we can tune in a receiver on a station early in the evening and, despite the wide variety of programs, the volume level requires no attention after the initial setting. During a recent radio broadcast from our theatre's stage I observed very closely the work of the monitoring engineer. I had a radio set in the projection room upon which 1 picked up the program originating on our stage. A child singing on the stage below came through very clearly, and the applause from the theatre audience came through from the background in a very nice proportion — in other words, a true reflection of actual conditions in the theatre. Background Music Level Background music in films is another pet peeve of mine. Concededly a low musical background is desirable in dramatic presentations; but in action pictures does the use of background music enhance the effect of realism when used along with the sound of an onrushing train, fast-moving automobiles, etc.? I think not. A sound engineer friend of mine recently stated that the picture studios used 50% modulation for speech and 100% modulation for music — so you can see where we projectionists would wind up if we set our sound level for speech alone. It seems to me that this is one of the most vexing and pressing problems encountered by projectionists. There may be some angles to this problem with which I am not familiar, and to this end I should like to have the reactions of other men throughout the country, preferably through the pages of I. P. where everybody would benefit therefrom. The most flagrant disregard of common sense and safety is the use of gasoline or naptha anywhere in a theatre. Few realize that the fumes of these solvents are heavier than air, will flow down ventilating shafts and settle close to the floor, remaining there for hours ready to explode at the slightest spark or open flame. This fact suggests an interesting experiment for you to try: A piece of ordinary spouting or bent tin from six to ten feet long is laid from the edge of a table at an angle down to the floor. On the floor at the bottom of the trough place a lighted (Continued on page 27) JANUARY 1946 17