International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1958)

assembly up or down as required for the sharpest possible focus of the scanning beam on the soundtrack. It may be noted, with regard to the matter of scanning-beam focus, that processed triacetate safety film has a total thickness of 0.0060 inch for black-and-white, 0.0065 inch for color. I Emulsion thickness varies between 0.0005 and 0.0010 inch.) The thickness of the film in the soundtrack area is increased by about 10% when a magnetic striping has been added for home-recorded sound. Accordingly, a reel which has a capacity of 1600 feet of regular optical-track film can hold only 1600 x 90% = 1440 feet of magnetic-track film. The standard 16-mm frame rates are, of course, the same as in 35-mm projection, namely, 16 frames per second for silent film and 24 for sound. The basic reel size in 16-mm work is the 7-inch reel of 400-foot film capacity. This corresponds to the 10-inch, 35-mm standard reel of 1000-foot capacity. The average "1-reel" roll of 16-mm film is 360 feet in length and runs for 15 minutes at silent speed, or 10 minutes at sound speed. 16-mm sound-film projectors accommodate all the commercially available reel sizes, including the large 1600-ft. (14" diameter) reel for W-/2 minutes of continuous showing at sound speed. The more modern projectors can also take the 2000-ft. (16" diameter) reel for 55% minutes of showtime at sound speed. Although reels should not be overloaded, a full hour's run of sound film (2160 feet) may be safely wound on a 16-inch reel. Running Times — 76 vs 35-mm Table A translates 16-mm film footage into running time at both sound and silent speeds. Table B translates running time at 5-minute increments into sound and silent film footage. Reel sizes for standard film lengths are Loew's Split Effected Loew's Inc.'s board of directors has approved the management plan for the divorcement of film production and distribution from theatre operations in order to comply with a Federal consent decree which stipulated an Aug. 31. 1959 deadline for such a move. Loew's production arm is Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Management's approved plan groups foreign theatres, recording and music assets with the M-G-M studios, while N. Y. radio station WMGM ties in with the domestic theatres. also indicated. The 16-mm audiovisualist should cut these tables out and pasteboard them for ready reference. Necessarily, 16-mm prints should be rewound and otherwise worked upon with the utmost care to avoid tearing, creasing, cinching, scratching, and otherwise damaging the delicate narrow film. Microscopic scratches on 16-mm film show up on the screen much more conspicuously than similar scratches on 35-mm prints; dirt is also proportionately more deleterious. In most 35-mm theatre projectors, the film on the feed reel in the upper magazine has its emulsion side facing out, but it winds up on the takeup reel in the lower magazine with base side facing out. Film orientation is reversed once again during the rewinding process by passing the film from the bottom of the left-hand reel to the top of the right-hand reel on the rewinder. Things are different in 16-mm practice. Because 16-mm projectors wind up the film with the same side out that it had on the feed reel, the film should pass either from the bottom of one reel to the bottom of the other, or from the top of one reel to the lop of the other, when it is rewound. Never "cinch" the film by pulling down on the free end of a roll to make it tighter, thus scratching the film. Whenever a roll of film is too loosely wound, rewind it over twice at lower speed, or with slightly greater brake tension on the dummy rewinder element. If the projector is used for rewinding, keep the reel-arm spindles, clutches, belts, etc., in good condition at all times, following the manufacturer's instructions with regard to from the makers of fine equipment '■"■■'MM 250 West 57 St., New York 19, N. Y. X-L ...the finest projector mechanism ever built! CURVED FILM GATE . . . solves the problem of film buckle! The right combination for Perfect Projection! HI-SPEED MOVEMENT . . . the new Geneva-typ intermittent movement that give more light at less cost NATIONAL GPE PROJECTION and SOUND SYSTEMS NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY COMPANY • BRANCHES COAST TO COAS INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST • DECEMBER 1958 21