International projectionist (Jan 1961-Dec 1962)

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST Including a special Audio-Visual section relating to the operation and maintenance of A-Y equipment in the educational and industrial fields. Volume 36 April 1961 No. 4 EAST COAST OFFICE 545 Fifth Avenue New York 17, N. Y. Murray Hill 7-7746 RAY GALLO General Manager Associate Publisher MIDWEST OFFICE 1645 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis 3, Minnesota FRANK W. COOLEY, JR. Editor and Publisher R. ENTRACHT Associate Publisher In This Issue Scientific and Technical Awards 4 The New Cold Mirrors 6 By ARTHUR J. HATCH President, Strong Electric Corporation Features of SMPTE Convention 10 IA Craftsmen 13 News Notes — Technical Hints — Miscellaneous Notes INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST, published monthly by the International Projectionist Publishing Co. division of The Northern Publishing Co., Post Office Box 6174, Minneapolis 24, Minnesota. Editorial offices, 1645 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis 3, Minn. Subscription Representatives: AUSTRALIA— McGills, 183 Elizabeth St., Melbourne; NEW ZEALAND— Te Aro Book Depot, Ltd., 64 Courtnay Place, Wellington; ENGLAND and ELSEWHERE-Wm. Dawson & Sons, Ltd., Macklin St., London, W. C. 2. Subscription Rates: United States, Canada, and U.S. Possessions, $3.00 per year (12 issues) and $5.00 for two years (24 issues). Foreign countries: $4.00 per year and $7.00 for two years. Changes of address should be submitted four weeks in advance of publication date to insure receipt of current issue. Second-class postage paid at Minneapolis, Minn. INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST assumes no responsibility for personal opinions appearing in signed articles, or for unsolicited articles. Entire contents copyrighted 1961 by INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST PUBLISHING CO. MONTHLY CHAT GETTING READY FOR THE SEASON This is the time of year in many sections of the country when additional projectionists are hired to operate the drive-in theatres which now constitute a large portion of the motion picture theatres in the country. The employment is badly needed and a very welcome thing, although in some states the question of "summer theatres" is largely an academic one since the operating season for these theatres is getting longer and longer. Although drive-in theatres are permanent in the sensethat the projection room is not dismantled, the projection equipment may be carried away for storage in some installations and certainly the exterior equipment — the sound lines and speaker cables need considerable amounts of maintenance. In the northern areas this exterior maintenance is the single most important problem since often entire lines of speaker cable have to be replaced, the speakers themselves may have been damaged by weather and the replacements are always necessary because the winter season is the time for testing and evaluating whether new equipment is used or not. The projectionist owes it to himself and to the quality of his projection to convince his exhibitor that ample time must be allowed for lining up the projection and the sound equipment prior to opening, replacing worn or broken equipment, and in general seeing that the entire installation will be ready to provide many months of trouble free use. This will please the exhibitor because his customers will be pleased; it certainly should please the projectionist because he will not be as subject to the constant little irritations caused by faulty equipment. Remember the phrase "Proper prior planning prevents poor performance." Many projectionists who got their training — or at least an interest in projection equipment — in the service remember that there was another word in that sentence designed to push the point home. Remember that a systematic step-by-step servicing plan is helpful and it is only by exercising extreme care in this plan that the projectionist can be sure all units have been covered thoroughly and the show will run smoothly. The inspecting and servicing plans will include preliminary cleaning, cleaning drives and gears, checking the intermittent, checking the film course, the upper magazine, the lower magazine and takeup assembly, complete lubrication and checking the safety shutter. Next in importance is the motor check, the film-flow test, the checking of projection lenses, the lamp and ventilating system and the lamp electrical appliances — the carbon holders. Lamp optics should be considered, you should check the generators or rectifiers; of course a light check and a check of the screen is necessary. Finally comes the picture test using a good quality print and perhaps even contributing an hour or two to running this picture under actual night time operating conditions prior to the opening of the theatre. By doing this inspection, the projectionist will have satisfied the demands of his craft, have done a good job for his employer that should leave a warm feeling throughout the year, and most important of all will make it possible for the consumer to enjoy the show and come back again. International Projectionist April 1961