International projectionist (Jan 1961-Dec 1962)

New Film Standards Needed For Improved Presentation By ROBERT A. MITCHELL Standards pertaining to the dimensions, frame pulldown, and perforations of motion-picture film stock of all gauges have attained a high grade of exactitude. What is especially important, film standards developed largely by American professional societies have attained an international status, and are recognized by film and equipment manufacturers all over the world. IP frequently receives requests for standards information from foreign manufacturers; and in honoring these requests we are merely relaying the proposals and agreements developed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, and the American Standards Assn. And these organizations, we hasten to add, have been greatly assisted in their important standardization work by the valuable co-operation of the Eastman Kodak Co., the world's leading producer of motion-picture film stock of every conceivable type and size. Aside from the fact that unanimous agreement has yet to be reached by all countries on such minor matters as perforation shape and pitch, negative shrinkage compensations, etc., a more complete degree of concord exists internationally for film standards than for the gauge of railroad tracks or for the field frequencies and scanning specification of television. This is a most gratifying state of affairs, inasmuch as the film is a truly international art form and an indispensable medium of people-to-people understanding. In spite of the acceptance everywhere of useful and intelligently developed film standards, we nevertheless cannot forbear expressing grave doubts anent the suitability of certain basic standards which became established many years prior to certain changes in projection technique which have transformed them into a burden to the film-using industries. Then, too, certain gauges of film, notably the 16-mm size, are now widely used € for purposes other than those for which they were originally intended. These we wish to point out in a spirit of constructive criticism, and with the sure conviction that the projection process can be improved in quality by specific changes in film standardization, and its operation made more convenient and economical. Genesis of 16-mm Film The case of 16-mm film is so striking in this respect that it is worthwhile to consider the handicaps under which present 16-mm standards place the professional user of this gauge, particularly in the television field. Sixteen-millimeter film was not designed for commercial applications. It was placed on the market for amateur movie-making and as a safe and space-saving substitute for 35-mm nitrate film, dangerous and bulky, in the educational field. The dimensional and perforation specifications of 16-mm film were admittedly well suited to its intended uses, but in certain important ways they are seriously detrimental to picture quality and print life in such rigorous commercial applications as TV broadcasting. These commercial applications, a commonplace today, were unforseen in 1923 when the specifications for 16-mm film were laid down. The manufacture of narrow-gauge film for homemovie purposes by slitting unperforated 35-mm stock down the middle was considered before the use of the 16-mm width was finally decided upon. Indeed, 17%-mm was actually used to some extent in Europe. This gauge was rejected in the U. S. to prevent the use of explosively inflammable nitrate film in the home, it being wisely decided that all narrow-gauge film be made of non-inflammable base (acetate). In order to avoid the nuisance of misframes in home movies and to eliminate the need for complex framing International Projectionist October 1962