International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1932)

469 country. The necessity of establishing a size satisfying at one and the same time the various opposed conditions which form the essential and practical characteristics of the reduced size film is universally recognized. Technical considerations and sometimes interests of a more or less private character, however, conflict with a practical realization of such a film and the integral solution of the problem. The general question of the reduced size film is still more complicated by the necessity of applying the technical principles of the sound film for scholastic or family projections. Without taking up a position in favour of any one of the film formats now in use, it cannot be denied that the efforts of the supporters of the 16 mm film have had results which allow one to believe that this format has practically become standardized. The sale of the sub-standard film today greatly exceeds that of any other reduced size film. It must be recognized though that the wide spread of the 16 mm film is not entirely to be attribued to the efforts to which we have referred, but also to a combination of technical improvements in the material used with it, such as cameras, projectors, printing and reducing machines and films. These improvements have not been carried out to anything like the same extent for other small size films. It is extremely difficult to express a final judgement on the size of film which in practice is best suited for scholastic and amateur projections, because every size has advantages and disadvantages which often in part compensate or eliminate one another. Perhaps from the strictly technical point of view, the 17,5 size commonly used, in projection machines of the Pathe-Rural type offers distinct advantages over the substandard size (16 mm), particularly in the matter of the application of the sound strip. Nevertheless, as has been mentioned, the spread of the 16 mm film is now such that it is impossible not to take account of it when examining the problem of standardizing the reduced size film. The international market for machines using sub-standard films offers a great variety, both in type and price, and this applies both to cinema cameras and projectors. There are on sale today machines which are capable of satifying the severest tests and others which for their simplicity and relatively low cost may be said to be practically within the reach of everybody. In the important matter of safety, it should be noted that the 16 mm film is exclusively manufactured with non-inflammable celluloid. In order to avoid the distortions which the powerful lamps necessary for obtaining large size projections might cause in the films, even without setting them on fire, many projectors are today furnished with a cooling plant which guarantees absolute safety. The resolutions passed at the London Congress in 1928, by which manufacturers of film pledged themselves to use exclusively non-inflammable supporting material has permitted the definite introduction of the sub-standard film even into schools and assembly halls in those countries where there exists restrictive legislation concerning safety against fire. Thus, for example, the regulations issued by a decree published on January 23 of this year by the Prussian police authorities, though particularly severe, are such that machines using reduced size films do not require the official certificate. It cannot be denied that in order to secure the greatest development and widest spread of the 1 6 mm film it would be useful further to reduce its price below the present level. This seems especially necessary for amateur cinematographers. A good European cinecamera, such as the " Movex " of the A.G.F.A. Co. costs today about 1000 lire. One metre of 16 mm film, including the inversion process and the carriage, costs in Germany one mark. Even taking into account that one metre of sub-standard film corresponds to about two metres and a half of normal film, we must recognize that running expenses are in the present economic conditions somewhat too high.