Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1928)

2206 Motion Picture N e iv s Projection Optics, Electricity, Practical Ideas & Advice Inquiries and Comments A New Era for the Projectionist NEW era faces the Projection Craft, and, for that matter, the entire motion picture industry. For the projectionist it will mean an era of intellectual accomplishments requiring strenuous efforts on his part to keep pace with the profusion of changes about to be wrought in the entire motion picture industry. After several years of experimentation and jockeying for position, synchronized pictures have, overnight, burst full upon the industry and at this moment a scramble is in progress among producers and exhibitors to find their respective places in the new sun which has risen. A no less revolutionary change now eonfronts the projection craft. It involves the use of equipment hitherto entirely unknown to all except a few chosen projectionists especially trained in its handling, principally for the purpose of producing road shows. Equipment which is far more delicate and replete with the scientific "Gadgets" which projectionists in general have shunned as being "too technical" to warrant it serious study. A Technical Era The era which faces projectionists today is a scientific one — or, to use a word despised by nearly all projectionists, it is a "technical" one. For the past six or seven years frequent changes in projection practice have introduced more and yet more technical features and the equipment has become even more complicatd. Be it said to the credit of the projectionist, however, that he has assimilated these changes in a most commendable manner and as far as concerns the actual handling of this new equipment, has shown that he is able to digest, and then, apply, operating instructions quickly and thoroughly. The changes which have occurred in projection methods during the past six years or so have all had to do with various forms of light projectors in which the fundamental principles involved have been more or less familiar to the projectionist. Such changes are more easily grasped as they constitute extensions of generally understood principles with which the men have long been in contact. Synchronized pictures, however, involve the use of equipment which, until recently, has been entirely dissociated from picture projection so that it is, for the most part, completely foreign to the projectionist. The nature of this equipment is such as to require far greater precision in its manipulation than has been necessary in straight picture projection. Unlike motion picture projection, which can be accomplished by mechanical routine and with but little understanding of the technical principles, synchronized pictures call for a high degree of skill and a complete understanding of the electrical, optical and acoustical aspects of the equipment. No slipshod methods can be tolerated here and a further avoidance of those things which smack of the technical can no longer be made. Ever since the birth of the motion picture, projectionists have strongly resisted "high-brow technicalities" and have compelled all educational efforts and literature on the subject to be couched in words of one syllable for fear that the remarks would not be understood by the readers. The technical articles which have appeared for years in this department have often been criticized by other writers and projectionists as being "too technical" for their complete comprehension. In order to educate the projectionist, we were told over and over again, it was necessary to ' ' talk to him in his own language. ' ' These writers little realized that by continuing to talk to the projectionist in "his own language" they were but prolonging his state of ignorance and were only delaying the day of judgment. The day of judgment has now arrived and we find these same writers now scurrying around — with the projectionists — in an effort to learn the "technicalities" which they formerly despised so heartily. Engineer Language No longer will the projectionist be talked to in "his own language" for the very simple reason that it is impossible to reduce the vocabulary of science to the limited vocabulary of the average projectionist and still have the projectionist know what it is all about. He will be talked to now in the language of the engineer and scientist— or he will remain forever ignorant of the workings of the synchronized picture. To the exhibitor, synchronized pictures means merely a change in practice and an expenditure of money. To the projectionist they mean a broad widening of his intellectual horizon. It is his golden opportunity to make his services really valuable, unreplaceable by unskilled persons. It will establish him more solidly and will make him less dependent upon the union for protection because he will be doing highly skilled work which is beyond the capacities of an unskilled person. By the same token, it will mean a fatter pay envelope and more jobs to be filled. All in all, synchronized pictures will be a boon to the projection craft — providing, always providing, the projectionist settles down to some serious work and brushes aside the mental cobwebs. Picture writing as a means for educating the projectionist henceforth will be out. At the International Convention in Detroit during the early part of this month it was voted that the I. A. would stand pat on the demand that only union men be used in the projection room for the showing of synchronized pictures. The fear was expressed that college trained engineers would displace projectionists because of the high order of skill required for the work. The I. A. 's decision will at least assure the projectionist of a chance to show what he can do with this new equipment. Trained union men, experts in the handling of synchronous apparatus, will endeavor to teach the rank and file in their new duties and will give them practical instructions in the handling of the equipment. Beyond that, nothing more can be done and it will be up to the individual projectionists to apply themselves seriously to this new work if they expect to continue to hold down their jobs. To quote a popular phrase, of the day "There is a new band wagon in motion pictures" — and it behooves every projectionist to speedily find a seat on this band wagon and then stay there. Toronto Operators Get Holidays With Pay Holidays with pay is the special concession which has been granted to moving picture operators by prominent theatre interests of Toronto, Ontario, according to the formal announcement of W. J. Covert of Toronto, International President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes and Moving Picture Operators Union. The 42 qualified operators employed in the Toronto theatres of Famous Players Canadian Corp., will all receive a vacation of one week with full time pay during the present season. The same privilege has also been granted the projectionists of Loew's Theatre, Toronto, by Manager Jules Bernstein; the Madison Theatre, owned by J. C. Brady, president of the Ontario Motion Picture Theatre Owners Association; the Park Theatre, directed by Harry Alexander, vice-president of the Ontario M. P. T. 0., and a number of other houses. Mr. Covert announced that these theatres recognize the union and meet union conditions but have also provided an annual holiday of one week for the men without loss of remuneration.