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194 MOTION PICTURE HANDBOOK
Thickness of Film Stock.— Film stock should be of the full standard thickness, since thin stock has decided tendency to produce unsteadiness of the picture.
Standard Perforations. — Perforations should, by all means, be of standard dimensions. Instead of that there are several sizes and shapes, and since the projector sprocket teeth, which engage with these perforations, are of necessity of standard dimensions, more or less trouble is encountered from this source. At this time (Dec. 15, 1915) the Motion Picture Board of Trade has just formed a "Bureau of Standardization," the first work of which is expected to be the standardization of film perforations.
Damage to Film. — Naturally an article so thin and fragile as film is susceptible to .damage. Film is easily torn in two; also it is easily scratched, particularly the emulsion. Its sprocket holes are subject to strain and to breaking and tearing. Most of the tearing is due to loose patches catching on sprocket idler rollers and to worn sprocket teeth and improperly adjusted projection machines. Nine-tenths of the scratching of film is due to poorly designed projector take-up tension and to "pulling down" in rewinding, the latter consisting in rewinding a portion of the reel loosely, then holding one reel stationary while revolving the other to tighten the film roll. Injury to sprocket holes is, in the main, chargeable to undercut and hooked sprocket teeth (see General Instruction No. 8, Page 462), and to too much pressure by the tension shoes of the projector. (See General Instruction No. 9, Page 463.)
Operators, are, I believe, as a rule, reasonably careful in handling film. In many theatres, however, rewinding, threading the machines and repairing film are made the duty of an irresponsible usher, or reel boy, and what he does to the film is all too often a shame to tell. Patches half and even three-quarters of an inch wide; patches without the emulsion scraped off, and patches as stiff as a board are too common to excite more than passing comment, and film spliced together with pins and even nails are often sent back to the exchange. It is an outrage, but one which cannot always be laid at the door of the operator. Even when the operator does the rewinding and patching, he is, in all too many cases, expected to do it while projecting a picture, and hence must either neglect his projection or his rewinding and film repairing. IN THE MAJORITY OF CASES I BELIEVE THE REAL UNDERLYING FAULT LIES IN THE FAILURE OF THE