Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

Construction. Equipment and Operation SECTION OF MOTION PICTURE NEWS Everything for Theatre, Exchange and Studio The Operator and the Projection Room WE have now taken up what we consider to be the two most important features in the actual construction of a theatre; that is, the two points which the prospective owner must insist upon, for as we have pointed out, the average architect has shown that he knows nothing about the importance of either. 1. The hne of projection must be horizontal or as nearly so as possible. 2. The projection room must be large. 'T'AKING for granted that both of these points have been taken care of, the next step is the question of what goes into the projection room — that is, the accessory equipment. In the first place, the heart of every picture theatre is the projection room and the nucleus about which it runs is the operator. Therefore we must take it for granted that the theatre owner has engaged a competent operator — not someone who merely knows how to thread a machine and throw on a switch, who is careless and only works by the clock, grinding out the picture without thought of the box office receipts — but a man who is interested in his work, makes projection problems a study and exerts every nerve and muscle in his body toward the one end, putting the best possible picture within his power on the screen. * * * 'T'HIS is the real projection expert — the man who can command a salary in advance of any scale ever laid down — the man who when he takes charge can actually show the results of his work at the ticket window. These men unfortunately are scarce, though there is plenty of help at hand through which the apprentice can obtain information and develop himself into an expert. * * * "W/ E must therefore take it for granted that our theatre ' owner has engaged a man who is capable. His work, however, has only just begun, for he must install the tools with which the operator can perform his duties — and here again is room for criticism. How many men have you heard say something like this : " What's the good in all this equipment ? All I need is enough to put a picture on the screen. If these manufacturers keep on making new instruments and the theatre owners are fools enough to buy them, we'll all go broke or else the operator will sit up there and have nothing to do." * * * p\ ON'T fool yourself and don't use this as an argument for under-equipping the operating room or underpaying a competent operator. True it is that new equipment is being manufactured. Only about a year ago all lamp houses were hand fed — now there are several automatic arc feeds on the market — less work for the operator, to be sure, but better pictures ? Vastly. So it goes, but the first-class operator who is competent and who is relieved of gne burden spends that much more attention on some other point which improves the screen results. A NOTHER illustration which will serve to bring out our point. How many theatres are there today which are running an alternating current when direct could be had and should be used ? A great many more than there should be — is near enough. Why are they doing it ? Because someone has told the owner that all converters are fakes, or is it because they think their operator, if he is worth anything, should be able to get along without it ? It is a mystery we can't answer, for they are giving an inferior result on the screen which they blame to the operator. It is another case of not applying the saying, " Don't be afraid to spend a dime when you will get a dollar back." Then, too, there is a question of the saving on the " juice " bill. What happened before the motor drive came into use? Was the operator any the less valuable after it was put on? Absolutely not; nor will he be in the future, for every improvement which can be added to the projection room will give him that much more time to attend to the result upon the screen and improve it. * * * ""PHERE must, however, be something else tied up with all this in order that the operating room equipment may be contintially in repair. It is the service from a real supply dealer, who must himself be an expert or have in his employ men who know electricity, projection and all the other finer mechanical points which come up and which the operator has not the time to actually take care of though he should know. This means right from the start that the theatre man must take as much care in choosing from whom he buys the goods which he finally installs as he does in picking out the goods themselves. Look out for the cut price man, for as a rule all he wants to do is to unload, and that's the end of him — absolutely no service. * * * FINALLY — hire the best operator obtainable. Give him the best equipment on the market and, all other things being equal, there will be no doubt about the success of your house. E. K. GiLLETT. Copyright. 191C. by Motion Picture News, Inc.