The motion picture projectionist (Nov 1930-Oct 1931)

February, 1 93 1 Motion Picture Projectionist 19 brighter, gives everyone in the theatre the same amount of light and produces a better quality of picture projection. We have accomplished this by regulating the amount, intensity and quality of light transmitted and reflected to the eye so as to relieve eye fatigue and nerve strain. From a practical standpoint we have proved that the new screen can be operated at a considerable saving in electric current and that it will not turn yellow or disintegrate with time as the result of chemical reactions." Mr. Hurley has been developing the Ortho-Krome screen over a period of years and has protected his invention by patents. Symposium on Large Screen Pictures RECENT activity in the wide film field, while failing signally in impressing either technicians or laymen of the necessity for a large screen picture and falling short by a goodly margin of forcing the issue in the matter of standards for the motion picture industry, succeeded in evoking considerable interesting and, for the most part, intelligent discussion of the problems involved in such systems and in charting a course for future progress in the field — that is, when and if the subject is revived. How to do it has been the focal point of most discussions on this subject, and it was not until the latter stages of the campaign that the matter of the necessity for the step was considered. Economic considerations played by far the larger role in relegating wide film to the background— for the present, at least. Probably the most interesting of all discussions of this problem was that held during an open forum conducted by the members of the S.M.P.E. at their last annual meeting in New York. Gathered at this meeting were enough members with actual experience in the work to insure a worthwhile symposium on the subject. The record of the discussion during this open forum are appended hereto and indicate the state of mind among technicians on this matter. The discussion follows. — J. J. F. President Crabtree: In order to give everyone an opportunity to air his views on the possible methods of securing a large screen picture, we reserved a place on this program for an open discussion on the subject. As Professor Hardy pointed out. if the photographic emulsion were absolutely grainless, if it were sufficiently fast, if it were so hard that it could not be scratched, and that it would not accumulate dirt, then wide film would not be necessary. Enough light could then pass through the film to ensure a reasonably large screen picture. It has been suggested that the 35 mm. film should be run sideways. I think Mr. Fear was originally responsible for that suggestion. Please correct me if I am wrong. Mr. Fear: I believe I was the first. (Ed. Note: Several patents of E. Reis dated in 1913-14 show the same thing.) President Crabtree: The wide image has been squeezed optically on the 35 mm. film and then stretched out optically in projection. You can see an example of that at the Capitol Theater this week. This picture was produced by reducing an image on 70 mm. film down to 35 mm. film. It has been suggested that the sound be put on a separate film so as to permit of more picture space on the 35mm. film, and there is the suggestion of the Standards Committee to introduce a film intermediate in size between 70 mm. and 35 mm. There are probably other alternatives. I should like to have your opinions. Mr. Stern: I gave a demonstration at the Paramount Theater on the 30th of September in which standard 35 mm. film was projected with the theater's own Magnascope projector on the large screen measuring 43 x 31 ^ ft. with excellent definition, and without excess granulation. This result was made possible by a special laboratory process of my own which will make feasible the use of large screens with 35 mm. film. I have also an invention for putting the sound track on separate film, saving the whole field for the picture. This invention consists of printing two sound tracks on 35 mm. film running in opposite directions. The film so printed is processed in the usual way and then slit in half, each half accompanying a reel of picture. It is wound on a special combination reel, of which one side carries the picture and the other side the sound track. Mr. Ross: We strongly believe in maintaining standards whenever possible. We further believe it would be a mistake to adopt a standard of 50 or 65 mm. film or any size other than 35 and 70 mm. The small house does not have a large enough stage to accommodate wide screen pictures, whereas the de luxe houses have such stages. The de luxe house with its comparatively larger box-office receipts can easily afford to install 70 mm. apparatus, whereas the cost of such a change would be prohibitive to the small house. We recommend the use of 70 mm. film and apparatus for the de luxe houses and 35 mm. film and apparatus for the smaller houses. Furthermore, we believe that sound will eventually be recorded on a separate film. The pound for "Hell's Angels" is produced on separate film having two sound tracks. We will have more to say of this during the discussion of the question of sound on separate film. It is our belief that all pictures should be recorded on 70 mm. film; however, we see no reason why pictures dealing exclusively with intermediate and close-up shots should not be recorded on 35 mm. film and optically condensed laterally for printing wide film 1 to 1.8 release prints. Mr. Fear has modestly refrained from mentioning his system wherein the pictures are recorded longitudinally on 35 mm. film, whereby 70 mm. pictures may be printed directly therefrom. This requires the building of new cameras but so does the use of 70 mm. film. Another method of recording wide film consists of recording on 35 mm. film in the regular cameras, optically condensing the picture laterally during recording, and then optically printing normal pictures on 70 mm. film for the de luxe houses as well as optically printing normal pictures on 35 mm. film for the small houses. This can be accomplished by using bi-convex lenses, now standard products, which do not seem any different from ordinary printing lenses. In the final analysis we believe that all pictures will be recorded on 70 mm. film in the 1 to 1.8 ratio suggested, directly printed for the de luxe releases while for the smaller houses the 70 mm. pictures will be optically printed on 35 mm. film in the 3 to 4 regular ratio. This will make the objects appear slightly more slender than normal, an attribute for which all actors longingly crave. Obviously the suggestion for using 35 and 70 mm. standards has to do with permitting the manufacturers of film to continue the production of 70 mm. raw stock which may be employed for 35 or 70 mm. recording or printing. Mr. Fear: Gentlemen, it occurred to me that you might be quite as interested in what we are doing in Hollywood as in the theoretical discussion of wide film. You have already seen two experiments, one of which was "Happy Days," and soon you will see "The Big Trail" — one of the finest picture epics ever made, due to the photography and wide film. Wide film furnishes a clear background; you will see close-ups and yet miles away there will be clearly defined results. This can only be accomplished on wide film. Big pictures and equipment cannot be installed in all theatres without properly considering the economic side of the question. The producers in Hollywood are trying to find the solution. The wide pictures produced cost too much to show. In one case special cameras had to be bought, but no projectors were available. It was suggested that an optically-reduced print be made and shown in 35 mm. projectors. The man who projected it knew something about this and was so interested that this method was adopted for release prints. It consists of reducing 70 mm. to 35 mm., using the full width of the film and a separate sound film. Two extra sound heads are required for the projection machine. (Continued on next page)