The motion picture projectionist (Nov 1930-Oct 1931)

August, 1931 Motion Picture Projectionist 37 creasing and the present tendency is to incorporate sound effects into the original sound track after it has been recorded and developed. It is often possible by this method to shoot scenes without sound equipment and add the sound effects later in the dubbing process. Loss of quality in re-recording which may be partly attributed to defects in dubbing machines has been greatly reduced by improvements in such apparatus. As was foreseen, film recording is tending to replace disk recording, because of the greater ease of editing sound records on film and the introduction of methods of reducing ground noise, whereas disk recording affords little opportunity for further reduction in surface noise. All the major producing companies in the United States now appear to be making their original recordings on film. Re-recording is done when disks are required for release. Editing, Splicing, and Tilting A growing demand exists for the inspection of every release print regarding its sound and picture quality. One type of film inspection equipment consists of a standard Western Electric reproducer installed on a projector. The lower magazine is cut away to allow the film to be pulled back for hand inspection. Sound is picked up by a caesium cell and fed into an amplifier having an output ample for headset monitoring; with additional amplification, standard theatre horns may be used. A sound head made by Vinten is being used in England for examining the quality of release prints. In the Universal Laboratory, Hollywood, a final description of each release print is prepared by a stenographer who types the titles and identity of the successive scenes as the picture is projected on a small glass screen before her desk. Cleaning, Reclaiming, and Storage Changes in the design of a wellknown buffing machine for cleaning film have been described by Dworsky. Patents issued include methods of waxing, humidification, surface protection, and elimination of scratches and abrasions on motion picture film. Print Distribution According to the Annual Report of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences prints released during 1931 by practically all of the Hollywood studios will be prepared according to uniform specifications designed to facilitate threading, precision change-over, and exact synchronization. Projection Equipment and Practice Practically an instantaneous change of lenses was stated to be possible with a new front plate assembly for the Powers projector. Other modifications are a lens centering device, a micrometer foctising pinion, a framing lamp, and an aperture change assembly. According to an announcement in the German publication, Die Kinotechnik, the shutter on the Bauer 4 ft. 6 ft. 8 ft. 9 ft. 9 ft. Both portable and, permanent type STANDARD SIZES x 6 ft. x 7 ft. \y2 in. high x 8 ft. x 7 ft. \y2 in. high x 9 ft. x 7 ft. V-/2 in. high x 12 ft. x 7 ft. \y2 in. high x 14 ft. x 7 ft. \y2 in. high PORTABLE PERMANENT FIRE-PROOF PROJECTION ROOMS T^HESE booths are made of y±" ■* thick transite with angle iron 1 % " x 1 U " x 3/16". The panels are interchangeable and bolted together with stove bolts. The seams are filled with transite cement. The floor sheets are % " thick asbestos. The Underwriters throughout the country have aprpoved these booths, as well as the fire and building departments of all cities. Special booths built to conform with the Rules and Regulations of the Steamship Inspection Service on United States Shipping Lines. BLUE SEAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, Inc. Distributor for Johns-Mansville Asbestos Products. Also Manufacturer of Motion Picture Accessories since 1913 WRITE FOR CATALOG OF BLUE SEAL PRODUCTS 262 Wyckoff Street Brooklyn, N. Y. M-7 projector is now arranged in front of the condenser lens in accordance with recent projector construction practice. Descriptions of the Hahn II, Ernemann II, and Ernemann III projectors, all of German manufacture, have been published. The last-named projector has a lens mount capable of carrying lenses of 80 and 100 mm. diameter, thus permitting an aperture of //1.9 to be used on lenses of almost any focal length. Features in the design of the Oehmichen projector for Ozaphane film are: multiple tooth intermittent pulldown claws, low tension, separately adjustable gate shoe pressure springs, and friction rollers to assist feed and hold-back sprockets. These features are claimed to permit as many as 40,000 successive projections of a strip of film before it is worn out. Patent protection was granted on a considerable number of ideas relative to projector equipment and operation during the past six months. Sound Picture Projection The use of a separate projector for reproducing sound was initiated in a London theatre, the Pavilion, in November, 1930. It is stated that this is the first time such a scheme has been utilized in a British theatre. For preview service, in Hollywood, one company has provided two portable dummy sound projectors. These are installed in the theatre and coupled to the regular projector before the preview. This permits the studio to Jiave a preview of a production usins: the assembled intercut prints of both picture and sound track and eliminates the necessity of making a sound nrint which usually requires cutting after the preview. A rotating disk instead of the ristial friction gate is used to control film movement in a new type of sound projector. A sound-film projector, suitable for theatres seating not more than 1,000 persons, has been marketed. It is designed to operate on 110 volts, 50 to 60 cycles. This equipment is of several less expensive highquality projectors for either film or disk records now available on the American market. Sound reproducing equipment is being manufactured by a British firm which uses a magnetic coupling between the projector and the turntable. A single photoelectric cell is placed centrally between two projectors. In another British sound apparatus, the photoelectric cell and amplifier unit are mounted on a chassis which may be inserted in the projector or removed quickly in case of failure of the unit. Two Foreign Contributions Difficulties encountered in equipping automobile sound-film projection units are discussed by Bull. The layout and installation of a typical truck for outdoor projection is described. Natebus has published a description of the Friess sound-film projector. The stalling of the projector and fading are accomplished automatically by means of the film strip itself. The film is inserted in the projector for a change-over without regard to synchronization. Metallic contacts on the film then successively actuate relays which lower the needle into the proper groove, close the fader circuit, and extinguish the light in the first projector. Provision for automatic volume control is made and one type of equipment uses two disks, one above another. In the Projectophone devised by Mihaly the sound track image is projected by a suitable optical system onto the nhoto-cell located at some distance from the projector. If the