The motion picture projectionist (Nov 1931-Jan 1933)

10 Motion Picture Projectionist December, 1932 Industry's New Research Council THE Research Council has been established by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science to coordinate all technical and investigational activities of the organization under one body. Each of the principal equipment and manufacturing companies dealing with the motion picture industries has appointed an engineering executive to represent the company on the Council in an advisory capacity. The Council meets quarterly, its work being carried on by subcommittees of experts, each being appointed to deal with a specific project in its particular field. The following are the advisory members on matters pertaining to projection: H. G. Knox, Electrical Research Products, Inc.; Dr. A. N. Goldsmith, RCA-Victor Corp.; Dr. C. E. K. Mees, Eastman Kodak Co.; Dr. V. B. Sease, Dupont Film Co.; W. E. Green, International Projector Corp. According to Darryl Zanuck, its chairman, speaking at the first meeting, held in August, the job of the Council is specifically to do everything within its scope to get pictures of a better quality on the screen and to get them there with higher efficiency and at lower net cost. That, of course, is what every company is at the present time trying to do and developments in which any company has already established a real competitive advantage are not the concern of the council. It is believed, however, that there are many problems which may be handled more efficiently by the council than by a number of companies working individually and thus duplicating their efforts. Eight committees have been appointed to investigate an equal number of problems at present existing in the field of Cinematography and Projection. The investigations relating to Projection are being conducted along the following lines : Uniform Practice on Reel Length Problem: In cutting, release printing, distribution, shipping and exchange inspection, the producing companies are using the reel of from 800 to 1000 feet which has been the established unit for many years. Most theatres, however, are equipped with 2,000 foot magazines and an increasing proportion are doubling up the reels for projection. The situation is complicated by the preference for longer reels among many projectionists in first run houses, by the number of theatres in which only one projectionist is employed, by the fact that studios are frequently unable to avoid issuing reels of very short length, and by the fact that the exchanges have not been able to enforce penalties against reel doubling. By far the largest number of reprints required are for beginnings and ends of reels, and the practice of doubling is responsible for much of the mutilation of the reel ends as frames are lost every time the leaders are cut off and re-spliced. The Standard Release print assumes that reels will be projected in the lengths in which they are distributed. Its efficiency for precision change-overs is lost when the reel ends are not maintained. Proposed: To secure further data from all companies to determine the extent of the practice of reel doubling and the annual cost to the industry. To determine the most efficient length of reel unit, from the viewpoints of production, shipping, projection and cost. To particularly investigate the feasibility of reels in lengths of 1,600 to 1,800 feet, using reels with 4inch hubs to reduce wear on films ends. To carry on development of improved designs of shipping reels. To study disc release in relation to reel length. To propose a comprehensive program to give the industry the advantage of unified action in establishing an effective uniform practice. Raising the Average Quality of Release Prints Problem: Laboratories in Hollywood operated by or in close touch with the production studios have established high standards of quality and uniformity of product. In many cases release prints and replacements are made by laboratories located in all parts of the world and under present conditions no company can be sure that these wil be as good as Hollywood prints obtained from the same negative. Measuring instruments of the various laboratories are not calibrated to any common standard and specifications for optimum prints are difficult to set and enforce. Proposed: To continue the work of the present sub-committee in the local field in formulating and giving formal recognition to those desirable standards of processing and quality as to which there is general agreement. To bring more forcibly to the attention of production executives generally the desirability of insuring that the theatre release is of as good quality as the answer print. To employ one or more technicians for specialized research under the direction of a subcommittee. To undertake a program along the following lines: Standardization of review room projection equipment. Establishment of international standard reference sensitometer. Establishment of standard means for calibrating densitometers. Further investigation of the proposal to incorporate a density spot or simplified sensitometric strip in negative leader of each reel as means of specifying print requirements. Investigation of Film Preservatives Problem: A number of compounds are on the market which manufacturers claim will lengthen the life of release prints, protect the surface from scratches and reduce buckling and warping. Studios and laboratories have tried these preparations from time to time and found both advantages and disadvantages, but no impartial and scientific comparative tests have ever been made. Proposed : To test the claims for the principal preparations under practical conditions of use with high intensity projection lamp, etc., and make recommendations for the information of the studios on the basis of efficiency in relation to cost. More Efficient Use of 35 mm. Film Area Problem: The addition of the sound track and the changes in image frame brought about by the requirements of sound pictures have resulted in considerable areas of the standard 35 mm. film not being used. The width of the sound track is now matted off in the camera from the negative. On both the negative and positive approximately 14 per cent of the length of the film is now taken up by frame lines. Proposed: To undertake systematic preliminary investigation of the possibilities of either using the film area or salvaging it through adaptations of equipment. To determine what possibilities are feasible from technical and economic considerations and what savings might be secured in relation to the cost of making changes. Correction of Distortion in Projection Problems Vertical distortion of the screen image because of the angle of projection has been a serious problem for many years, made more acute by the construction of large theatres with very steep projection angles. Keystone distortion, loss of image area at sides due to keystone and the uneven focus from the tilted focal plane are associated problems. Research toward the development of some prism or other optical device to correct these distortions has never been carried far enough to thoroughly test possibilities of such correction. Proposed: To secure whatever data is at present available in the field. To define the objectives and indicate the principal practical problems. To sponsor further study on behalf of the industry.