Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1949)

118 SPREAD THE GOOD WORD MARCH 1949 THERE is, in The Reader Writes column of this issue, a letter which we have entitled Had Not Heard. It comes from a new member of the League, and it presents in very human terms a problem which has always plagued us. Our correspondent writes in part: "I must admit that, prior to buying my newest equipment in May, 1948, I had not heard of the ACL, even though I have been making movies for eight years. Because of my own experience, I am heartily in favor of a pin and decal for members, so that others who have not come in contact with the League will hear of it, and will see with their own eyes what members receive for their very, very reasonable dues." Well, naturally that is exactly what we of the ACL staff wish for as well. There will be, soon, a member ship button and a membership decal, to spread the good word of the fine filming aids wrapped up in the ACL package. There will be as well an ACL leader in Kodachrome, to flash on thousands of ACLs' screens their pleasant pride in membership. But in the meantime we invite all of our members "to spread the good word." ACL's very, very reasonable dues are going up soon. Before they do we want to make it possible, practical — and rewarding — for you and your filming friends to beat the deadline. If you are a present member of the League, you will have read already of our plan in our recent letter. If you are not ACL — but want to be — you'll find the plan outlined elsewhere in this issue. Better look for it — and join with thousands of other movie makers in spreading the good word. THE AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE, INC. Founded in 1926 by Hiram Percy Maxim DIRECTORS John V. Hansen, President Ethelbert Warfield, Treasurer C. R. Dooley, Vice President Mrs. L. S. Galvin H. Earl Hoover Harold E. B. Speight Philip N. Thevenet Stephen F. Voorhees The Amateur Cinema League, Inc., sole owner and publisher of MOVIE MAKERS, is an international organization of filmers. The League offers its members help in planning and making movies. It aids movie clubs and maintains for them a film exchange. It has various special services and publications for members. Your membership is invited. Five dollars a year. AMATEUR CINEMA LEAGUE. Inc., 420 LEXINGTON AVE.. NEW YORK 17. N. Y.. U.S.A. of the overlap is removed, a black line will remain at the splice. An exact matching of scraped and overlapping ends would be the ideal condition, but in practice it is almost impossible to accomplish. It is best, therefore, to tolerate a very thin black line in the splice than to have the white streak. APPLYING THE CEMENT After removing all scrapings with a brush or wiping with a lintless, soft cloth, the film is ready for the application of the cement. It should be spread swiftly and with uniform density, after whirl] the two film surfaces should be brought into contact without delay. An excessive application of cement will not only spread it over the emulsion, causing streaks and spots, but it will also thicken the join and clog the perforated holes. After applying pressure for a few seconds, the right film clamp can be released just long enough to wipe off the excess cement that has squeezed out from the splice. After a quick wiping motion, pressure is then applied again for approximately fifteen seconds. The film is now ready for removal from the splicer. Before winding it on the reel, it is well to wipe the underside of the splice clean; otherwise wet cemenl from the spliced edge will mark the previous layer on the reel. Fifteen minutes after making the splice it should be difficult to separate the two films except by tearing them along the spliced edge. CHECK YOUR SPLICER Careful movie makers not only adhere to the rules of good splicing but they will also be on the lookout for any irregularity that may be evident during projection. If, in spite of all your care, the splices still jump, it is advisable to check your splicing unit instead of blaming the projector. It may be that the indexing pins are bent or dislocated. Misalignment of any kind will certainly give trouble. For a quick check of the pins, a section of unspliced film may be placed in such a way that all pins will be engaged with the film. If the film is tight on the pins or if it develops a slight loop, then it is time to have the splicer adjusted. Improper overlap and a consequent narrowing of the perforation area may be observed with the bare eye; but for more accurate checking a tapered pin of a rectangular cross section may be used. Measure the distance this pin will drop, by its own weight, into an unspliced perforation; then find out if it will move freely to the same depth into the perforation at the splice. Those who may wish for further refinements may taper the edges of the overlapping films by scraping or sand ing. Or they may place the overlap where it will appear least conspicuous. For instance, if the bottom of the frame is dark and likely not to show the black streak of overlap, the splice should be placed on this part of the frame; again, if the upper section of the frame will be more suitable for hiding the splice line, splicing can be done with the films reversed in the splicer. To sum up, then, the following ten golden rules are worth remembering: 1. Handle your film by edges only or with lintless cotton gloves. 2. Remove all emulsion and binder from the left film strip right down to the bare cellulose base. 3. Clean oil and dirt from the base of the right film strip. 4. Scrape the end of the left film strip to a width somewhat narrower than the overlap. 5. Apply the correct amount of fresh film cement swiftly and evenly. 6. Join the films and press them together without delay. 7. Wipe off all excess cement from both sides of the splice. 8. Check for a proper overlap of the perforations at the spliced juncture. 9. Avoid cleaning "green" film (film just back from the processing laboratory). 10. Keep your film wound tight on the reel to prevent curling.