Moving Picture World (May 1919)

Vlay 3, 1919 THE MOVING PICTURE WORJ T 667 MOTION PICTURE ENGINEERS MEET Society Has TTiree-Day Session in Philadelphia — Technical Men's Papers Read — Prizma's New I^rocess Described — Further Opinions on Slow-Burning I^'ilni THE semi-annual meeting of the Societ}' of Motion Picture Engineers was'held in Philadelphia on April 14, 15 and 16. The three-day session >vas a full one, and the meeting was the most enthusiastic yet. Owing to an attack of the "flu," which laid the chairman of the papers committee low for several weeks, the papers were less numerous than uSual. The sessions were enlivened by most excellent, interesting and instructive addresses by Dana Pierce, Chairman Electrical Committee National Fire Prevention Association; Washington Devereaux, Chief Electrical Inspector Philadelphia Board of FireUnderwriters; Frank J. Rembusch, Secretary Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of America, and Dr. Dudley, of the Wisconsin State University Board of Visual Education, now engaged in assisting in preparing Government films. Interesting Papers Read. Papers were read as follows : "White Light for Motion -Picture Photography," by Wm. Roy Mott, National Carbon Company laboratories. This paper was profusely illustrated with stereopticon slides, and contained much matter of more than ordinary interest and value to the industry. Mr. Mott is past master of his subject and his subject is the carbon arc. "Attachments for Cinematographic Cameras" was thesubject of a paper by Carl Gregory. This paper held very great interest, even for us who, not being well posted on the photographic end of things, could not appreciate all its points. "Some Phases of the Optical System of the Projector," by F. H. Richardson, was extensively discussed by Dr. Herman Kellner, of the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, who made blackboard drawings to illustrate his points and gave a demonstration with a small apparatus in which he mounted a corrected and un-corrected condenser. I)r. Kellner agreed with the reader of the paper in the points made therein, but suggested a different remedy for the light losses pointed out. Dr. Henry Phelps Gage, of the Corning Glass Works, also discussed certain phases of the matter brought out in Air. Richardson's paper, illustrating same with stereopticon slides. \\^hat might be termed the combined paper of Richardson, Kellner and Gage were extensively discussed by Messrs. Allison, Jenkins, Burrows, Will C. Smith and Mr. Glover. NeMT Prizma Process Discussed. "Adding Color to Motion," by William \'. D. Kellj', Prizma Inc., proved to be a headliner in the programme because, aside from the interest centering in Prizma just now, Mr. Kelly described, for the first time, the new "Additive Process," which is Prizma's latest contribution to the art of c'olor photography. The paper was illustrated by Prizma films showing details of the new process. These various papers will be printed in the proceedings of the Society and will thus be made available to all. Reports were had from several committees and for the first time there was evidence of real committee activity. Heretofore only the electrical devices committee had really done anything worth while, but now both the committee on optics, and the projection machine committee have come to life. President Campe has worked faithfully, Secretary Gillette has done his work well, and Treasurer Smith seems to be accumulating wealth on behalf of the soc ety. Tl^e membership committee has accomplished much, and the society is in first cla.^s shape in every way. It has become a power for good and its dictum now is generally respected by the industry. Society in Healthy Condition. Dead indeed must be that one who can attend one of its meetings without reaping genuine benefit. Those who are eligible to membership would do exceedingly well to get into the fold. The society is now financially and numerically a going concern. A. C. Roebuck, chairman of the membership committee, said: "We are no longer in need of either members or finance. It would therefore be well that we be a bit selective and admit only those men or firms who can be of benefit to the society as an engineering body." The matter of special narrow-width, slow-burning standard was again discussed, but no action was taken. The society adopted a resolution addressed to the Government requesting that, in the interest of safety, as well as for the moral efifect, all films in future put out by it be printed on slow burning stock, commonly known as non-flam. In course of discussion the point was brought out that non-flam stock is about 80 per cent, that of common stock. It was also made plain that the slow-burning stoc'c would probably always cost more to manufacture than ordinary stock. Dana Pierce, of the Underwriters Laboratories, made it clear that the underwriters had no intention of receding in any degree from the safeguards set up for portable projectors. Two Factions in Slow-Burning Matter. There are two distinct factions in the slow-burning film matter. One is of the opinion the special narrow width stand Which Is It— Better or Worse? Elliott Dexter, in Cecil B. DeMille's "For Better, for Worse," Seems Undecided. Gloria Swanson Looks at the Feather in His Lapel as If It Might Be Rather Worse.