Moving Picture News (Jul-Oct 1913)

THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS 21 be engaged by said catch and a flap adapted to close over said envelope, said guard beng adapted to receive and hold the flap end of said mount and envelope to exclude light from the envelope when said flap is turned up over said guard and said hinged section being adapted to hold the free end of said flap down upon the holder when it is turned back over said guard and away from over said envelope. The Directors Film Corporation, of New York, N. Y., has applied for registration of the trade mark herewith shown for moving picture films, claiming use "since on or about the 24th of February, 1913, and previous to that time for a period greater than eight weeks." mm It is a well known fact that in taking pictures of objects moving at a high rate of speed, the images in the individual pictures are frequently more or less blurred. Geo. W. Bingham, of New York, N. Y., states in his patent No. 1.068,208 that he has found by experience that better results are obtained and that a perfect image of a swiftly moving object may be secured if the exposure is made gradually instead of all at once as is the customary practice. Accordingly, the invention consists in utilizing a shutter provided with a light aperture therein, and moving the said shutter past the exposure opening of the camera so that all portions of the sensitized film framed in said exposure opening will be progressively exposed. The shutter is usually in the form of an oscillatory blade, having a horizontally disposed slot therein, forming the light aperture, and in connection with this blade some means are employed for closing the light aperture during one of the oscillatory movements of the main shutter blade. If desired, the main shutter blade may be moved first downward to expose one picture and then upward to expose the next picture, but preferably in order to obtain greater speed and regularity in action, the exposure is made only upon one stroke, usually the downward stroke of the shutter, and means are provided to close the light aperture in the main shutter blade upon the upward or idle movement of the shutter. This light aperture closing means is in the form of a supplementary shutter blade which acts to open the light aperture on one stroke of the main shutter blade, and to close the aperture upon the other stroke of the blade. The illustration is a sectional elevation of the shutter mechanism as applied to a moving picture camera. The essential elements are a main shutter blade 1, provided with a light aperture 2 therein, and means for alternately opening and closing the said light aperture, preferably in the form of a supplementary shutter 3. These two shutter blades are mounted so as to be capable of an oscillatory movement in front of the exposure opening 4. The inventor claims the combination of a shutter associated with the exposure opening, said shutter having a light aperture therein, means for oscillating the shutter in front of the exposure opening, and means for alternately opening and closing the light aperture in the shutter. • Three eminently satisfactory moving pic^ tures of that elusive phenomenon, the au^ rora borealis, were recently obtained by the Swedish expedition to northern latitudes. ^5^*ft=rsJ^^ The kinematograph was first tried for the purpose in 1910, but no satisfactory results were attained until this year. Nature (London) says, "As in 1910, a Kinematograph was employed to try to secure the changing phrases of the aurora; for the most part the auroral images were too faint. On three occasions, however, when the aurorae were very bright, consecutive exposures were given, lasting from 0.5 second to 1 second for each image. Another series of about 100 photographs was taken on April 8 with the Kinematograph, each exposure lasting about four seconds. These photographs demonstrate the great utility of this instrument, not only in obtaining consecutive features of the displays, but in securing ordinary photographs at the two stations. The communication is accompanied by two most interesting plates. . . . One of these reproduces four portions of the Kinematograph strip exposed on April 8 at Bossekop. These speak for themselves in indicating the valuable aid the Kinematograph brings to auroral studies. The gradual change in form and density of the filaments is clearly indicated. M. Stormer states that the results of this expedition will be published in considerable detail in a subsequent memoir, and the above brief summary is sufficient to show that the memoir will be a most valuable contribution to our knowledge of the aurora." Herbert Miles and William Steiner, of the North American Film and International Film, are well-known in the film industry. Mr. Miles having been associated with the Malin Picture Distributing & Sales Company and later with the Republic Film Company, he also had a chain of exchanges throughout the country. Mr. Steiner is best known through his connections v^fith the Yankee and Atlas brand of films, and also as an expert camera man. One of their first releases through the new company will be "Treasure Hunters Lost in Africa." The accompanying photograph shows one of the trying incidents that Edwin August and his company encountered on their way to Azusa, California. They were a sorry looking lot when they reached their destination, after a long but eventful tour. The company includes such clever people as Iva Shepard, MoUie Sherwood, Alice Rhodes, Chance and A. W. Caldeway. They will be located for a time at what is known as the Fallows Camp, which is right in the beautiful foothills and in the center of a picturesque district. Mr. August will put on several more two-reel photoplays, for which there has been a great demand.