The Moving picture world (May 1922)

204 MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 13, 1922 PRO J E CTION % F.H.RICHARDSON Open Letter to the I. A. Note — This letter was read at a regular, largely attended meeting; of the American Projection Society, which is a large organization of I. A. men, and numbers in its membership the best projectionists in New York City. At the close of the reading a motion was made by Cecil Wood, of the Capitol Theatre, New York City, that the letter in its entirety be indorsed. The indorsement was unanimous, the president, Joseph Basson, remarking that the American Projection Society should be proud of being one of the first to use the title Proj ectionist. I am only sorry that time prevents its also being presented to the International Projection Association, a similar organization in the Bronx, which I am morally sure would also have indorsed it unanimously. Al Polin, its president, was present at the A. P. S. meeting. To the I. A. To the I. A. Membership, the Coming Convention, and to the President who will be elected. Greeting: — Right in the beginning let me say that only the fool refuses to ■change that which is wrong. The wise man ■well knows he is not perfect and is anxious and willing to change when it is shown that he is in error. In the early days of the moving picture industry the man who projected moving pictures was really nothing more than the "operator of a machine." There was no knowledge of any importance either required or available. Projection consisted merely in exactly what the title "operator" implies, viz., operating a machine. Projection, as we know it today, did not exist. It was not even dreamed of. The motion picture, as we know it today, did not exist. What was then called a motion picture was a crude novelty which drew patronage merely because it WAS a novelty and a curiosity. It was crude and the machine with which It was projected was crude and very simple. In the opinion of nine out of ten men in that day the moving picture would live but a short while, and when the public finally tired of the new toy it would drop back into oblivion. Did Not Die But the moving picture did NOT die. Instead it lived, and we of today see an almost unbelievable development from so small a l>eginning. The photoplay now is in itself a. complicated affair, often offering an entire evening's entertainment for which the public pays up to as high as two dollars a seat. The films themselves are accurate down to so infinitesimal a measurement as onetwenty-thousandth of an inch. Theatres liave been built and are being built which K-ost millions of dollars, the entire income from which will be and is dependent upon what comes through the lens of the projector. Projection apparatus has become costly and complicated, and has in its vital parts an accuracy as close as one ten-thousandth of an inch. THE MAN WHO HANDLES PROJECTION IN OUR THEATRES OF TODAY HAS CEASED TO BE MERELY THE "OPERATOR" OP A MACHINE. I make this statement without reservation, and defy any sane mane to successfully argue against it. Here are my reasons: The man who projects the pictures of today is recreating or reproducing that which is indeed nothing less than photographic reproduction of absolutely everything the stage has to offer, minus actual speech, but plus many things the stage cannot possibly even attempt to offer. It lies within his power, by the use of high grade skill and a wide range of knowledge to render the photoplay, which in itself high class a thing of wonderful beauty, a thing which will send away enthusiastic nudiences Notice to All PRESSURE on our columns Is such that published replies to questions cannot be guaranteed under two or three weeks. If quick action Is desired remit four cents, stamps, and we will send carbon copy of department reply as soon as written. For special replies by mall on matters which, for any reason, cannot be replied to through our department remit one dollar. THE LENS CHART Are You Working by "Guess" or Do You Employ Up-to-Date Methodsf You demand that your employer keep his equipment in good order and up to date. He owes It both to himself and to you to do so, but you owe It to him to keep abreast with the times In knowledge and in your methods. The lens chart (two In one, 11x17 Inches, on heavy paper for framing) Is in successful use by hundreds of progressive projectionists. "Don't guess." Do your work RIGHT. Price, fifty cents, stamps. Address Moving Picture World, either 516 Fifth Avenue, New York City, or 28 East Jackson Boulevard, Chlcagro, 111. OR by unintelligent work he may project it as a fuzzy looking, dimly lighted affair, which is unsteady and in which the players move with jerky, jumping-jack action, so that the reproduction becomes a very travesty upon the scene as it was portrayed by the players, even as a poorly rendered piece of music is not a correct reproduction of the original. IS NOT THIS ENTIRELY TRUE? Lives there the man who knows anything at all about the facts who will question, much less deny it? Necessary Range of Knowledge To reproduce the modern photoplay well and EFFICIENTLY — in other words, to do really creditable work, the man who projects pictures MUST have a pretty wide range of electrical knowledge, covering dynamos (for dynamos of considerable capacity are placed directly in his charge, the efficiency of which will depend, in large measure, upon the skill and knowledge with which he handles them); motors, for motors of both large and small capacity are placed directly in his charge, the efllciency and the very length of useful live of which will be dependent largely upon his knowledge and skill in handling them. He must know optics, for unless he be well grounded in light action and very well grounded in the optical problems of what has come to be known as "projectior optics," there will be inevitable waste of ligiit and something less than high class results upon the screen. He must be at least a fairly good mechanic, because the vital parts of the projector are very high speed, extremely accurate and they work under very heavy strain. In addition to all this and very much more, he MUST be able to judge of naturalness of action of moving things, because he Is called upon to reproduce it upon the screen, and unless he is able to correctly synchronize projection speed with widely varying camera speed, he cannot possibly reproduce the scene on the screen as it was produced by the players. Taking all these various things Into consideriition, I defy any man to say th»> man who projects moving pictures is merely the "operator of a mechanism." He now projects pictures, in all that entails, and his work has very much to do with the drawing power of the box office. He therefore is a Projectionist. This title was Introduced to the industry several years ago. It has been adopted by all the leading manufacturers of projectors, by many large theatres who officially proclaim their men projectionists, by the trade papers in general and by very many of the advanced men, as well as by quite a few locals of the I. A. itself. It would be universally adopted very quickly, but for one thing, viz.: the name of the organization of the men itself, which same I shall try to show you ought, just as a matter of plain common sense, to be changed. It is entirely foolish to refuse to admit that, while "operator" may have been quite correct and quite sufficient in the early days of the industry, today it is neither. It is now a largely meaningless and entirely inadequate title, and clinging to it works great harm to the men and to the organization, as I shall try to show you, asking, however, that you for the moment lay aside all preconceived notions and bias, approaching the matter with an open mind. In other words, consider the matter entirely upon Its merits. Bxh ibitor Svxiyed The exhibitor and theatre manager is but human. He is influenced and swayed by exactly the same thing other men are Inlluenced and swayed by. Answer me this question: Is It not a fact that the average man looks upon the mere operation of a machine as a thing requiring some practice, plus a very moderate amount of skill? Is it not the fact that the average man is willing to pay only a very moderate amount of money for the services of a man to "operate a machine," because he Just naturally visualizes the "operator" as a man with a "trade," which requires practice more than brains? Many exhibitors even believe that a "boy can operate a machine," hence they very naturally fight any . attempt to raise wages. Thev fight It because THEY HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT PROJECTION ENDS WITH "OPERATING A MACHINE," and most any one can do that as well as another. Another Angle And now let us examine Into the matter from the other angle. Let us forget the •operator," and call him a PROJECTIONIST. Does it make any real difference? What happens anyhow? Why at first nothing at all happens, except that the manager sneers, the exhibitor laughs and some others give an exhibition of how little they know by trying to poke fun. But wait awhile. The trade papers already use the term. The projector advertisers already use it. The new handbook will use It. Progressive men who project pictures are very generally beginning to use it. Let us assume the name of the organization is changed to include it. The Society of Motion Picture Engineers long ago gave it their unanimous approval. All this has its effect. Soon the manager forgets to sneer. The exhibitor no longer laughs, and the others, including the manager and exhibitor, have an unconsciously increased respect for the projectionist, because they unconsciously visualize the projectionist as something distinctly higher than the mere operator of a mechanism. INSTEAD OP THINKING MACHINE. THEY NOW THINK PROJECmON, and THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, and a very decided difference too. As well dispute the fact that one and one make two as to question the foregoing, and the sooner the I. A. and the projectionists of this and other countries realize It, the better for them. It Is the practical working of psychology, and IT WORKS THAT WAY. The organization has a continual light to maintain wages at their present level, because of the fact that the men are, by com