The Moving picture world (November 1924-December 1924)

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462 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 29, 1924 (Continued from page 460) greater or less ability, and who himself knows either little or nothing about projection, has the idea that it is up to him to employ a man merely capable of "operating a machine," and himself ordering how projection is to be done. In all too many instances artistry in the projected picture means absolutely nothing in his young life. He has a man who changes the carbons, starts and stops the "machine " and changes the reels, and to him that's that. He really merely intends to employ an attendant to a machine, just as the boss of a machine shop employs a man to feed raw stock into a screw cutting machine. To his mind, just as in the case of the screw cutting machine attendant, the machine does ALL the rest of it, and THAT IS PRECISELY THE IDEA MEN WITH THEIR "BOOTH," "MACHINE" and "OPERATOR" ARE FOSTERING, and the thing Richardson is FIGHTING against, to the extent of his ability. The "Operator" represents the "machine attendant" idea, the Projectionist the other, which is that the machine is merely an incident — an important item, truly, but an item only— and the MAN HIMSELF THE IMPORTANT THING — THE MAN AND HIS SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE. There certainly IS an incongruity amounting to an absurdity, in placing the art of a high priced director and high priced artists LITERALLY AT THE MERCY OF A MAN WHOSE ABILITY IS MEASURED BY THE SUM NAMED IN QUESTION 135. If you doubt or question this, you have but to look at any high grade production screened by a mere machine operator, and then projected by a real, competent projectionist. In the one case, even allowing for the crime of an unelastic time schedule in both cases, you will find the projectionist putting on a rock steady, brilliant, sparkling reproduction, so far as his equipment and other limitations permit. In the other you will find something very different, and of VERY much less box office value. The sooner theatre managers awake to the possibilities of the projectionist, and to the damage done to box office receipts by placing a few dollars in weekly wage and the privilege of "bossing" a cheap man, who usuallv has little or no pride in his work, above high grade, ARTISTIC reproduction of the work of high grade artists, the better it will be for all concerned. (Note: I had to rewrite Dutton's answer, but did not alter his meaning— Ed.) Question No. 136— The theatre manager may select some or all of the musical numbers to be played, but he does not dream of telling the musicians how to play them, nor would either he or his organization permit such a thing to be done. Have either you or your organization made the slightest attempt to have projection placed in your hands, instead of tamely permitting a theatre manager, who does not even pretend Jo have any expert knowledge of projection, Jo order you how to project the picture? I think brother Fell is the only one who has made an answer worthy of real consideration this time. He says: I believe the projectionist should, at every opportunity, try to convince his manager that he the Projectionist, ought to be made solely responsible for projection, in all that entails exactly the same as the musician is made responsible for the music. The musician STUDIES music, and lays claim to knowledge— expert knowledge, if you please —of his end of things. If he does not produce, and his goods do not please the public out he goes, and another is brought in. BUT he is NOT told how to play his music. He is presumed to know that himself, and no theatre manager would have the nerve to instruct him. . The projectionist should be the projectionist, in every sense of the word If tfcere is a time schedule, then he should be allowed to use his own judgment about fitting the show to it. If his work is not liked by the public, then let him get out, or be put out But that does not hold when he must do Ms work at the dictation of a manager whose orders make high grade work '™P°^'blfg After all, it is the picture the theatre is selltng and the projectionist is the one who must nut it on the screen 100 per cent, perfect' or have the box office suffer for what it lacks in that respect. If the manager wants to run YOUR end of things, then step out and let him do it, becoming responsible for results. Nine times out of ten you will, in a very few moments, hear a squawk for the projectionist, and the bleat will come from Friend Manager. Don't forget that you are projecting a picture to please the PUBLIC, not a theatre manager. That last will bear a lot of thinking over before you jump on it, my good friend. Brother Bell speaks TRUTH. Again citing the musician, he seeks to please his PUBLIC. YOU seek to please a theatre manager. There is a basic difference. Question No. 137— Give us, in a general way, your idea of just what is the best v(ay to secure that recognition from exhibitors which is due for energy, skill and knowledge applied in the projection room. The replies to this vary considerably, though only Dobson, Fell, Sinclair and Dutton made acceptable replies. Fell wins, I think. He says: First of all let the projectionist be sure he understands his work, in all its phases. Let him be very careful never to make a statement or a suggestion which he cannot back up, and never start an argument with the manager which he can't finish. If he does, he is licked, and the manager right then and there loses some of his confidence in him. If it happens too often he marks you down as a bluff. Before you tackle Friend Manager, be in position to talk to the point, and convincingly, except of course when you speak of things no one is yet certain about, such as a new lens system, for instance. Even then you should have all the facts that are known about it available. Next, let the word "cleanliness" be your outstanding motto. Have a clean picture, both M. P. and slide. Have your projection room and its equipment clean, and, last but not least, keep YOURSELF clean. A dirty room, a slovenly man and a "fuzzy" picture speak volumes in condemnation. Righto! Work? Sure it takes work, BUT remember that "THERE IS NO EXCELLENCE WITHOUT GREAT LABOR," in all this wide world. He Disagrees In October 18 issue my good friend Van Powell printed a suggestion for change-over signal. I had been shown it by Van, and myself suggested that he use it. Whether a thing itself be good or bad the printing serves an excellent purpose in that it provokes discussion and brings out the views of various men as to its excellence or lack of it. And now comes H. Y. Ballou, member local 150 I. A. T. S. E. & M. P. M. O., Los Angeles Motion Picture Projectionists, who lands on the idea thusly with a hammer in both fists. He writes Van, sending me a copy of the letter. He says: I have something on my chest which i just must get rid of, so here goes. Get an October 18 issue and glance up in the northwest corner of page 589, where the sticker change-over signal is described and commended by H. Warren Ribble, Mayfleld Theatre, Meyfield, California. , The Universal exchange, in Los Angeles, is using this type of change-over signal and l rrlseg to remark, as emphatically as I may that it looks like the very His Santanlc Majestic on the screen. Have you ever seen one of those stickers? They are only about % of an inch wide by three frames or so long. The beautiful, but »»»• ™ place one of these beauty spots (????) from three to six feet from the end of each reeL It is some sensation to see. and FEEL one of those (scratched out by censor) things go through about every eleven minutes. The Cow l"e, on horseback, is chasing the vilfian He is almost up to him and ready to gr-r-r-rab him. The action is intense and Folks on the edge of lhfir seats, thenwham '!!!'. One of those (deleted) sUckera TrriVes on the job and -Oh h-1! What's the use!!! They just simply MUST be seen to be thoroughly appreciated. I am AGAINST any form of change-over signal such as stickers, punch marks, scratches, etc. But if the "Operators" Just must mutilate film, then the punch marks are preferable to the three-frame sticker, or any other kind for that matter. Proper Way The only proper way is the method used by the projectionist — NOT the mere "I-call-myself-projectionist" who really is merely an operator, but the real projectionist. He makes a written cue sheet, which requires but a few minutes to do. It Is the ONLY proper way. Let us hear more about this sticker business, before it is adopted by other exchanges in other sections. Almost all exchanges in Los Angeles are attaching a blank stock opaque trailer at the end of the action in each reel of film. This I look upon merely as a safety measure. The Projectionist should not and never will allow tt to reach the projector aperture, the change over being made as it leaves the magazine, or just before. However, should the projector not pick up speed as soon as it is expected to, then the trailer prevents the white light being flashed on the screen to dazzle the eyes of the audience, or the "End of Reel" trailer to show. Where a man has up-to-date equipment he can open the upper magazine door of the working projector and watch for the white trailer to leave the hub of the magazine, when he should change over. This will obviate the need for a cue sheet. At the end of the note on page 588 Van speaks of "adopting the stickers nationally." I, for one, rise up on my hind legs and say N— O!! I had no idea that the stickers were any such absurd size as that. Gosh! What I understood it to be was a very small sticker. Like yourself I am against ANYTHING In the form of a change-over signal which will be conspicuous on the screen. Like yourself I hold the written cue sheet to be the thing. Several very good signals in the form of a buzzer ring, or a light lighted at the lightup time, and another at change-over, have been invented, but for some reason they never seem to have got much of anywhere. I personally see no real objection to the upper magazine having a wire glass center, say six inches in diameter. With such a really practicable window — one in each door, the interior of the magazine could be lighted well enough that the projectionist could watch for the end without opening the door which is a safe enough proceeding in the hands of some men, but unsafe with others, mainly because by the time they had opened it a few times they would just leave It open all the time — too much work to close and open it, y' know. „K.,.™i Anyhow, I'm against any such absurd sticker as you have described— against It as strongly as you can possibly be. They Stick W. R. Gwynn, Projectionist, Longmont, Colo., sends answers to some of the Bluebook School questions, and remarks: Dear Brother Richardson: It has been five or six years since I have handed in anything to the department. However, my Interest In projection has not in the least waned, and I have continually been benefited by your thorough discussion of projection problems. This is not printed to "brag" or "blow, but merely as illustrating the fact that, as many letters of this sort show, this department is constantly reaching and helping thousands from whom we seldom or never hear. Those who start reading the department usually continue, sometimes, as I have learned, even after they have quit projection for a long while, because, I think, this department tries honestly to give real service. It is not perfect. What is? It commits errors of judgment. Surel Who does not? But for all that it does what it honestly believes is for the best interests of all concerned, hewing to the line, without regard to where the chips may fall. In other words, whatever its errors may be, it is HONEST.