The Nickelodeon (Jan-Mar 1911)

THE NICKELODEON. Vol. V, No. 1. the lens during a period, when the film is at rest, between jerks. CAMERA OPERATION. The shutter and the film mechanism work in cooperation, exposing the film to the light front the lens and jerking down a new section cf film in darkness, and again exposing and jerking, until a number of little pictures are made in a row down the middle of the strip, except that they are negatives, and as yet undeveloped. The shutter may be opened about one-half of the time, the film being shifted in darkness during the remaining time. The speed of taking the pictures is from ten to twenty per second, depending to seme extent upon the effect desired upon the screen when projected. DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEGATIVE. Several methods of development possible for motion picture films will be described. In the work of the professional moving picture maker, the lengths of film frequently will be so great that only the drum method is possible. The constantly increasing number of amateurs now making moving pictures and con Railway Motography in Borneo. stantly experimenting with the subject will include many workers whose needs may be met with simpler and more convenient as well as less expensive apparatus. The professional camera makes an image % by 1 inch, running sixteen images to the foot of film strip. There are on the market cameras designed for amateur use, making pictures smaller in size, some of them measuring only one-half the dimensions given. In such a camera, pictures run thirty-two to the foot of film, and when taken at a rate of sixteen images per second the film measures but one-half of a foot per second of exposure. A scene lasting for ten seconds is sufficiently long for experiment, and probably as long as the average scene taken by the amateur, while a developing outfit suited for five-foot lengths of film may be used to develop longer strips by cutting into five-foot lengths. This would mean the loss of an image or two only every two seconds when the picture is projected upon the screen. DRUM DEVELOPMENT. The process best suited to general work is drum development. This method permits the handling easily of film strips up to 400 feet in length, which is as long as film can be bought, and twice as long as the capacity of the ordinary moving picture camera's film reel box. In drum development, the exposed strip of film is wound upon a drum and developed by revolving the drum while its lower portion dips into a tank of developing solution. In this method, the drum is hung upon supports,, and the film is wound spirally with the sensitive surface outward. Naturally, with such a method, doublecoated film, or non-curling film, can not be used. The drum then is turned above the tank of developer, with its lower surface running in the developer; then lifted to a tank of water and similarly turned ; then to a tank of fixing solution ; then to several successive tanks of wash water; then to a tank containing a glycerine mixture. The film may be dried without removing it from the drum by suspending the drum in a room where the air is at a temperature of 80 degrees, and turning the drum until the film is dried. A small motor of any kind is a convenience for this process. The preferable method of drum development is to have a developing drum of slats, so that it may be cleaned thoroughly and easily, but to dry a film upon such a drum will leave drying marks upon the finished print. Therefore, the print is reeled off while wet onto a drum having a smooth surface preferably of wood covered with cheese cloth. The drying drum must be turned until the film is dry, or drops of water will gather on the film at the under surface of the drum and will leave marks upon the finished print. PIN-TRAY DEVELOPMENT. For pin-tray development, a pair of crossed bars are provided with pins, say, one-half inch apart, and as high as the width of the film. The exposed film is wound spirally upon these pins, thus arranging the film in flat pancake form, much like a large flat clock spring coiled up, which then is placed in a tray and developed as a photographic plate would be developed. The tray, should be sufficiently deep to permit the developer to cover the film completely. The film, after passing through trays containing in succession all of the solutions and wash waters required and finally the glycerine bath, may be dried upon the pin arms, but preferably it is reeled off onto a drying drum and turned in warm air while drying. In drying upon the pin arms, the film may be permitted *to dry with the arms horizontal ; thus all of the water drops will collect upon the lower edge of the film and not upon any of the images, and the film need not be kept in motion while drying. However, drying the film upon the pin arms is liable to leave marks caused by the pins which will be visible in the finished print. HAND DEVELOPMENT. With short pieces of film, the two ends of the film may be grasped, and the film drawn through the solutions and washes by lifting first one end and then the other; this should not be attempted with too long a film, nor with too small a dish of developer. Four feet is probably the maximum length of film, unless considerable skill is possessed. DAYLIGHT DEVELOPMENT. Obviously, daylight developing machines may be specially built to accommodate long length of film.