The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (November 1899)

The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. 153 simply put the carbon paper prepared side down on the glass with a piece of white paper over it, and then write or draw firmly on that. The carbon readily transfers to the glass, gives a dense black line, and does not easily smudge. A concluding point. If possible have some one to keep the crowd away from the lantern if you are showing from the ground. The mischievous are everywhere, and being outside you cannot threaten to put them out without returning their money. The Correct Presentation of Dioramic Effects. By THE SHOWMAN. Wy } SE have now arrived at a time when P ; © many users of the cinematograph (i “, have become painfully aware that x the best days of that at one time promising instrument are over, So and no doubt some will be looking yy” about for a new means of attracting the a6 public taste, without departing from the realms of optical projection, and certainly dioramic effects will come in for a share of consideration. But, at the outset, it should be noted that the registration of effects involves an amount of time and real, painstaking work, of which the majority of animated photograph exhibitors have not the slightest conception, and the reader is therefore warned that, if he expects to lay out a certain amount of capital in material and find the thing done, he will only find himself ‘‘done,” and doomed to disappointment into the bargain. Moreover, the work referred to is of a kind that can best be done quietly in one’s own house during the summer and early autumn, and before exhibiting really commences; but it has this advantage, that once done properly, it is done for ever, except in the highly improbable case of the slides being irretrievably damaged. Just in the same way that the finest cinematograph show gives not the slightest idea of the charm of a good dioramic exhibition, so the mere joining of a few films, which is almost the only work required before the production of the former, furnishes no clue to the hours spent in what I may term the private preliminaries of the latter. Iam sure no old subscriber will be offended by my saying that these pages are greatly read by ‘‘ tyros,” for as the older lanternists die off or go to the work——, I mean, are taken care of by their relations, their ranks are being recruited at a great rate by younger generations, hence the increasing circulation of the OpTicaL Macic Lantern JournaL; and therefore we will next come to some understanding as to what is meant by ‘registration’? and by “dioramic effects,’’ especially as I have met persons apparently unable to distinguish between dissolving views, coloured photographs, and colour photography. ‘‘Dioramic ’’ is derived from two Greek words and means ‘‘seen through,” and was the description given long ago to effects introduced into panoramas painted on cloth, in which a picture was painted ona transparent cloth, on the other side of which was painted another picture representing a different scene, or the same under different circumstances or at a different time ; then, by raising the lights behind and lowering those in front, the front picture was made slowly or quickly to change into that on the back. There is a variation of this principle in which a scene with buildings, etc., in the foreground is painted on an opaque cloth, and the clear glass of the windows cut away and replaced by coloured gelatine affixed to the back. Then, on the lights at the back being raised, and those in front somewhat lowered, the coloured windows ' are brought into prominence, and the effect of evening with the buildings illuminated within is reproduced with great fidelity. Shipping, lever, and rackwork slides are in no sense “effects,” although the effect of motion is produced by all of them; but one or a combination of these principles may be, and often is, introduced into one or more of the slides forming a set of “effects,” in order to more perfectly realise some particular scene, and if the movements are well made and properly manipulated, very telling results are thereby attained. ‘‘ Registration’? means the exact coincidence of every line of a picture with the corresponding line of the following picture, and when properly carried out, no indistinctness of the picture, alteration of the outline, or doubling of prominent objects can be detected whilst dissolving is being performed. The margin of the picture also must remain unaltered. . Thus, in a simple change from day to night, we shall become conscious of the change without having observed the manner of its accomplishment. Some may say, ‘‘ Why bother ? You dissolve from day to night, the audience see the difference, what more do you want? Why makea fuss about nothing?”’ Just so, and ig the charm of a beautiful effect ‘‘ nothing”?