Projection engineering (Sept 1929-Nov 1930)

Projection Engineering, September, 1929 rage 37 ing a screen of greater brilliance, higher key, than the adjacent tints, Nocturne and Fleur-de-lis, to both of which it is closely related in emotional value. The mood induced by this color is particularly dependent (more so than many of the other colors) upon contextual factors. For instance, to a twilight scene on the desert with distant mountains it imparts a feeling of distance, mystery, repose, and languorous warmth ; used on a scene containing snow fields, glaciers, snow-capped mountains, etc., it has a pronounced cooling effect. The hue of this color is approximately the same as that of the shadows on sunlit snow under a clear blue sky. Tint No. 13, Fleur-de-lis. A rich royal purple. This color has long been the badge of royalty, high office, power, and pomp. In ancient times the dye was very costly and was used to color the garments of the aristocracy. The transmission of this film tint is low (25 per cent), thus giving a depressed screen brightness suggestive of reserve, dignity, and austerity. It has a relatively cool color but not as cold as Nocturne. Tint No. 14, Amaranth. This is also a purple but has a greater red content than Fleur-de-lis ; therefore it is warmer and less austere. It is adapted to the rendition of scenes showing opulence and luxury together with refinement. With proper contextual relation it may be well adapted to scenes approaching sensuality and abandon, such as bacchanalian revels staged in settings of wealth, and luxury. Tint No. 15, Caprice. Cool pink. Visual transmission (53 per cent) relatively high, thus giving a brilliant sparkling screen. It is a jolly, care free, hilarious color suggestive of carnivals, Mardis gras, fete days, and merry making in general. Tint No. 16, Inferno. Fiery red tinged with magenta. Since it is directly suggestive of fire, it is adapted to scenes of burning buildings glowing furnaces, forest fires, etc. By subjective association indicative of riot, panic, anarchy, mobs, turmoil, strife, war, battle, and unrestrained passion. Proper Use of Color on the Screen It is not desired that the reader shall gain the impression from this rather enthusiastic discussion of the potential emotional value of color that the lavish and unrestrained use of color treatments is advocated. On the contrary, it is desired to emphasize the necessity of using the color accompaniment to a motion picture production with care and discretion. The use of too strong or saturated colors is in general not good, since such colors are usually obstructive and distracting and may defeat rather than promote the attainment of the desired effect. A more subtle method will yield better results. This involves the employment of pastel tints which may be increased in subjective strength for a brief period of time by the action of successional contrast or juxtaposition in time. Thus the eye accommodated to, or fatigued by a green, such as Verdante, will perceive, at the beginning of the following scene done on a pink tint, a color of enhanced subjective saturation. This immediately fixes the mood of the scene, after which the accommodational processes in the retina begin to operate and cause the effective saturation to decrease appreciably. Thus the color having fulfilled its mission, saying definitely that this scene has a specific emotional atmosphere, fades into the background and while continuing to make itself felt in the subconscious mind of the observer by lending a warmth and softness to the scene permits the action to carry forward the dramatic sequence without the unpleasant and distracting influence of pronounced color. There are perhaps some who may question the advisability of attempting to use color on the screen as an aid to the creation of an emotional atmosphere on the ground that individuals react differently to the same color. Is it not true that the same musical composition may excite different feelings in individuals, and that the same word or phrase may convey to different minds somewhat divergent ideas? Perhaps it will be necessary to spend much time and effort on the development of a language of color, to compile dictionaries with definitions of the symbolical, associative, and emotional values, just as we write and agree upon definitions of words in order that specific ideas may be conveyed from one mind to another by spoken and_ written language. If there is in the human mind, or, more specifically, in the collective mind of the motion picture public, a color consciousness, even though it be at present latent or but slightly developed, is it not worth considerable effort in thought and experimentation to develop technique such that color can be applied to the screen in such a way as to enhance the emotional and dramatic values of the motion picture of the future? Tailor-Made Sound-Reproducing Systems THE average moving picture theatre owner seems to believe thai it is simply a matter of 'Send me up a sound outfit," and his troubles are over. Far from it — they are just beginning. We were recently called upon to assist a figurative "stylish stout" in upper New York State, whose requirements were delicate in the extreme. This particular theatre was aflli<-t <■<! with dead spots or areas, not necessarily far from the sound source, where practically nothing could be boa ril. Farther back In the theatre, reception was excellent, as il was to the in.ni and sides. The trouble was diagnosed in this case as conflicting BOUUd waves. A train of sound waves coming directly from the Btage, encountered another train of waves deflected straight down from the celling. Where the two met. they counteracted or neutralized each other to such an • Vice-President, itaiUn Receptor Co. By Ludwig Arnson* extent that practically nothing could be distinguished. The remedy in this case was found in the medium of distribution, that is to say, in the use of directional speakers. The usual cone speakers were discarded and a number of specially designed horns were substituted. Those horns, equipped with the best obtainable reproducer Hints, were placed at different angles and their relative positions varied until the ideal degree of reproduction was achieved, in this way we actually made the sound waves behave, directing them the way wo wanted, to over come the natural defects of the tlieal re. Too Much Power Another effect encountered in some theatres is not so much a problem as an adv. -ml am-. althOUgb it may cost the owner just as much in the long run. We know, and the informed manager knows, approximately what quantity of apparatus is necessary for a given space to be covered. It sometimes happens that the manager, without consulting the installation specialist, orders what would seem to lie the necessary equipment, and finds to his diSgUSl thai his reproduction is too powerful. The reason is thai some theatres are so acoustically perfect that only 60 per cent of the energy is necessary to till them as would he required for a theatre of tin same si/.c that was not acoustically Bound. The aforementioned manager tin. is that the size of his installation far exceeds Hie demands of the theal re, and he Is consequently obliged to operate at greatly reduced power. This means that he has spent twice as inudi a was necessary on the original Installation, ami is probably wasting .r><> per cent of his power bin in unneces8arj upkeep. A little tailoring here would have saved a good deal of Cloth.