Projection engineering (Sept 1929-Nov 1930)

Page 4 Projection Engineering, July, 1930 EDITORIAL July, 1930 r HOME TALKIES T is but a matter of time when home talkies will be popular. A revival of widespread availability of reasonably and stocks of attractive home entertainment, are ability to buy; "*"priced equipment, subjects suitable for the factors which will have bearings on this development. There is no sensible reason why the employment of home talkies should curtail the patronage of regular theatres. Indeed, such employment should be a stimulation — creating the desire to witness the more elaborate productions possible on large screens and with long films. Home talkie equipment consists of two units, a light projector and a phonograph type of reproducer, combined on a common base. Light projectors suitable for this purpose are pretty well standardized. The turntable coupled directly to the projector is operated by a common motor. For home purposes a feature is that in case it is desired to interpolate speech not included on the record, the picture may be stopped, presenting a "still." There is a double-claw intermittent film movement, associated with a 200-watt incandescent lamp. The base upon which the turntable revolves is equipped with a governor to insure uniform operation. The sound pickup is connected with an audio amplifier, thence to the loudspeaker. There is no difficulty in synchronizing the picture with the accompanying sound. A white spot on the record shows the start position and the word "start" printed on the film serves the same purpose. In movement, 1 6 pictures on the film occur with each revolution of the turntable. Sixteen mm. film is used, and one projector makes possible an eight foot picture. Hollywood and Brooklyn, which institutions cover over 125 acres of ground, with over 30 completed stages and 12 more under construction. "We have continually in our employ 250 engineers, as motion pictures are a step further in advance than were the motion pictures of just three short years ago." Although Warner Brothers have been identified with the motion picture industry for twentyfive years it is less than five years since they took on Vitaphone. The experience that this progressive company has had in these five years qualifies its executives to talk about the trends and the problems of the industry. Mr. J. L. Warner believes that a danger facing the continued success of talking pictures is one solely of the method employed in projection in the multitude of theatres throughout the world. It has been Mr. Warner's observation that many theatres fall into the same old rut of thinking that "anything will go." Inadequate equipment and careless management may be directly charged with the responsibility when box office receipts droop to discouraging totals. A notion in the minds of some theatre managers has been that the arrival of the film and the records signified that from then on the show would be automatically taken care of. Those who have been most successful have recognized a responsibility to follow closely the cue sheets sent out by the exchanges, and study the acoustics of their theatres, as it is true that no two theatres have exactly the same acoustic conditions. Although since the introduction of Vitaphone in 1926, Warner Brothers have used disc recording, the company announces that in 1930 prints with sound-on-film will be available so that the company's productions may be put on in any theatre anywhere whether equipped for records or film. WARNER BROTHERS' SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS A STATEMENT recently written by J. L. Warner, vice-president of Warner Brothers, reads: "Warner Brothers, as producers of Vitaphone talking pictures, are not resting on their laurels or on their good fortune in having the foresight to bring talking pictures to their present position. They are putting forth every ounce of energy in their four huge studios in RED INK WHETHER it is an ill-wind or a favoring wind may be immaterial, but the present depression in general business has resulted in a cessation of the scramble to corral all of the independent movie houses into chains. Haste on the part of competing producers appears to have resulted in many red ink enterprises securing new sustenance. DONALD McNICOL, Editor.