Projection engineering (Jan-Dec 1931)

Projection Engineering DECEMBER, 1931 Standardization of apertures for sound pictures Basis for Standardization This is the second step in the standardization of apertures begun by the Academy in 1929. It is made possible now by the decrease in the use of soundon-disc and the increasing number of theatres which use a reduced three-byfour proportional aperture. The original Academy specifications were made to take care of an emergency situation. A large number of theatres using sound-on-film had given up the nearly square movietone screen shape for mechanical and other reasons and were insisting on using a reduced aperture in three-by-four proportion. Consequently the heads and feet of characters were being cut off since the studios at that time were photographing for the full height of the frame. The Academy made a national survey of the situation and found that something had to be done although there was still so much full frame disc release that it was too early to standardize. As a temporary measure the Academy then recommended that all vital action be kept within a three-by-four rectangle marked on the camera glasses of such size that the picture would not suffer when projected through a reduced proportional aperture. For the past year cameramen have thus had to fill about twenty per cent of their frame — the ten per cent of sound track area, five per cent at the top and five per cent at the bottom — with non-vital action or unessential views of the set. The proposal now is to mat off this useless space in the camera and standardize the American industry on the three-by-four picture proportions preferred by the theatres. By careful calculations it has been found possible to use a little more image area on the film than has been included inside the marks on the ground glass and thus give four per cent more image area for vital dramatic action to reach the screen.1 1Note: The question of the relation of the motion picture aperture to a possible aperture for television was brought to the attention of the sub-committee by the Television Committee of the Radio Manufacturers' Association. _ The standard specifications allow for an adaptation to the requirements of television when such adaptation may be commercially desirable. Technical bureau report No. 24 of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, of which Lester Cowan is executive secretary, is now being studied by studio staffs. Specifications have been worked out by a committee of the Academy ProducersTechnicians Committee in consultation with technicians representing the various studios. The report has to do with desired standardization of the size and shape of the picture frame in three-by-four proportion for ail photography, release and projection of sound-on-film, sound-on-disc and silent pictures from 35mm. film. ... If a majority of the studios agree to standardize, the proposal will be presented to theatre and release organizations for consideration and approval. ... If the standard is adopted by the industry, projectionists can render important service by seeing to it that apertures and screen masks are so adjusted that there is shown all of the picture the studio photographed. Page 9 •fe OF SOUNDTRACK .0279" R. APPROX.. EMULSION SIDE UP DIRECTION OF TRAVEL .176" .1345" Fig. 1. Academy standard camera aperture. The proposed standard apertures for all pictures are: New Camera Aperture: .651" x .868" (Corners to be rounded by an arc of a circle of .0279" radius.) Replacing the present: Ground glass markings of: .620" x .835" in the Mitchell aperture of: .720" x .923" and the Bell & Howell aperture of: .720" x .969" New Projector Aperture: .615" x .820" Replacing the present: Most commonly used proportional of: .600" x .800" Movietone aperture of: .680" x .800" Old silent aperture of: .680" x .906" Advantages to the Studio 1. Economies. Cinematographers estimate that from a half hour to an hour a day now spent in setting up for composition in three apertures — full frame, movietone frame and proportional — can be saved or devoted to improved photography. Scaffold lights can be lowered from three to five feet, thus making possible a reduction in the wattage or number of units. The tops of large sets can be lowered by as much as six feet and all sets can be reduced in width by nearly ten per cent without making any change in the placing of essential action and props as photographed for the past year. 2. Improved Quality. A single aperture will make for better composition on the set for both the cinematographer and the director. The studios will be assured that the picture will be projected as it was pho