Reel Life (Sep 1913 - Mar 1914)

Supplement REEL LIFE The Practical Side of Pictures XHIBITORS have taken kindly to a device known as the "Quick Change Board," which has been instahed at the change windows of all the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad stations in New York and at the ticket windows of the Chicago Elevated Railway stations. The change board consists of a sheet of lens mirror glass with a corrugated under-surface which is virtually unbreakable. Three cup-like depressions on the patron's end of the board enable him to remove his change into the palm of his hand with one movement. The inventors claim for the board that it greatly facilitates the handling of change and enables three patrons to receive their tickets and money at the ticket seller's window at the same time without confusion. Patrons of motionpicture theatres where the device has been installed appreciate the convenience of scooping up their change instead of being compelled, as was formerly the case, to use their finsrer nails on a flat surface. Although much has been printed about the stereoscopic motion pictures which are being exhibited at the Scala Theatre in London, the full details regarding the manner in which the illusion is created so far have not been made public. It is known that powerful arc hghts used in conjunction with well-known optical laws contribute to the effect 'A synchronized phonographic attachment enables the spectator almost to convince himself that he is attending a real fleshand-blood performance. The light effects are such that the figures appear to move about as if in real life, the screen upon which they are projected being entirely invisible. The il1 u s i 0 n has some of the c h a r a cteristics of the phantoscope and at times the players have a ghost-like appearance which is particularly ef■ fective in certain sorts of plays. About the first type of motion-picture projection machine was the so-called "spool-bank," which was used until about 1898. In this machine the film was threaded over a series of spools contained in a box located back of the lamphouse. It passed over the lamphouse to the head of the machine, then through the head, down past the projection aperture One of the Earlier Simplex Models and back to the "spool-ibank." The length of the film was about seventy-five feet and the ends were joined together, forming an endless belt of film. In 1900 much longer films began to be used, which necessitated a change of method in handling them at the machine head. A film was wound on a reel which was carried on a bracket clamped to the top of the machine head. As it was run through the machine, it was allowed to pile on the floor, and, after projection, was wound back throuoh the machine head on the feed reel First Nicholas Power Cameragraph by a winding crank attachment. This method was continued until about 1904, when a take-up device was patented and generally adopted. Preparations for the Moving Picture Exposition to be held at Grand Central Palace from June 8 to June 13 are being hurried forward. Arrangements have been made with E. Glantzberg, of the Typhoon Fan Company, by which he has agreed to cool all the model theatre, studios and other parts of the Exhibition Hall by means of the Typhoon fanThe JohnS'-Manville Company have applied for space to exhibit their asbestos booths. Mr. McLean of the JohnsManville Company spent some time with officers of the exposition this week discussing the extensive exhibit which he plans to install. Motion picture films are made of thin ribbons of transparent pyroxylin plastic, a nitrocellulose of low nitration made by the chemical action of nitric acid upon some form of cellulose, chiefly cotton. In order to project a picture on a screen at a distance of one hundred feet or more and magnify it to one hundred and ninety-two times its own size it is necessary to concentrate upon the small picture in the film a powerful concentrated light. The period of rest of each picture on the film over the light-ray aperture must be as long as possible, and the time of travel of each picture as quick'as possible. The period of rest is six times that of the travel of the film in the latest projection machines. The Operator. vui.