Talking pictures : how they are made, how to appreciate them (c. 1937)

Glossary Interior: A scene which appears to be taken indoors. In the first days of films, before artificial light, all interiors were taken out of doors under straight or diffused sunlight. Occasionally today, and usually on location, interiors are taken out of doors. Iris: An adjustable diaphragm of thin plates in front of a camera lens. Its action resembles that of the iris of the eye. Iris in; iris out: Using an iris diaphragm on a camera to give the general effect of what a man sees when he slowly opens or closes his eyes. Juicer: A professional illuminating electrician. Junior: A medium-sized condenser spotlight of concentrated beam using a 1,000 or 2,000 watt incandescent lamp for key lighting; modeling of the face through lights and shadows. Smaller than a bon-bon. Key light: Main light source for the faces of the characters, as distinguished from the general illumination of the setting. Leader: A piece of blank film attached to the beginning of a reel of developed film for convenient threading or insertion into a projection machine. Lens: (a) A piece of glass or other transparent material having two polished surfaces, both of which may be curved, or one may be curved and the other plane, (b) A combination of two or more single lenses designed to operate as a unit. In actual practice, many cameramen confine themselves to six lenses: a 24 mm. for very wide angle shots; a 35 mm. for long shots of a setting; a \h/% inch or 40 mm. for medium long shots; a two inch or 50 mm. for medium close-ups; a three inch or 75 mm. for close-ups; and a four inch or 100 mm. for extreme close-ups. For trick effects he may use occasionally a lens of very delicate wide angle focus, 18 mm. This produces intentional dis [313]