Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1919)

Just what the actual damage due to over-speeding projection as expressed in dollars and cents, it is impossible to say, for the reason that no reliable figures are available as to the actual number of feet of film in daily use, the average value per reel of the film in daily use, or the average percentage of damage done to each reel. The writer has himself placed the probable number of reels in daily use in the United States and Canada at 120,000, but the actual figure may be either more or less. From long and intimate association with matters pertaining to projection we believe we are able to form what may be termed a reasonably intelligent idea of such matters. If we accept the number of photoplay theatres in the United States and Canada (16,000) as approximately correct, and assume the average daily program to consist of seven reels, we then have a total of 112,000 reels of film in daily use. If we then, taking new and old together, estimate the average money value of these reels of film at $50.00 cash we will have a total of $5,600,000 as the cash valuation of film in daily use in theatres of the United States and Canada. These figures, while admittedly somewhat in the nature of a guess, will, we believe, err, if at all on the side of conservatism. However, in order to be entirely safe, let us arbitarily subtract from the total the sum of $2,000,000 leaving $3,600,000 as the actual cash value. With these figures before us it requires but a glance to see that, even with the above ultra-conservative estimate of valuation, any considerable percentage of unnecessary damage to film is a very serious matter indeed. Even so infinitesimal an amount (in percentage) as one-tenth of one per cent, of unnecessary damage would reach the respectable sum of $3,600. The personal opinion of the author is that unnecessary damage to film traceable wholly to overspeeding will reach the least one-fourth of one per cent per day, and one-fourth of one per cent is, based on the above estimate of valuation, $9,000. Bear in mind the fact that any damage done to film or to machinery must inevitably be absorbed in the "overhead" of the industry, and that part having to do with film ultimately be charged back to the exhibitor in the form of increased film rental, because in the last analysis every item of expense incurred by the industry, no matter what its form, must be paid for out of boxofiice receipts, since the industry has no other source of income. Please understand that in the foregoing estimate of probable damage we firmly believe ourselves to have been ultra-conservative — that the actual figure is very much in excess of that named. In addition to the foregoing we must not overlook the fact that there are not less than 25,000 projectors (probably a substantially larger number) in use in theatres of the United States and Canada. These machines probably cost exhibitors an average of not less than $400 each, or a total of $10,000,000, and if their average life be shortened through abuse in over-speeding by as much as ten per cent., it will be seen that additional serious overhead expense is incurred by the industry, since 10% of $10,000,000 is $1,000,000. It will, of course, be understood that the values quoted are arbitrary. They are based merely on what the writer believes to be 66