Chapter IX. - The Picture

The picture should appear on the curtain white and brilliant except for the natural shades of photography and it should be uniform in color- that is to say, no shadows, top, bottom or sides. Of course there are films which themselves, by reason of poor photography, show shadows and haze, still, as a general proposition, shadows are caused by the lamp not being in correct position in relation to the condensing lens; a picture that is yell all over usually indicates (though not always) poor light. It is of prime importance that the operator bend his every endeavor to getting clear, white light on every portion of the picture, and, having succeeded in this, if his machine be in proper adjustment, there is little more he can do save grind out the right speed. But don't forget this: the really good operator the one who really understands his business and wants to produce the best possible results, never takes his eye from the curtain from the time he starts until the tail piece comes into view, the rest being a mere matter of hearing, since to the practiced ear the least false note from either machine or lamp is instantly detected.

The Film

There should be in every operating room a reel that has been selected because it is absolutely, or at least practically, well balanced and true. The spring clamp of this reels should be adjusted just right and the reel should never be allowed to leave the operating room. In adjusting the reel clamp-spring (spring that hold end of film) don't get it too tight or it will tear the film instead of letting the end slip out when the end is reached. When you receive a new reel at once unwind it into the film box or on the takeup as the case may be and, unless it be a brand new film, proceed as follows: Attach (if the film has none) a tail piece from 12 to 16 inches in length. Now, holding the edges of the film between thumb and finger with pressure enough to slightly cup it, rewind very slowly on your own reel, examining every mend, cutting out all bad ones, repairing all mis-frames and examining every patch carefully to see that it is tight. DON'T get in a hurry. Take your time and do this particular job right for if you are interested in giving a good show it will pay you to do it right. But it will, with an ordinary film, say 900 feet in length, take you half an hour, and if the film be in bad condition may take twice that or even three times. Still, it must be done and done well, but when you are through you will not have a mis-frame, no thick, stiff patches, to make the picture jump and no loose patches to pull apart and cause vexatious delays. The bad places in the track will be detected by the pressure of the fingers and if it is just a crack extending into one sprocket hole it may be carefully notched, but NEVER make a notch covering more than one hole. If the track break affects more than one hole, cut it out and patch. If there be less than five feet of title attach a leader of blank film from 18 to 36 inches long, according to how much title there is. You should now be able to run the film for a week with no trouble at all. It is a place where an ounce of prevention is worth several car loads of cure. The motion picture film is so well known now that it is hardly necessary to say much in explanation of the film as a film. Still, for the benefit of beginners I will relate that the motion picture film is a strip of celluloid, specially made for the purpose, upon which has been deposited an emulsion coating upon which has been made, by a special camera, sixteen photographs to the foot, and at the rate of about 1,000 pictures per minute. Now, as stated, there are sixteen separate photographs to each foot of film and as each of these pictures must stop dead still- dead still, mind you- without a particle of vibration, in front of the picture opening, and as the film, at ordinary speed, passes through the machine at the rate of 66 feet per minute, thus showing 1,056 pictures per minute, do you see why the film must be in perfect condition? Seventeen and one-half times a second this film must stop dead still and move to a new position. Do you expect a machine in poor condition or a film in poor condition to do this? Well, if you do, you are fully entitled to several more "expects," and it is therefore up to you to put the film in first class shape before you start to use it.

In threading always have the emulsion side of the film towards the light, else any printed matter will read backwards. The film is very inflammable, burning with intense heat and dense smoke is about six times more dangerous than a pile of oil-soaked shavings. With powerful light, it is unsafe to let the film stop with the light on it for even one second and if three seconds will not set it ablaze your light is decidedly too weak. The term moving picture means just what it says, in more ways than one, and it must be kept moving or the operator will move- and move quick. Never keep a film near the ceiling. Keep it near the floor when not in use and if in a moist place it is very much better. A box with a moisture mat with water and a little glycerine is much the best, though, of course, the film must not TOUCH the mat. Heat and dryness are two of the worst enemies the film has, rendering them dry and brittle. Old, dry films jump more than new for the reason that they have shrunk and their track-holes no longer fit the sprockets. There is no remedy for this kind of jumping though it may be considerably helped by keeping the film for some time in a damp place.

Speed

There is no hard and fast rule that can be laid down governing speed, it depending largely on the subject. It may, however, be said that 70 feet per minute is about as fast as any film should be run under any circumstances with 45 as the limit the other way, this latter being available only with heavily colored films in which there are so fast moving figures. Slower than 40 feet would not be very safe and with a very powerful light the writer would not like to risk even that speed. Dark or colored films may be run at much lower speed than may light ones since the flicker does not show in them nearly so much. In general the film should be run at the speed that will produce a minimum of flicker combines with lifelike, nature motion of the figures, the latter being of prime importance. In a scene in which a man jumps from a window, if the film be run too slow a ridiculous effect is produced, while, on the other hand, if the figure of a man walking is run at too high a speed an equally grotesque effect is produced. Watch the curtain closely and govern speed to suit the action in the picture. It is as likely as not that speed should be changed several times in different portions of the same film. It all depends on the density of the film and the action of the figures. With the Powers, Edison and most standard machines, one turn of the crank runs off exactly one foot of film, so that normal speed is about 66 turns of the crank per minute and by counting turns you know just how fast you are running.

(To be continued.)

F.H. Richardson, "Lessons for Operators: Chapter IX. - The Picture," The Moving Picture World, May 9, 1908, pages 412-413.

© 1998, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)

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