Mr. Porter: Last year a number of things were approved which have stood so far without change; of course, they are open to discussion here, but if they are changed, they must lie over another six months.
(Motion duly passed that the standards and nomenclature initially accepted at Roscoe be approved.)
I think we will make best progress if we take up the new items one at a time.
***
Mr. Porter: "Projection speeds: It was decided on account of complications involved, that the Committee did not have sufficient data to make a definite recommendation. Arrangements were made with Mr. Griffin of the Nicholas Power Company to have a demonstration at, Chicago."
Since this report was printed, tests of various projection speeds at a screen brilliancy of tenfoot candles with the shutter running and no film have been conducted by your committee assisted by Messrs. Earl Dennison, R.C. Peck, Roger Hill, and Herbert Griffin. We came to the unanimous and definite conclusion that a projection speed of 80 is best with a minimum of 75 and a maximum of 85. It is realized fully that there are numerous factors entering into this problem such as screen brilliancy, type of picture, type of shutter, etc., and that under certain conditions, other speeds may be- permissible or necessary. However, all these considered, your committee recommends 80 feet per minute as the best practice. We will now demonstrate these various speeds to you, covering a range of from 60 to 95 feet a minute. (Projection of demonstration reel of film.)
Mr. Richardson: I have repeatedly protested against the sixty-feet-per-minute projection speed adopted by this Society several years ago. Such a speed is entirely impracticable in the many theaters where high screen brilliancy prevails, because it could not be applied without very bad flicker. On the other hand, any speed in excess of that necessary to eliminate flicker and set up naturalness of action is bad because of excessive strain and wear on the projector mechanism and the sprocket holes of the film.
Up to eighty feet a minute, projection is possible without any increase in the projector gate tension now used. At eighty feet per minute, flicker is totally eliminated, even where screen brilliancy is very high, and that speed gives as natural action as can be had with any speed. I am convinced that eighty feet of film per minute represents good projection practice under modern conditions and I trust this Society will adopt it as standard recommended practice.
Mr. Norrish: Do I understand that the Society recommends 80 instead of 60 for taking?
Mr. Porter: No, in that point we felt that the camera-man will take pictures at different speeds, and he will do this according to the work in hand, so that we have worked on the basis that the projection speed should remain constant and the. cameraman change his speed to meet different conditions.
Mr. Abbott: Mr. Porter says that the cameramen take pictures at different speeds, and if various speeds are used, how are we to know which one should be used for such a test as this?
Mr. Porter: I think you will all realize this is a problem in which there is an endless number of variations and the best we can do is to cut corners and recommend what is generally good practice.
I call attention again to this clause in the report: "It is realized fully that there are numerous factors entering into this problem such as type of shutter, screen brilliancy, type of picture, etc., so that under certain conditions, other speeds may be permissible or necessary."
Mr. Richardson: With the brilliant screen illumination of today, flicker is far worse than it was and the first consideration is to eliminate it.
Mr. Dennison: Disregarding flicker, the action is too slow at 60.
(Motion duly passed that recommendation concerning projection speeds be accepted.)
***
Excerpt from "Discussion on Report of Standards and Nomenclature Committee," Transactions of S.M.P.E., No. 19, meeting of September 29, 30, October 1, 2, 1924, pages 58-60.
© 1998, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)
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