Not nearly so long as it did a few years ago.
"By common practice the cameramen have been cranking faster each year," according to Frank J. Rembusch, head of a chain of theatres in Indianapolis.
"And the projector, in order to keep the picture action normal, must speed up with the camera."
Rembusch thinks this cycle of speed is not only unnecessary, but is wasting millions of feet of film and millions of dollars.
In the early days of films, 15 minutes was the time taken in projecting a reel (1000 feet) of film.
Rembusch says pictures are now run at about 10 minutes to a reel, or 70 minutes for the average 7-reel feature.
This speed is a tremendous strain on the film. It involves the jerking down of 1440 Pictures a minute. "Jerking down" is literal.
"The faster the picture is 'jerked down' the more tension is needed to hold this picture steady during the 1-24th of a second that the picture stays still," declares the theatre man, which brings us to the cycle of more speed, more jerk, more tension, more sprocket holes jerked out and more films scratched."
Rembusch advocates a return to 16 pictures a second, or 15 minutes for each reel. Eight pictures a second will show motion.
The speed was set at 16 a second because the shutter blade covers the picture when it is falling.
If the shutterless, continuous projector were developed commercially, it would be possible to project eight pictures a second. Then a feature that now runs 7000 feet would require only 2334 feet- for identically the same action.
Rembusch says the industry would be saved thirty million dollars a year- and the flickerless picture would eliminate all eye strain.
It will be observed that Mr. Rembusch is quoted to the effect that the cinematographer has been "turning faster" each year with the result that the projectionist has been obliged to project more rapidly.
The Demon Speed
As a matter of fact, the cause of the situation does not lie with either the projectionist or the cinematographer. It lies instead, with those theatre managers who have long since developed a mania for "fast shows"- turn the film through as fast as possible, cut minutes and seconds wherever possible on the program, reduce the running time of the aggregate of the day's performances, get the patrons through their visit to any one particular performance as quickly as possible. And this attitude is naturally borne out in the fact that the only excuse advanced for the cutting of credit titles is the economy of the few seconds worked thereby.
The Reverse
If, then, the theatres insisted on faster projection and certain producers observed the difference in the ratio of taking and projection speeds, it was only natural that some of such producers request that their film be exposed more rapidly so as to offset the increased speed of projection. Hence it will be seen that faster projection was responsible for the increased rate of exposing instead of "the other way round." In other words, if Mr. Rembusch was quoted correctly, he, to use that homely expression, "got the cart before the horse."
Present Standard
A check-up of the turning speeds used by various cinematographers reveals that the majority are turning at the standard rate of 60 feet per minute, or 16 images per second. To say, according to the scale ascribed to Mr. Rembusch, that the cinematographer turns at 100 feet per minute as a standard rate, is ridiculous. On the other hand, if the projection speed is at the rate of 100 feet per minute as Mr. Rembusch states it, then there is some logical explanation for the resultant effects in film exhibitions, the negative for which was exposed at the present standard of 60 feet per second.
Several camera manufacturers have speed indicators on their cameras assuring the cinematographer of the exact speed of exposing. In addition, in the majority of the studio projection rooms, a speed indicator showing feet per minute is attached to the projector and located on the director's desk thereby providing a check-up on projection speed.
We do not contend that the standard will always be at the current rate of 60 feet per minute or 16 images per second; although the rate of projection speed, it is quite generally recognized, has been increased over 60 feet per minute. On the other hand, there has been considerable discussion as to increasing the standard. This discussion has taken place among members of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers and others naturally interested in the matter. It is no more than probable that the standard will be changed as the logical outgrowth of the many improvements in projectors and kindred apparatus. But to say that the rate of projection speed is or should be 100 feet per minute will bring nothing more than unsatisfactory results as long as the motion picture camera and projector bear any resemblance to what they are today.
Paul P. Perry, "Cause of Speedy Projection," American Cinematographer, March 1925, pages 7, 19.
© 1998, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)
Return to the Silent Film Bookshelf Home Page