The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1909-01-08
MYSTERY Of MOVING PICTURES.

of all the many illusions of motion pic
lures.
A GirPs Vision.
1.-THE Errand Girls Dream" shows
another way of working a little trick
on the audience. In the first scene the
girl is shown leaving her home to 60
to the shop where she Is employed. In
the second scene she Is shown at work
in the shop and afterward starting out
with big box to deliver some goods
to customers. These two scenes are
shown with their natural back grounds,
having been taken without preparation
in typical sections of Paris. But after
the girl starts on her errands the oper-
ator of the kaleidoscope leaves her and
returns to the theater, where he finds
an actress made up to look like her
and scene painted to represent the
street through which the girl is likely
to pass.
In this scene the actress is saunter-
ing along the street. Seeing bench
she sits down, places her box beside
Der, and Is soon lost In day dreams.
Suddenly the box opens and out Of 1t
comes party of fairy creatures who
bow prettily to the girl. and then jump
ing down, 60 through merry dance
There is more to the story, but this
shows the trick.
When the girl sits down on the
bench the film is stopped while the real
box Is removed and piece Of scenery
painted to look like 1t Is uncovered.
This Ia opened from within in such a.
way that it seems to be opened by the.
fniries. The apparently dlminutlvs
size of the fairies is produced by plac-
ing them 80 or 40 feet farther away
| from the camera than Is the girl, and
as they are seen through the opening
which the spectators regard as the LID
Of the box the Illusion Is complete.
Most of these tricks are accomplish
ed much as similar illusions on the reaH
stage are produced except that the IL
fusion Is the more perfect In the NOV
ing picture because of the possibilities
OF change Of properties which the
"arret' provides. but the ability to set
the scene and produce the effect isi
based upon the same sort of knowledge
and skill that Is required In properly
staging any theatrical performance.
| Mechanical MarveIs.
Mechanically. the kaleidoscope is be-
coming rather well known. The pie
lures are taken on sensitked film,
1B inches wide, and varying in length
|
es In front of an aperture ] inch by
three-quarters of an inch In size, stops,
dead still for the fractional part OF a.
second, and passes on. the process be-
ing SO rapid that at the normal rate of
speed OF operating the machine, sixteen
exposures are made every second Of
time.
When these pictures are reproduced
and passed through the machine which
projects then upon the screen. they are
usually shown at exactly the same rate
of speed at which they were taken, and.
thus the natural effect is produced.
In showing the pictures the film.
which for reproduction has been
changed from n negative to positive
and probably coIored in the same way
that ordinary lantern slides are color.
ed is passed from one reel to another
over an aperture of the same size and
shape as that through which the pic.
ture was originally taken. and the en-.
argement of the projected picture In,
accomplished by means of lenses In,
front of the picture. Light is furnish.
ed by electricity and. as in all stereop.-
ticons. passes through the picture into,
the lens. where it Is refracted to form
the great spot of light upon the screen.
1t is the manipulation of this light
that is the dangerous feature of NOV
Ing pictures. The film Is cellulod and
highly explosive, and the point of light
that falls upon it is SO intense that IL
permitted to rest for single instant
upon the film. the heat produced viii
cause an explosion. While the film In
moving there is no danger, but 1t cam
not be stopped without danger, unless
the machine is fitted with an auto-
matte shutter, which falls over the
aperture as soon as the crank stops
turning.
Artisticaly the cinematograph is de-
veloping with amazing rapidity. When
moving picture shows were first open
ed in the cities of this country they
were regarded as rather low order of
amusement resorts. Already they have
climbed several classes, and the char
acter of pictures the best ones are
| showing hrnua thnu,
plane with the tirst-class playhouses.
Worlds Output of Metals