The Press., 1912-02-14
MOVING PICTURES
ingenious Methods of Producing
Startling Effects.
TRICKS OF THE CAMERA MEN.

Expedients by Which PuzzIins situa-
tions and Incidents That Seem to
Contradict the Laws of Nature Are
Recorded on the Finished Film.
to wonderful degree in the creation
Of novel and seemingly Impossible
situations and episodes for production
in the moving picture shows, and audi
ences are often bewildered In trying
to decide how the curious effects.
which at times seem to contradict the
laws Of nature, are secured. Yet, like
the conjurer's tricks, it is all very SIM
pie when the veil is lifted.
There are some scenes depicted
which, while amazing enough In their
way, do not puzzle the critical be-
holder In solving the ways and means
of their making. There are the railroad
accident, obtained by means of chill
dren's toys; the warships and the
aeroplanes, which are also photo
graphs of playthings; the burglar in
his unheard Of performance of climb
ing the front of a house, and-last, but
not least-the man clinging to the cell
ing of a room. The pictures explain
themselves.
But when we see a man jumping
out of fourth story window, see him
fall fifty feet to the ground and then
get up and run away unhurt. we ask,
How is this possible? The origin Of
the picture is very simple. The fugi-
tive jumps out of a low window in
the studio, which is fitted up in the
style Of the desired room. Then the
photographing process is interrupted.
The next picture is taken in the street
in front of a real house. A life sized
puppet is dropped from one of the
windows. When it has reached the
ground the machine stops, the actor
puts himself in the place Of the figure
the reel is started again, the man gets
up and runs away.
In like manner auto accidents and
similar episodes are arranged.
Another impOssibility-a man swims
through a river and on the other side
he climbs a ten foot wall without diff
ficuity. Origin Of the pictures: The
man Is photographed sliding from the
wall into the water, but in taking the
picture the reel is turned wrong way.
SO the motion is reversed when the
picture is reeled off in the right direc
ton.
The last obstacle in representing the
seemingly impossible was cleared
away when some clever mind conceiv-
ed the idea Of stopping the photograph
ing process. not after a series of pic
lures. but after each single picture
or after each two or three of them
The work involved was enormous. as
eighteen pictures are taken every sec
ond-that is to say. about $4,000 pic
lures are required for a reel. which is
to amuse the public only ten minutes
But human perseverance has accom-
plished the task. and the results OBJ
tanned are extraordinary. The follow
ing examples will prove it:
A pile of small stones is put on a
black table. and the apparatus Is fas
tened vertically above the s.pnes
Then short turn of the crank'u I'D a
few identical pictures of the ste pile
are taken One Of the stones i: hen
removed from the pile: another Ort
turn. which gives two or three pictures
showing the first stones separate fron,
the pile. The process is repeated I'M
til the stones laid aside by hand show
the writing. Good Night" The I'm
iAhed film does not show the hand
that removed one stone after another
but creates the impression that the
stones arrange themselves in tie form
Of magic writing.
Instend Of the stones. IL lump Of cla
may he placed on the table and some
kind OF figure is gradually modelled
from it by hand: but. this hand being
invisible. it seems as if the figure
formed itself
In the same way herring can grad
ually be sent back into the tin can
from which it was taken. - Gnrten
Iaube TniDZi0