The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-07-23

supply to exhibitors and storerooms were con-
verted into theaters In all parts OF the country
In less than two years more than ten thousand
picture theaters were opened in the United
States The number in New York city alone to-
tailed more than 1,200 January l, 1907 and in
Chicago there 500 OF mushroom growth.
Many motion picture producing plants were es
tablished in many cities, and the film supply
proved abundant for the rapidly increasing num-
Der of theaters. But there was no system to the
production the making of prints preparing ad-
vertising matter for exhibitors, giving heed
TO what is today considered the most important
phase of the business-that of arranging we'll
balanced program.
Manufacturers saw the necessity of not only
making the subjects but also maintaining their
own system Of exchanges for the purpose OF safe
guarding their own interests by controlling the
films, and merged their interests In releasing
companies. Now there no less than ten cor
porations composed of owners of producing COM
panies that have national releasing systems with
exchanges in all principal cities. These are capt
talized In the millions and one is reputed to have
made 1000 per cent profit while on the other
hand others have operated continuously at loss
With the formation of big releasing CON-
panies and the general Improvement Of conditions
of the industry, with regard to all phases, tho
most important to the ten millions OF people OF
the United States who daily witness the show
ing OF motion pictures is the great change for the
betterment of production and the realization by
the manufacturers of the possibilities OF photo
plays
In the Standardization of the film the celluloid
strip was gradually reduced In size from hav
ing picture two inches wide and and one
half inches deep, to uniform size of picture three
fourths of inch deep by one inch in width
There sixteen separate pictures to each linea
foot OF flm or 10000 to reel OF 1000 feet
which, when properly projected. is run off" In
eighteen minutes Few motion picture lovers
vi,,,ot
sand separate pictures are projected on the
screen, each one separated from the adjoining
one by a black line OF the thickness of an aver
age calling card.
Still stranger. II may seem, is the fact that
about one-fourth OF the time the pictures are
hidden from view of the audience and the screen
is black. This is caused by revolving fan wheel
or shutter passing I'm front OF the projecting lens
each time the film is advanced from one picture
to another by the intermittent sprocket move
ment thousand feet of film which passes
through the projecting machine is stationary
three-fourths of the eighteen minutes required
in projecting It, and I'm action but approximately
four and half minutes. This prevents blurring
of the pictures and makes each individual picture
or frame" sharp from point OF focus The pic-
lures are magnihed from two 10 four hundred
times their actual size by the projection accord.
ing to the size of tho screen, distance from the
lens and the lens itself
ing and all studios are visited daily by hundreds.
At few visitors are permitted, but at the ma
jority mo Admitance' sign hangs over the
entrance and amount OF talk or money will
get the stranger past the gates The studio I'm
reality consists OF an open-air platform, one In
closed entirely by glass. or a hall-like building
with movable electric lights OF such candle power
as will make II light as day.
In all producing plants now the story for the
photoplay Is first written From this is prepared
the scenario. which briefly outlines every scene,
describes the settings and action OF the players.
When Il is considered that each reel of pictures
requires from flfty TO seventy.hve scenes and
many OF the photoplays of today consist of as
many as FIVE. six and seven reels, while the
larger ones, such THE Spoilers" consisted OF
nine reels LES Miserables" eight. "Cabira" OF
twelve and the largest photoplay yet made. The