Download Report - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

"In regard to value, the tests have been instructive
and educational to cameramen, electricians and
laboratory men. As to results, they have proven
that certain shots can be made with Incandescents
which were thought impossible. I believe they will
save the producer a lot of money on locations, as
well as in the studio."-D. L. Faralla, Business
Manager, First National.
"The
Mazda demonstrations undertaken bv the
Academy have proven of tremendous interest to us
and demonstrated that with proper development of
equipment, viz., globes and filaments, lighting optical
s5,51sm5, housing units, and possible photographic
lens and negative improvements, Mazda
will be used almost exclusively in the fs1s1s."-
Paramount Experimental Dept.
"Yery favorable."-James Dent, Production
Manager, United Artists.
TESTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS
The series of tests and demonstrations for the
benefit of cinematographers and other technicians in
the industry, and to ascertain the value and availability
of Mazda and Incandescent Illumination as
compared to Arc Lighting, was commenced the
night of lanuary 18, 7928, and lasted until March,
7928, in Warner Bros. studio, generously tendered
to the Academy by Mr. Jack Warner.
Frank Murphy, chie f electrician for Warner
Bros.. as chairman of the Demonstrations Committee,
had operating charge, and was assisted by Fred
Gage, Laboratory Superintendent of the same company.
The photographing operations were conducted by
the American Society of Cinematographers, through
its president and Research Committee, as follows:
Daniel Clark, President, Victor Milner, Chairman,
Research Committee; Joseph Dubray, Executive
Secretary and Frank Good and Hal Mohr, members
of the Research Committee. Of these, Victor
Milner and Hal Mohr also represented the Academy.
There were ten public demonstrations at night in
Warner Bros. studio, at which the attendance of
cinematographers and others averaged 150; one
night demonstration in the Roosevelt Hotel, witnessed
by about 500 people, and one night exterior
demonstration on the grounds of the Garden Court
Apartments, Hollywood Boulgvard, attended by a
crowd estimated at 2,000. A sub-committee consisting
o{ Louis Kolb and Peter Mole had charge
of the electrical equipment of the Garden Court
demonstration. The first two night demonstrations
and the last outdoor demonstration included comparative
shots with both Arc and Incandescent illumination.
All the others were with Incandescent
alone, excepting one when mixed illumination,
Mazda, Arc and Cooper-Hewitt were employed.
Following is a list of the pight demonstrations,
with the names of' the cinematographers officiating:
January lg-\ry's1ns1 Bros,, John Arnold and
Ernest Haller.
January z0-WafiIer Bros., Lee Garmes and Len
Powers.
January 23-Warner Bros., John Mescal.
January !$-\rys1ns1 Bros., Arthur Edeson.
t 18 l
January 27---Warner Bros., Harry Jackson.
February 1-Wal'ner Bros., Victor Milner.
February 3-Wa1'ne1. Bros., Karl Struss.
February g-Walner Bros., Daniel Clark-Fox
Studio night.
February lfl-fteessvslt Hotel, Gaetano Gaudio.
February 15-I4/arnet' Bros., John Arnold-M-
G-M night.
February 17 -Warner Bros., Al Gilks-Paramount
night.
April 16-Garden Court Ext., Daniel Clark, John
Boyle, Frank Good.
In addition to the foregoing major demonstrations
at night, there were 74 individual periods of
tests made during the day hours by approximately
40 difierent camera men.
The total footage of negative exposed was 72,604
feet, contributed, together with the positive, by the
Eastman, Dupont and Agfa Companies.
The laboratory work was done by various laboratories,
usually at the choice of the cinematographer.
The film .was cut and edited by a committee of
the American Society of Cinematographers with
Frank Good doing most of the active work.
The edited film is approximately 7,000 feet in
length and was exhibited in full at a meeting of
the Academy and the A. S. C. at the Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce the night of April 17.
The film is in the custody of the American Society
of Cinematographers and is available for exhibition
by authorized persons on application to the
Academy, the Association of Motion Picture Producers
or the American Society of Cinematographers.
REEL ONE
The reel opens with tiUes explaining the purposes
of the tests and demonstrations, credits and acknowledgments
and a statement that it is the wish
of the associated organizations "that the tests shall
not be considered demonstrations of individual abilities
as to lighting photography, laboratory renditions
or film manufacture."
Then follow test shots in the order named, showing
the "Relativity of Arc and Mazda lighting from
the standpoint of volume:"
Test 2. Arc and Mazda. Long shots, medium
and close-up. Living room, arch and stairway in
background. Dark-haired man and blonde girl in
evening attire. Full daylight lightings.