The manner in which modern mechanical skill took advantage of this physiological defect, proved many years ago by the leading scientists, is nearly as interesting as this slight defect in nature's own camera—the eye.
Above the film gate is a metal fireproof box (many of them are lined with asbestos) in which is the roll of unprojected positive film. Below it is another similar box in which the film that has been shown is wound. The motion, which is directed either by a crank turned by hand or by electrical power, is the same speed, and practically the same in detail, as that of the film in the cinematograph camera. From the film box the film runs to a roller, where a sprocket enters the all-important perforations and draws out the strip to make a small loop above the film gate.
The shutter is placed in front of the lens. It is made up of a black metal circular disk, with either two or three open spaces, and a similar number of solid or opaque spaces. In general it looks like a very wide flat aeroplane propeller. Like the movement of the camera, the film is stationary while the shutter is open, and when the shutter is closed the film is jerked down three fourths of an inch, or the length of one picture, and brought to a dead stop by the time the shutter revolves and is open again. This is repeated sixteen times every second, so the film is cast upon the screen for one thirty-second part of a second, and the screen is blank one thirty-second part of a second while the shutter is closed and, as we might say, the scenes are being changed for the next act. Although the movement is just the same as in the camera, it may be well for the sake of making the thing perfectly clear to go through the motion very slowly.
For the sake of keeping out of fractions entirely too small for our consideration we have assumed that in both camera and projecting machine the shutter is open one thirty-second part of a second and then closed one thirty-second part of a second, the whole operation taking one sixteenth of a second. As a matter of fact the effort of the experts in animated photography is to have the shutter of the camera open for just as brief a space of time as possible, and on the other hand it is their effort to have the shutter of the projecting machine open just as long a space of time as possible, and closed as short a time as possible. In other words, they desire to shorten the time when there is nothing on the screen, and lengthen the time for the eye to photograph each image on the brain. By using a little different mechanism in the film gate of the projector this is accomplished to some extent, as well as obtaining a clearer, steadier picture than formerly was shown.
You will remember that in the camera and printing machine the film was jerked down by little teeth or fingers.
The simpler of the two methods in general use on projectors now is called the "dog" movement. It is composed of an eccentric wheel placed below the film gate, with a little roller projecting from it. The wheel revolves and once every sixteenth part of a second the roller is brought around so that it strikes the film and jerks it down the three fourths of an inch that makes the space of one picture.
A MOTION-PICTURE STUDIO
This is where a great many of the Edison Photoplays are made. Besides all the other departments there is room on the stage for several different plays to be photographed at one time.