How Moving Pictures are Produced.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVLI, Issue 10, 6 September 1911, Page 33

How Moving Pictures are Produced.

THE FAKER IN HIS ELEMENT.

HAT is tlie most popular iorm ■ ■ I entertainment to-day? It yJIjL a public vote were taken on this question, it is safe to say that an overwhelming majority would be gixeii in favour of the moving-picture theatre. No means of diverting the public in their leisure moments have created such a furore or wrought swell changes upon the community as the camera which records life in motion upon a long strip of sensitised celluloid lihn. and projects it in animation upon a white screen by an (improvement ol the limelight lantern. Indeed, it has relegated the “magic lantern,” so fascinating in our younger days, to the limbo of things that were. Paris was responsible for this latest development: was the seat of the contagion which lias swept throughout the world. About four years ago an enterprising Frenchman sought a. new magnet to fascinate the pub-li-c. He cast round, but inventors appeared unfortunate in hitting upon the right thing to hypnotise the masses, or else the latter had .become somewhat blase. I he ordinary forms of divertissement which hitherto had attracted the people in their thousands failed to rouse a particle of interest. Suddenly he bethought himself of the kinemat ograph. I p to this time the quasi-coiree grinding magic lantern had been seen bill little. Its chief point of attraction was ciiiiosity. and is was regarded more as a scientific toy. This Frenchman decided upon a new plan of action He would produce tragedy, comedy, drama, and farce in pvtures upon the screen in addition to mere scenic pictures. He secured a selection of varied films, leased a hall suited to their projection on a life-size scale, and in this way gave a pictorial pantomime reproduction upon the white sheet. He furnished his hall upon the mosl up-to-date lines with tip up com fortable seats, gaily bedecked the ex terior of his building, illuminating it brilliantly and attractively by nigh . and charged only a tew pence for admission. He nursed half an idea that he would succeed. And he did. but in a manner that exceeded his most sanguine ambitions. I'he first night there was a fairly large curiosity-provoked audience which did not think for a moment that it would tolerate* such an export it ion for a solid hour. But its attention was so absorbed that the sixty minutes slipped by as il I hex were seconds. The result was that the* ent erpi isiug Frenchman found his theatre and new

attraction the one theme of conversation in Paris. Crowds flocked to his doors the people fought round the box-olTice to secure admission, and every inch of space within the building was crammed. The people shrieked with laughter, applauded vigorously the thrilling escapes of 1 he inanimate hero, hissed the villain: in fact they were so enthralled as to think that they were looking upon the real thing, ami not a tnere pictorial represent a tion thereof. I’he moving-picture show swept ov'-r Paris like an epidemic. I’he pioneer within a month found that he had recouped his initial outlay ami was well on the right side of his profit and loss account, while tin* rush still at the Hood give no signs of ebbing. He saw a fortune looming steadily in the distance. Olliers follow cd his example with alacrity, and in a short time the boulevards ami side streets from Hie west end to tin* slums were bristling with moving-picture theatres. It developed into an absolute rage. Other countries soon fell v dims to the epidemic. In (lerniany. where the kinematograph had scarcely been seen or heard of. as it was somewhat foreign

to the ta-des ol the stolid Teuton, picture theat res sprang up on all sides. In Italy. Belgium. Spain. Austria. and Russia it was the same. Tin* xxaxe swept across tin* channel and caught up the English in its mad rush. Hitherto tin l biograph display had been merely a turn in the legitimate* music hall miter tainment a side issue turned to eon \enieiit Use to rivet the audience while a big stage* scene was being set. Now it became the entire* programme* of an esf <1 blishliient. Laigc buildings which had been standing vacant lor years suddenly were in great demand, were* me*t ainorphosed qniekly ami changed into humming res'less hives of activity. C ompanies sprang up <m all sides ami as th.- profits realised by the early concerns were so over whelming, the public subscribed lavishlv. Four years ago it is safe to assert that hi tin* British islands t here was not a single building devoted to the exclusive presentation of moving pictures, to-dav there are over 4<MH> kinematograph pala.es. \s the majority of these under takings give two shows an evening at least, ami seat an average of 300 people lor the two houses, which is a verv modest computation, over 1.200.000 people patronise the moving-picture theatres every evening. But iiiasniu.h as the show lasts <n» the axerage about an hour, and is con tinned without interruption for six <».-• nine hours per day it is safe to assert. I hat the number is nearer three millions I" 1 ’ day. 11 is well within the mark that the British public spend C2.>.000 a day on. t his amusement. Prob ;ll ’ly the sum is double that figure, but taking the axerage expenditure at two p‘ , nce per h.-ad this is the result obtained from an attendance of 3.000.000 people per day. I he effect upon the manuf u-t uring in diisfrx dexofed to the production of •iHiinafed pictures for the delectation of the public is amazing. It is an industry concentrated in but a few hands. < onparatively speaking. Three hundred films would represent the total number for the whole world. This fact is du.* to the expensive character of the work. Ih.it it is highly remunerative is evident from a little in vestiga t ion. bne firm in Paris, whix-li is probabh’ the largest of its class in Europe, pa \ - a dixidend of ninety per rent, upon its capital. In the Knifed States Mr. 3’. Alva Edison, the American inventor of the kinematograph. nets anvthing from CIOOO to L* 3000 a week in roxalties accruing from the use of his kim-mato graph appliances. But between these* firms these exists a. healthy rivalry. The public having survived the first ellects of the era/.-’ have become critical as much so in fa t as the legitimate play goers. As a pla c may fail t" draw the public so may a film. I In* result is that the ] A-turo record manufacturer is a somewhat complex personality. In the first place he must he thoroughly an fait with the ti-chnics of tin- photographic sid*. so as to be sure to produce a film free from all blemish. Then he must be a keen student of human emotions so as to be able to produce pictures xvhirh strike the right chord. With these txvo attributes he must assimilate a first-rate know ledge of stage

crall. more dilli<nlt in his |<ir.iculai instance as <.f| ( -n he has t<» nmve tin pieces oxer an actual chess-board s other words stage the plax it: natural s llrn , U | |r (j comedy must lie well combined with the drainati In- must d<*xote spe<-ial attention to tlr detail. .Moreox <*r everything must la absoiutel, |x*rfe*-t, iiuismuili as Hit uin.era is relentless in its record. is the result? I’h<- film make) draxxs the character for his ph-torii drama, comedy, farce, or what imt from the profession. The players have t« learn ami study their parts with fat more infinite care than is upon the stage, inasmuch as there b n dialogue to •counteract defects in action, I’he public merely sees the rcpiesenta tion. and cveix thing must be carried out s ” ns to conxey a perhi-tlx lucid impression of the subject the action must in every respect explain and portray the For this icason the actor- ami act ri-sses ha x c to be selected xerx carefully. A populai idol max be a perfect siiccis. before th- footlights, but that, is not to sax that he xxill l»»- so in front of the camera, no more than a popular

night ingale i- a >m-ees's on the phono graph. ( old blooded mechanism has no regard for hum.in popularity. I’he actors ami actresses in the play having been found suitable the m-xt. step is the perparation of tin- setting ol tin* scene. This may take place cither in tin- open air in a natural <-nx iron niciit, or upon a stage. If tin- latter the scenic artist has to be brought into eviilence. ami here again much depends upon the individual. He is sexerely fe'ltered by limit al ions. Ex cry t hing has to be painted in monochrome and in black and white at that. I’he stage is as large or larger than that of fhe average theatre, and externally re sembles a lofty greenhouse. As a rule the front is made moxabh* that tinwhole stage can face tin- open air. In reality it is an immense studio, a multiplicity of blinds being required to secure the requisite lighting effects when

taken iiinlcr natural daylight conditions. But the weather may Im* inclement ami then elaborate artificial lighting has to be resorted to. 'l’his takes tin* form of powerful electric lamps which bathe the whole -<*ene in a brilliant glare. Any thing from .'>o,ooo to 10(1.000 candlepower may Im* concentrated upon tin* scene. This -tage is complete in more sensethan one. Crowd- of scene -hitlers are necessary in order to set each scene; ami in thi- connection almost as much speed is -how n a- upon the orthodox -tage. ina-mmdi as time means money. ( o-tiinics. scenery. and properties for any period or situation have to be vv re-led from tin* property room, and while the -com* -hit I er- a re busy at work upon t he stage between tin* scenes the actors and actresses arc hastily (hanging their costumes. Then, again, the whole thing haslo be timed. A too leiighlv film bores the audience* jn-t as much as a long-drawn out plav perhaps more so. Also in order to hold the public, action must be continuous soliloquies are blanks and must be ruthlessly cut out. “Keep on the move" is the one adjuration urged upon the members of the ’company, ami rehearsals have to be carried out time after time to make sure of tin* merest, detail before the whole is presented be fore the camera. At lust when all is ready the first night before the sensitive silver film takes places. The operator sets up his camera and carefully focuses and stops down the lens. The coil of film is slipped into the camera and passed over the various pulleys which bring successive small areas of the sensitised

surface before the open lens. The electricians '.witch on their Limps and tie* manager takes a last look round to see that everything is in perfect order and that the scene can rattle through without a hitch. fhe actors and actresses stand in the wings ready to take their cue. and those •‘discovered on the -tage” give themselves a final draw up. “All ready'.'” a-ks the manager. “.Now, then, go ahead.” The plav -tart-. Scarcely has th.* first movement begun when there iheard the steads rhythmic purring of tin* revolving mechaiii-m of the ’camera as the operator turns it steadily and persistently. making some twelve or sixteen exposure- per second. flic member- waiting in the wings at their appointed times make their entrances and exits in truly theatrical manner, (►lie ami .ill speak the dialogue, as may be observed by the movements of the lips mi the screen in projection. flier.* i- not a -mind beyond the enunciations of tin* player-. but round the little scene i- grouped an alert body of electricians and other- all mi tin* qiii viva* for aa eiin*rg<*n. v ami miler the eagle eye of the manager. “Hight” shout- tin* manager and the camera cea-es its monotonous purring. Ihe curt.tin or rather the -butter of tin* leii- ha- fallen. In a second everv thing is hustle and bustle, the scene -hifters -citing the next scene, while the company are hurriedly changing their ro-tumes if necessary. Meanwhile ihe operator ha- -lipped a new film into hi- camel a. ami calinlv awaits the open ing of the next -vein*. In this wav the w hole it ram i i- enacted It ma v he a plav which would occupy the boards • >! th 1 theatre lor -nine

two and a half hours the moving picture manager coinpresses it within a. fifth or sixth of that time expunging everything but action. It appears simple

but live minutes oil the stage of a moving-picture film manufacturer is more exhausting than half an hour under general conditions on a stage.

It Ihe scene is being enacted out of doors amid natural surroundings the seem* painter ami stage carpenter are dispensed with. Ihe company hustle oil to the scene of action with their properties stowed in a motor-car, and garbed ready for the event. The operator sets up his machine, and Hip seem* is carried through. When completed the whole outfit returns to headquarters, and possibly days may elapse before the next scene is taken. The picture secured, the remainder of the task is purely mechanical. Ihe films are consigned to tin* dark-room and by special contrivances passed through tin* developing bath, fixed, and dried, 'fhe positive then has to be prepared in much the same manner. In due course the manager is informed that the picture is ready, and he repairs to the testingroom to see the reproduction of the play. In this hall the drama or what not is put through in sections just as taken. The manager follows it carefully, making notes of what periods in the film could be dispensed with very well. In short the play-picture undergoes relentless pruning and editing. Six inches are cut out here, a foot there, and so on: care being exercised that such cuts do not affect cohesion or continuity of action. Possibly fhe whole reproduction is unsatisfactory. in which event it has to be enacted again with all revisions. When ihe manager has completed his work Ihe various sections are joined up to iorm a continuous homogeneous whole. From this negative ihe positive is print-

ed. and once again the manager witnesses projection of the whole drama in complete form. Ii receives his earmark of approval, and then is multiplied by the dozen to be sent to picture theatres throughout the world. It seems a simple operation, but as a matter of fact the preparation of the play from the writing of the manuscript, the drawing-up of the characters, the rehearsal, ami the final projection in the testing theatre occupies several weeks or perhaps 'months. Nothing is hurried. 'Haste in this particular field inevitably spells failure. When it comes to a huge* production such as, perhaps, a moving picture dramatic representation of ‘‘A Tale of Two Cities’’ or other scenes of the French revolutionary period—which be it noted are particularly popular it is a complex problem. Any theatrical manager will tell von that the staging of a crowd is a difficult undertaking, and the manner in which the moving-picture manager handles such masses of humanity is remarkable from the stage effect point of view. The crowd is seen in the zenith of its excitement and from the artistic point of view is of distinct merit. Yet, as you see the spectacle pass before you on the screen, you cannot form the faintest idea of the labour and worries through which the producing .manager passed to secure that ellect. They were rehearsed time alter time, the controlling personality slaving like a dog to work the crowd up to the requisite pitch of excitement. And what of the expense? A peep at

the books of some of these manufacturers would startle the average moving’ picture theatre-goer who pays perhaps, but sixpence tor his seat. In staging a big scene €5OO goes but a very little distance. The properties, costumes, travelling expenses, and salaries represent no small item. The staging of the •‘Life of Christ” ran into €2OOO, hut it is said to have netted its daring producer a matter of £30,000, as it was seized by various religious societies for their propaganda. One Parisian firm spends several thousands ol pounds every week in this direction, tor it has no less than live special stages for the production of dramatic films.

The historical subjects are among the most expensive to produce, especially when accompanied by large crowds. But in this direction the manufacturer some twines <li splays -.considerable ingenuity by working up the subject from extraneous sources. That is to say he will take incidents from other subjects and introduce them into 'the particular film in hand. For instance, when. England was suffering from “pageant it is,” some two years ago. the enactment of

various scenes by certain towns inter es'ted in the pageant craze so far as it affected their particular localities, enab led the animated picture maker to sc cure incidents full of detail at no expense beyond the film, which were after wards introduced into a suitable histori

cal subject. The film itself is of celluloid recently the non-inflammable material has been adopted as a substitute for tin* highly inflammable transparent medium -about an inch in width. In reality it is nothing but an adaptation of the continuous roll) film Xvliiicfh |the snapshotter uses. The picture is seven-eighths of an inch deep, and being taken and projected on the average at about sixteen pictures a second, this represents no less than !><»<> pictures a minute. In the case of a film occupying half an hour, no less than 28,800 pictorial records of the event portrayed on tin* screen will pass before the eye. The total length of smh a film will be 2.100 feet. The average charge for a black-and-white film is 4d per foot net, so the cost of such a film would be about €35.

Inasmuch, however, as a film is very much like a newspaper, in that its period of utility to a single theatre is severely limited, the proprietor does not purchase it outright. If sm h were done the capital outlay per week for a show lasting, say. ninety minutes, representing some €lO5, would be prohibitive, especially seeing ’that in the large towns it is necessary to effect a complete

change of programme once or twice weekly. 1 nless the proprietor possessed a circuit of theatres the films after three days’ use would be waste. Even if he owned a ring of theatres it would not pay him nowadays to purchase a film. The middleman has come to his aid. and it is due to his existence that these

theatres have sprung up like mushrooms in all directions. He makes the purchases from ’the manufacturers, and then hires them to the theatres at so much a week, or for three days, as the case may be. Through the middleman it is possible to secure a pictorial programme lasting >ixty minutes for a small theatre tor a little as two guineas per week. When the boom first started the middle

man by hiring out the films made money ea»dy and rapidly, but his trade like that of his ilk in other industries, has become diminished. Many manufacturers now lea-e the films out direct, and as they have an extensive clientele, can keep films running round the country, serving a widely distributed chain of theatres like a

snowball, the film recouping its original cost within a very short time. Then, after its term of useful service is completed. it is thrown into the junk market and sold for a mere song. p«»-»ildv torn, scratched and cut. to finish up its career in a meandering side >how visiting the (simaller villages which are not sufficiently populattsl to warrant the foundation of an established theatre, or

falls within the clutches of a scientific youth who utilises the film for the en tertainment of his companions at home in a toy lantern. Though the belief that the camera cannot lie has long been exploded, there arc many people who believe everything they see projected Upon the screen to be snbstantiallv the real thing. As a

matter of tact the moving-picture maim farturer is the biggest ami most unblushing taker e\*tant. There are no limits 1O the (rick* ami devices that lie presses into -er\ice. In this field of activity he i- nior<> fertile (han the mod (‘Xpert illusionist and conjurer. l-'oi instance, you are following (lie re jiivcnating cllecl* of a mysterious po. lion, il i* in the hands, say. of a witch, tael i- restored to ymitli im media (ely. uid you -ce the 'transformation take Everyone with whom she comes in con beh-ic ymir eye**. How is il done' i- a common <pic-tioii. The answer i- very -iinplc. Yon see an in ditidiial bent double with age. Fur (hipurpose* the actor is made up. lie meed- tin* witch who instantly perforins -onio weird actions, at the same time Ide-sing the subject with sprinkling of her famous youth restorer. At that point the camera stops working. While out of action the actor without moving his position discards his garments and appearance <>l age ami beneath he is attired in garments characteristic of ymi'ih. When the camera starts working once more you see (he decrepit in dividual erect himself in the new gar nients ami strut along like a youngster in his teens. It is the same all through, lust at the moment that the change is to take place under the action of the mystic medium the camera slops working and the requisite* change is ellected. The trick lilm is really one of the most popular forms of amusing pictures in vogue to-day. and il was brought into use at first through the enterprise of a French ■magician.” who pressed into his services the ordinary devices associated with his art. From that it was but a short step to faking. In this work superprinting two or three films is a common artifice, as well as double exposures upon the same lilm. In this way w c sec visions such as (he miner in tin* Yukon dreaming of his home ami mother in the North of England. I’he majority of these tricks are absurdly simple, but as their lucid explanation is impossible without the aid of diagram- is is impossible* to dip into those of an apparently intricate* character. It will sunice t<v Tkay that sensational scenes smh as a leap over a elill. an execution, and such like* are produced by resort to a lay figure. At the critical moment in tin* incident when the sensation is to occur, the* camera is stopped, ami the* real actor slips out of the* seem*, ami a dummy is suhsti tute*d. I’he* stoppage* is only momentary and none* of the characters change* their relative positions, becoming rooted Io the* spot like -tallies at the* instant tin* manager gives the* signal to intro • luce* the dummy which is held in reserve* near by. W lie n the* kine*matograph Hist entered the* amii-cmen't world the* scenes depict cd were* of a e-oumiemplae <• character sm h as. an ordinary street seem* or event in

everyday domestic* life*. But enterprise -truck out daringly. Thrilling dramas ami absurd comedies were* written, and these proved immensely popular. Then the* manufacturers became more* ambitious. They prepared pantomime* pro thiclions of popular romantic storie*s. In (hi- way you ran become* acepiainted with the* story and advent tires of "Monte* ( hristo.” being carrie*d pictorially 'through (In* volume* within thirty min-

ute- or less. "Alice* in Wonderland,” "David Copperfield.” "Oliver Twist,” and the* fairy stories of "Alladin.” "Cinderella.” ami so on. have* been produced in this way. ’The* picture manufacturer is ready to produce* anything that the public may desire*, from the* Creation to the* Burning of Koine, from prehistoric time*s when dinosaurus roamed the* earth to the* execution of Charles the* First: from the* Deluge* to the* early days of ( hristianity. Xo matter what particular phase* is desired. be* it historical or religious. the* frankly impossible*, or the* severely commonplace, all can be produced. It is merely a epiestion of public fancy and expense. From being a mere* form of amusement, the* kineniatograph has now passed into an educational force. Science*, no matter what its branch may be*, is being illust rate*d more* and more* every day . and it is encouraging to note* is meeting with increasing popularity, for tin* pic-

tun* manufacturer has the knack of knowing just how to rive't the* interest ol the* public. In the* days of the* magic lantern by the* attachmeiit of the microscope cheese* mites were shown upon the screen. ’The k inema tographer goes fur ther (han that. He shows you (he chameleon stalking it- prey, the inte*ri<»r of an ant’s nest, and Ihe physical force possessed of the house ||y. Recently (his movement has made* a

distinct advance. In the* laboratories ol <me of the Parisian manufacturers, the wrjter witnessed the testing of a Him depicting the main blood-stream of a live frog. It had been a tremendous task to secure such a photographic record. inasmuch as the* magnification ran up to 75.000 diameters. It was somewhat remarkable to see the corpuscles of the* blood reproduced inches across, and to follow the attacks thereon by the infinitesimal germs, looking in the pielure* like* tadpoles. More* wonderful things have* since* been attained. A German scientist by means of elaborate and costly apparatus has secured the* flight id’ a bullet from the* moment it leaves the* muzzle of the* rille* until it strike’s the* target. Tn thi- instance* owing to the* high velocity, the* ne<*essity for very rapid photography and brilliant illumine t ion. the* ele*rt ric -park was pressed into service*. We* can also |»e introduced Upon flu* screen to

the mysteries and fascinating lives lit the* most minute living things in a pond ami follow in detail (he* habits and peculiar movement- of varying member* of (he* brute creation. It has also brought life* in the* most inaccessible* corners of the* world before the* millions in teeming cities, and is widening 0111 knowledge of the* world very materially. A quarter of a century ago an expedit iem tee a remote

corner of the* earth was always accompanies! by a n artist, or included a member of artistic bent : ten years later the camera was considered indispensable; but to-day it is the* moving-picture* camera which constitute** one* of the most important feature** of such equipments. In this way Shackleton brought the* South Polar regions with its life and dreariness before* (he* pimple* living in proximity to the* Eepiator; the* Duke of Abruzzi harm*sse*d the* peaks of the* Himalayas and elisplayed their majestic grandeur before* those to whemi the* name* ol mountains were* scarcely known. We* secured an animated picture* of Mr Itoosevedt’s tramp through Africa, and we were* brought face* to fae-e with (he pitiless jungle* and all that lurks therein. To-day one can tour the* wen hl for a lew -hillings, and e|e> so without the slightest edlort. The camera hitched f<> ’ ~n,‘ t of a locomedive. will whirl you through (be* -m»w eaps e>f the* Boekie s oi (he* Allele**: will give* you an ide*a of wlrnt (he* earth lemks like* to an aviator: will carry you rouml (he* Bav of Sy.hiey ; will show you (he* very primiti\e manner in which (he* na(ives of the Soloman Islands fish: will bring the* roaring waters of Niagara or Victoria Hills within a few fe*et. and all with exeiy phase* and detail of mo\e*nient faithfully recorded. Il lias also given birth to another calling the writing of pantomime dramas and comedies essentially for kinematograph production. The' moving pielure play is the condensed version of its counterpart in the legitimate theatre. It must be short, action must be continuous. ami it must possess extreme holding power. In the early days the producer was content with indifferent work in this field so long as it was dramatic, but now the audience has become more critical. ami demands a pictorial plav with as nmeh virility and grip as that given mi the boards. Many manufacturers now invito plots and synopses, as the demand for something no\e*| and ingenious is very’ keen. The Edison Company has a special department lor dealing with these coni ri Imtions. which peruses sometimes as many as 150 a week. The successful contributor receives anything from C 5 to Cl 5 for a scenario. This affords magnificent scope to him who is fertile in evolving plots. That it is not a despised opening for ingenuity is evidenced from the tact that in France some of the leading younger dramatists before Ihe public today Alfred l apiis, Edmond. Ilos‘l a nd. I’a u I Hervieti. to menfion

only one or two well-known names are engaged in the writing of plays for the kinema t ograpli. What class of pictures prove* the most popular? This question is dilliciilt ‘to answer since it is a factor depending upon the calibre ol the audience, Oiiiand out farce of the knock about variety generally scores a success, especially when assimilated with some stage ‘trickery. 'l'he drama of the Surrey type is a sure* winner in limited doses. Ihe travel picture, one dealing with some ra mi lica I ion of science treated in a popu lar way. ami those portraying mainline lures and industry are always trump cards. Ihe great point is to secure variety. and the successful control of a moving-picture theatre demands as much careful blending of the turns and as much variety as a music hall. Inventors are now striving ‘to give us pictures which talk and sing, by a careful association of the camera with the phonograph. It is a dilliciilt quest, inasmuch as the picture is somewhat handicapped bv 'the severe limits of the talk-ing-maehine record. Still, success has been achieved, and if it should result in a handful of inhabitants in a remote village hearing'*'aruso sing while pint or iallv acting in "Ln lioheme." certainly that would be the acme of success. 'l'he great dillieulty in this development is to secure synchrony between the talking machine and the moving picture, since, obviously, a representation of this char aider becomes ludicrous when the move meats of the lips ol the actor do not coincide with the words enunciated from the phonograph. Another field of research is the pel lection of a process lor reproducing the pictures in their natural colours. Ibis is almost as elusive as still-life colour photography. One firm in London has been exhibiting pictures of this charactei for some time past, ami although such are not perfect, tin* results arc certainly sufficiently satisfactory to warrant fur ther endeavour in the same Ji ( *ld. **<* cently a new means for achieving the same mid have been produced in the Inited States, and this marks a still further advance inasmuch as it dispenses with any special attachment to the projector as has been requisite hitherto in colour projection. But considerable effort will have to be made* in this field vet before natural kinema t ogra phy becomes as successful as its monochrome rival. Kverv picture palace throughout this country and the same* movement prevails on the continent and in Americaconsiders the ••'animated newspaper' an indispensable ••turn" on the programme, wherein the* chief (‘Vents ol the weeks are pictorially shown. It is edited severely, ami the length of any particular picture news depends upon its importance. There is the unveiling of a public monument : a lew seconds glimpse is given of a famous race in progress: von set* a French aviator set out and return after a moment nous lligb‘l : a new submarine is accompanied lor a brief while: a new battleship is relaunched before your eyes; and so on. 'l'he correspondents ol this latest journalistic move are posted all over tin* world armed wi'tli tin* canicra. to reenact a scene at will before* tin* eyes of thousands, hundreds of miles distant. He is keen on pictorial copy as his pen-picturing rival. I'he kinemato grapher has become as übiquitous as the snap shott(*r. and ‘the world is being ran sacked from Pole to Pole* every day lor new attractions to throw upon tin*