AV Geeks 16mm Lunch 3-5-2025

hello everybody this is Skip Alzheimer welcome to the avgeeks lunchtime streaming show which I have recorded the night before because uh looking at the weather it looks like we're going to get uh crazy winds and thunderstorms right during my show which means um that the power's going to go out and which means the internet will go out and so um I'm just going to go ahead and just record a show and there you go uh so what am i showing um three films uh first one I've shown before but I love it it's part of the uh Health series encyclopedia britanica this is uh safety uh playground Spirits where little kids a playground then there is uh atmosphere and motion both of these are encyclopedia britanica films um atmosphere in motion is because uh while the show is going on the atmosphere is going to be in motion and then uh there's a film this is from I actually have this from two sources I have this from National Archives but I also have this from Rick pringer collection it's voice from the screen and this is a kind of a promotional exhibition film about uh sound Motion Pictures and it's by vitagraph and uh the cool thing about vitagraph or the interesting thing about vitagraph is or vitaphone uh is that they giant records they're like this I can't even they're like this big and what you would do is you would sync it manually with the film so you'd get you'd see a queue on the film and then you would drop the needle and then I think it would go from the out from the inside out and so there were special projectors that were made that actually had like a giant turntable attached to them and these were huge like you know Cinema projectors and so that's how they did sound on these vitaphone things they also made like a home version of it too um which wasn't very successful but um still it's it's fascinating it's a way like how do we do sound and this is before they figured out oh well we can have on the side we can have an optical U soundtrack and uh do it that way so anyways uh thanks for watching today uh maybe I'll be around kind of depends on the uh I might be able to look on my phone but um we'll see you on Thursday if you like what you saw hit the thumbs up hit the like uh you can always support us financially by uh using the super thanks button or going to ko-fi.com Geeks or patreon.com Geeks uh or watching other films on our Channel that's another way to do it also subscribe we have a bunch of uh subscribers but we can always use you if you haven't subscribed yet um thanks so much and we will see you tomorrow take care bye [Music] [Music] he [Music] [Music] it looked like it was going to be a wonderful morning all the spirits in the park sounded so happy [Music] Mark and I woke up early The Grandmaster of the park Spirits said we could be in charge of the playground safety that's not always an easy job because of spirits like Axel anyone could have a good time in our park today I hope so things didn't go well yesterday they board falling off the swing I don't think anything will happen today hey let's go wake up axel [Music] AEL come on send yourself with us go away come on out Axel I don't feel like it it's a beautiful day for anyone who's coming here nope it's a bad day a lousy day I hope nobody has a good time today I wonder what will happen we'll find out sooner or later we didn't know what to think because Axel was in such a bad mood but we still think it's going to be fun people were coming to the park to have a good time bananas and all everybody had his own turn on the slide no one was swinging too crooked or too high the miracle round wasn't being pushed too [Music] fast it was such fun the [Music] [Music] suddenly it all changed it was changed when that wild football team came it must be axel [Music] oh no ouch oh look at [Applause] that not the whole playground [Music] [Applause] [Music] stop since Axel caused it all only Axel could stop it now Axel it's terrible the F boys have changed the whole partk and you drew them here you drew them on purpose get them out of here you get out of here no get those fightball boys out of here we'll call the Grand Master of the PS and you'll be sent to garbage land you mean that yes garbage [Applause] land barbin made Axel change his mind he took a look around and decided to act fast hey you've forgotten all the basic rules of safety when others are nearby you've completely ignored the right to privacy in fact you've come close to injuring some of the people now move out of here and go to an open area where you can play safely [Music] [Applause] now he stopped the football team and turned them backwards they had to start all all over again this time playing in the right place the park was happy [Music] again everybody was so happy playing safely and no one was getting hurt and even Axel was in a good mood [Music] [Applause] isn't it better now the way things are people in the park leave each other alone everybody's playing safely and having a great time [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] e oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] when you're out in space you realize how important the Earth's atmosphere really is astronauts have to carry an artificial atmosphere along with them enough to last until they return to Earth Apollo this is Mission Control we show 5 minutes till re-entry Roger Command Module attitude nominal starting to read atmosphere two G's in the outer reaches of the atmosphere air as we know it is almost non-existent there are only scattered particles of gas at an altitude of approximately 120 km gas particles are more numerous the atmosphere is more dense in this layer of the atmosphere a spacecraft is heated by friction as it speeds toward Earth uh Roger we really got a fireball up [Applause] here in the stratosphere where commercial jet aircraft fly the atmosphere is dense enough to allow parachutes to decrease a Space Capsule speed the stratosphere extends from about 10 to 50 km or about 7 to 30 miles out in Space the troposphere is the layer of the atmosphere that lies closest to Earth this is the region where we experience clouds wind and weather this is the air we work and play in this is the atmosphere that supports all life on Earth splash down oh Roger confirm Splash space craft is in stable one [Music] the atmosphere it can burn a spacecraft to a cinder or Ripple its fingers through your hair on a sunny afternoon normally we can't see it but we know it's always there and always changing [Music] [Music] although we can't see the gases that make up the atmosphere we can observe and measure their effects we know for example that the greatest part of the atmosphere almost 80% by volume is is nitrogen a gas that reacts only slightly with other chemicals we also know that the atmosphere contains oxygen because without it nothing would burn and most living things would perish carbon dioxide which is necessary for plant life is present in small amounts along with other gases like Xenon Argon helium and methane water exists in the atmosphere as a gas which we call water vapor when water vapor condenses to its liquid or solid form it may become visible as clouds or fog or as droplets on the side of a cold pitcher this thin layer of gases held to the Earth by the force of gravity is our atmosphere or what we call Simply air although we don't often think about it the atmosphere has weight and this weight exerts a pressure that affects everything on Earth atmospheric pressure Works in all directions here the atmosphere is pushing upward with enough Force to hold water in this cylinder when we allow it to push downward as [Applause] well opening the top of the cylinder equalizes the effects of air pressure the water can be pulled down by the force of gravity the pressure of the atmosphere can be measured with a simple Mercury barometer air pressing down on the mercury in this container supports the Mercury column in the sealed tube on this beach at sea level air pressure is sufficient to support a column of 76 CM when the barometer is taken to a Mountaintop the column Falls to 61 CM this indicates that there is less air pressing down on the Mercury atmospheric pressure is lower the higher the altitude the lower the pressure what causes Motion in the atmosphere in a word the answer is heat using special lighting and photographic equipment we can demonstrate the effect of heat on air the candle's flame is heating the air around it heat causes molecules of air to move faster so that there is more space between them at the same pressure a volume of warm air contains fewer molecules than the same volume of cool air the warm air is lighter and because it is lighter it rises on a hot day you can see the same process at work as warm air rises from the Earth's surface the energy to heat this air comes from the sun all the Motions of the atmosphere from the slightest Breeze to the most violent storm are powered by the [Music] sun less than 1 billionth of the sun's total energy output warms the Earth and provides energy for all its life but not all parts of the Earth receive the same amount of the sun's energy we can demonstrate this using a globe a light source and a screen that allows equal amounts of light to pass through each opening the amount of light falling on the globe can be measured near the North Pole we count six units of light falling on an area of approximately 25 square cm at the equator 12 units of light fall on the same area the light energy falling at the pole is less concentrated than that falling near the equator over tropical sea the Sun beats down throughout the year heating air and evaporating water day after day near the Earth's poles temperatures may be more than 100° [Music] colder from what we know about hot air we can assume that the air at the equator is rising what is happening to the cold air at the poles adding a cold source to our special photographic setup suggests the answer while hot air near the candle is rising cold air near the dry ice is sinking other fluids behave in much the same way here we apply a heat source to one side of a closed fluid container dry ice encased in plastic is used as the cold Source on the other side as we would expect the heated fluid is rising and the cooled fluid sinking but there is also horizontal motion a cycle has developed the cycle is known as a convection current in a similar manner the atmosphere moves in huge convection currents to balance the temperature differences between the poles and the equator warm air from the equator Rises and moves toward the pole there it cools sinks and moves back toward the equator to continue the cycle these convective movements of the atmosphere are what we experience as winds but we know that winds don't always blow from north to south in fact they rarely do obviously there are other factors that govern the movements of the atmosphere one of these is the rotation of the earth the atmosphere rotates along with the Earth making one complete turn in about 24 hours but not all parts of the atmosphere are traveling at the same velocity in space in approximately 5 hours the earth and the atmosphere rotate this much air near the equator moves a greater distance in space than air near the pole as shown by these red lines because it moves farther in the same amount of time air near the equator has a greater Eastward speed or velocity than air near the pole this difference in velocities has an effect on winds that travel across the Earth surface in this demonstration the northern hemisphere is represented by a flat turntable the outer edge of the turntable corresponds to the Equator the center represents the pole a pro ecle shot from the edge of the turntable toward the center or from equator to pole travels in a straight line the ball is Inked so that it will trace a path across the disc now the turntable is set in motion to simulate the Earth's rotation the projectile is fired several times each time its path curves to the right the path of a projectile fired from Pole to Equator also curves to the right in fact no matter where the projectile is fired it its path curves to the right the same Force affects the direction of winds on Earth if the Earth were not rotating air would travel in straight lines between the Equator and the poles but the rotation of the earth deflects these winds in the northern hemisphere air is deflected to the right or Eastward as it travels from equator to pole air moving from Pole to equator is also deflected to the right or westward in the southern hemisphere moving air is deflected to the left or Eastward from equator to pole and Westward from Pole to Equator this deflection the result of the Earth's rotation is called the cholis effect convection between the poles and equator the cholis effect and other influences like the distribution of oceans and continents explain the global wind patterns that we call Trade Winds prevailing westerlies and polar easterlies but there is much more to atmospheric circulation than these global patterns what the wind and weather are like where you are depends on a number of additional factors for example mountain ranges form barriers to air movement bodies of water can also play A Part land absorbs and loses heat faster than water so a shoreline can be the sight of local winds caused by small scale temperature differences at any given time and place many different factors come together to determine the movement of the atmosphere and the movements of the atmosphere are what give us our weather gentle spring freezes or violent storms storms occur when concentrations of energy exist in the atmosphere they are an important part of atmospheric circulation from the beginning man has been able to see the atmosphere only from his Limited vantage point the surface of the Earth now space exploration and modern scientific techniques have given us another look at the atmosphere photographs transmitted from weather satellites give a picture of the atmosphere's constant change in field studies all over the globe meteorologists analyze the physical forces that influence global and local circulation patterns the atmosphere the air we breathe the weather that affects our day-to-day activities it is such an important part of life on Earth that we usually take it for granted but we are beginning to realize that the atmosphere that makes possible Life as We Know it is only a very thin very delicate envelope of gas surrounding the earth we are also beginning to realize that our activities are having an effect on this thin vital [Applause] envelope each year we pour millions of tons of pollutants into the air how do these substances change our atmosphere how does the motion of the atmosphere affect the quality of life [Music] [Music] the introduction of the vitaphone has been received both by the public and the artistic world with a great deal of interest and favor a description of this creation from a more or less technical point of view May therefore be of interest to you in this new development the telephone has played an important part and it seems altogether fitting that this year which marks the semi Centennial of the birth of the telephone should also Mark the introduction in perfected form of a new application of the telephonic principle a development which is destined to create an entirely new art where the medium of expression is a synchronized reproduction of sound and scene from the beginnings of the attempts to produce and accomplish what the vitaphone does with such Precision the problem was not so much that of synchronizing sound and picture as it was the recording and reproduction of the sound portion of the combination and doing it with such clarity as as to make it appear that one was listening to the sound from its original Source but it was not until some rather recent and fun fundamental advances in the telephone art had been perfected that we had available the elements necessary to accomplish a type of sound reproduction which one might term a perfect illusion and this of course is the idea which has been striven for ever since the idea of synchronized sound and picture was conceived and in fact it was because of the lack of means for accomplishing this portion of the production that real success has here for not been attained the first big step in this direction was the perfecting in the Bel telephone Laboratories of the so-called public address system by means of which the volume of sound from a telephone could be Amplified to such an extent that the voice of the speaker could be heard simultaneously by many thousands of listeners the first noteworthy demonstration of this development took place in 1921 upon the occasion of the inauguration of the late President Harding at this time an audience of more than 125,000 people surrounding the front of the capital building were able to hear clearly and distinctly all of the words spoken during the entire inaugural program we have in this system therefore the element which makes possible that transmission of sound from a single source to large groups of people and that is exactly what is required in connection with synchronized sound and picture the next important step was the perfecting of the means for electrically recording at a distance sounds such as speech and music and recording it in such a way that permanent and reproducible Records could be made this problem has been the subject of continuous study for a great many years the past year and a half has seen the successful conclusion of this work and many of you have observed in listening to the latest phonograph records which are recorded by the electrical process a distinct difference uh these new records were demonstrated before this Society last fall now the next and last step has to do with the perfecting of the means for reproducing the sound from the record in such volume and with such faithfulness as it would appear as a perfect reproduction of the original sound regardless of the size of the auditorium or the number of listeners now as to their application to the vitaphone in the electrical recording of sound there is employed a pickup microphone similar to that employed in the public address system and also similar to that now used in the radio broadcasting stations vacuum tube amplifiers are employed to to amplify the weak current generated by the action of the sound waves upon the pickup microphone this amplification can be of sufficient degree to provide the power necessary to operate the recording mechanism required to make a permanent record in the public address system of course the amp the currents are also Amplified but they are led to loud speakers in this case we lead the currents to a recording mechanism which will be describe later this Arrangement makes it possible to locate the microphone quite independently of the recording device and also in proper relation to the scene to be photographed being an electrical system the problem of synchronization is very simple now as to the reproducing side of the combination in the projection of the motion picture and the reproduction of the sound there is employed substantially the reverse of the process just described that is the recording process the sound record in the form of a large disc is rotated on a turntable this turn table is geared directly to the motion picture projecting machine and is driven by a common constant speed El electric motor associated with this rotating record is an electrical pickup device which carries a needle in a manner similar to that of the soundbox of the ordinary photograph the motion of this needle however small as it is is sufficient to generate an electric current whose characteristics are identical with the sound which produced the original record this electrical current is then Amplified and provides the energy to operate a bank of loud-speaking telephones which are located in proper relation to the motion picture screen here again it can be seen that by using an electrical system we are not restricted as to the location of the elements of the reproducing system and therefore the problem of synchronization becomes a a relatively simple one from this very brief description of a rather complex system can be seen the essential part played by the telephone and its related art we took our we took advantage of our researches in this field to put together an entirely new and different system to serve an entirely different purpose and to produce a mechanism around which we believe an entirely new art will be created now uh words mere words often times fall short of telling the whole story in a case like this and we're going to take you on a little journey to the studios of the vitaphone corporation where through their courtesy you're going to be allowed to see something of the operation of the apparatus which I have just described all right Mr tra you're ready thank you let go ahead we are now in the studio of the vitaphone corporation the short Glimpse that you had gave you a general idea of the layout of Studio of this character later on you'll have an opportunity of seeing more in the meantime however nor that you may carry them clearly in mind the next time you see them I'm going to refer to the different elements in the studio layout first on my left is a setup a set ready for photography and recording to produce a synchronized picture the uh only feature of that set which is not in accordance with the regular procedure is that the microphone is in plain view as is the microphone into which I'm speaking at the present time this is a demonstration and not a commercial production therefore we are not worried very much about the particular location of the microphones next to the set to be photographed is the camera booth on the on my extreme right is another space which is uh called the recording booth in both cases both the camera booth and the recording booth one wall has been removed in order that you may see the mechanism Within in the case of the recording room it is usually located at quite a distance from the camera booth and the set that is being photographed now in order that you may fix a little more clearly in your mind the relative positions and general layout of the studio we will have we will go back to the original scene now a little more as to the detail there isn't very much to be said with regard to the setup as they scene to be photograph more than I have already said regard to the camera Booth however there are one or two interesting features in the first place it is heavily padded is arranged so that it can be moved about in the studio the camera itself is of is quite similar to the ordinary Moran picture cameras with this very important exception and that is it is driven by an electric motor which maintains absolutely constant speed and operates an exact synchronism with a similar motor which is used to drive the recording machine now uh I think that will be sufficient with regard to the photographic end of the studio equipment and we will now go over to the recording room and uh examine the mechanisms there I think perhaps the best way to proceed here is to start with the our familiar friend the microphone the current generated by the microphone is led to the amplifier shown on my right this amplifier is quite similar to that used in the public address system about which I spoke earlier in the talk from the amplifier wires lead to an electrical recording device which is mounted on the recording machine which you see at my left the recording machine proper consists of a rotating turntable which uh is made to carry a wax disc this turntable is maintained at a constant speed of rotation through an electric motor mounted underneath this motor operating in exact synchronism with the corresponding motor in the [Music] camera this is the electrical recording device the most sensitive part of the equipment it its function is to impress upon the wax an exact record of the electric current produced by the original pickup microphone this is a very delicate operation and uh that accounts for the presence of the microscope which is employed to determine the character of the cut as the work goes on I said before this booth is may be removed quite far from the from the actual photographing and must be soundproof both inside and out this I believe covers in sufficient detail the various elements going to make up the studio equipment but I believe you will be interested in seeing the studio in actual operation and that is the next thing we're going to do are you ready Mr her uh hit your lights come on boy come on the lights are Qui i h that sunlight AR okay all right everybody quiet please ask for the bell all do that I in love with the trop while do funny funny all the poor little kids she never did have a bit of before made onlya baby be [Music] lady and we live in hawaian sunshine and bring the dark BR shine and let the rest of the world hello how are you I'm bringing you [Music] K are you I'm happy to find you still waiting for for me now I can [Music] I [Music] W how are you I'm glad to be back to [Music] you like thanks boys well you've taken another little journey without permission and warning you are now seated behind the projection booth of the theater two of the walls of this projection booth have been removed so that you can see the Machinery inside as we have in the previous demonstrations I told you earlier that the reproducing end of the system was substantially the reverse of the recording portion so we will start in and go through the various elements of the reproducing end we first have the amplifier sh at my right which is quite similar in many respects to the amplifier employed in the recording process is arranged however with volume control devices to permit of regulating the volume of reproduction to fit the various sizes of auditoriums that are used and the character of music that may be reproduced this uh monitoring and control of volume is aided by the loudspeaker which you will notice on the wall at my left this is an operation throughout the reproduction of the uh record so that the operators who are far distant from the stage can hear what is going on now on my left is the projecting machine and Associated turntable and reproducing elements the projecting machine is practically standard in all respects the turntable mechanism which operates the rotates the sound record is geared directly however to the projecting machine both being operated by a constant speed electric motor this is possible possible where it was not possible in connection with the recording end of the process because of the fact that the two pieces of mechanism are can be closely associated in the same room and therefore directly geared together this is the form of record that is employed now I've placed the record on the turn on the turntable and also located the reproducing element ready to start for reproduction of the record itself you recall I mentioned this electrical reproducing element as being the device to which is attached a needle which follows the grooves in the record the movement of this needle generating an electric current very weak which is Amplified and current then goes to the special loud-speaking telephones which are mounted adjacent to the motion Motion Picture screen now we we started to take a picture in the studio and that picture has been completed and in order that you may see how this uh portion of the mechanism actually operates although the camera although the lamp has been operated all this time and you can probably hear it uh we will operate the rest of the mechanism and and show the picture completely as it is now recorded on the screen for your benefit I will ask the operator now to start the rest of the recording [Music] [Music] machiner the time in the Tropic climb away do that fell in love with a trop while doing that oh the little kid she never did I made up my mind that I was the only [Music] I baby'll [Music] be and we live in hawaian sunshine and Dr the dark brown moonshine and let the rest of the world go by hello hello how are you bring you [Music] K hello how are you I'm happy to find you waiting for me and I can [Music] you you can you you and I you can and we Wy Wy [Music] wacky how are you I'm glad to be back I even sun go down I hate to see even sun go down cuz my baby don't let down feeling tomorrow like I feel today if I feel tomorrow like I feel today I'll pack my trunk and make my GH [Music] away you want to see that's brown M like the [Music] diamond he make a cross a woman goes L black of the midnight he like flags of Truth black man in [Music] the black the [Music] we woman the diamond ring don't leave that man by hering for powder and the man on [Music] wouldn't I that man got to hide Like a Rock ass in the SE [Music] I us to be I couldn't bear to be [Music] alone our meeting was just back there but since I day I just can't help but of my being all alone when I'm all alone with you you're the kind i' tried to find you all my dream [Music] come but I I don't mind be all alone I'm all alone [Music] you have just witnessed through your eyes and ears a demonstration of the principles and manner of operation of a complicated mechanism interestingly enough you have been able been enabl to do this through the operation of the same mechanism more than that you have witnessed the introduction of the vitaphone into a field of practically unlimited usefulness the field of Education as distinct from that of amusement in which it has had its first commercial application events complete in action and in sound can now be reproduced Ed by these methods regardless of time or place we of the immediate present as well as the generations to come will be the gainers by this possibility the Faraday of the future the past her and the Galileo May by this method make available to students in any place or at any subsequent subsequent time the result of their researches and the demonstration of their scientific discoveries and synchronize with this their own comments and discussions and even their own personality the communication and demonstration of educational material will be facilitated and our entire educational process May undergo changes beyond our present imaginations is it too much to expect for instance that machines such as have been described may relieve the teaching staffs of our educational institutions of the enormous amount of routine work which they labor under at the present time thus leaving them free to devote more time to their own researches which will make them better teachers and or to give them greater time to devote to the students under their Direction now of course uh such uses of expensive equipment must inevitably follow and cannot economically precede the successful commercial career of this apparatus in the more popular field of amusement selfishly as well as generously therefore we who are interested in these other applications of the vitaphone wish its success and a prosperous and Rapid introduction into its own immediate field of amusement the public will probably accept this as another one of the wonderful things that are brought forth for their benefit pleasure and amusement we are all in danger of viewing these advances as the commonplace occurrences of our everyday life we grow to expect them and to make use of them without giving much thought as to how they were brought about or the motiv motivating influences which underly their creation we may all of us well stopped to realize that each achievement like that of the present has been accomplished through the painstaking labors of many scientific workers over long periods these men have grasped Nature's secrets and their researches now permit us to make nature obedient to our will in the wonderful ways of the present day may we not therefore consider this demonstration as a tribute to the many workers some of whose names you will never know the many workers in the various fields of Science and Engineering who through their enthusiastic labors have made possible these results I thank you