Bell & Howell Practice Film for the Filmosound 202
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Description:
Here are two films about the Bell & Howell Filmosound 202 projector. The first is a training film used to instruct new owners in the operation of the machine, and by sales people to show interested customers the ease of operation of the projector. The second film starting at 1:40 is entitled, "The Show Must Go On". It compares the new Filmosound 202 with the kind of projectors used in modern cinemas, suggesting that it will provide steady, trouble free operation and keep audiences entertained and happy.
The Bell & Howell Filmosound 202 projector was an innovative 16-millimeter optical magnetic motion picture sound projector produced from 1952-1955. The projector used a thin magnetic stripe on the 16mm film to record and playback sound. This stripe could be added using a special striping machine that a person could buy, or at a Bell & Howell laboratory. The magnetic striping was far cheaper than a conventional "optical track" which had to be created through a much more complex process. If properly recorded, it also had better fidelity than an optical track.
0:29 - 1:26: "Bell & Howell Practice Film for the Filmosound 202". This brief film provides instructions on adding a magnetic soundtrack to a 16mm film with an existing optical soundtrack, including setting up the projector and microphone for recording.
1:46: "The Show Must Go On", a film within a film. Reflection on the early days of motion pictures and the simplicity of watching movies in the past. A woman accompanies a film on the piano in a nickelodeon type movie theater. "Ladies Must Remove Hats" sign in a silent movie theater, and the projectionist has a problem keeping a movie from "rolling" through the projector -- leading to a title card "The Operator is In Trouble".
2:30 - 6:03: Discussion on the evolution of projectors and the importance of high standards in film projection to avoid common issues like film scratching and tearing. A motion picture projectionist in a movie theater is shown prepping a movie for projection and wiping his brow. Seque to the B&H Filmosound 202. A modern audience is shown in a theater watching a movie.
6:03 - 10:03: "Man on the Street" type interviews with various customers. At 7:17 a teacher is shown being able to easily thread the 202. Detailed explanation of the features to look for in a quality projector, such as easy threading, safe lock sprockets, and proper lubrication.
9:33: the Maltese cross, heart of any projector.
10:03 - 13:12: Importance of optical efficiency and sound quality in projectors, including the alignment of projection lamps and the role of the flywheel in maintaining constant film speed. 16mm movie reel is shown in motion on the Filmosound 202.
12:29 the B&H factory is shown with components carefully and skillfully assembled.
13:14: A high school film library is shown with many 16mm films stored on racks.
13:12 - 17:07: Further technical details on maintaining film speed and avoiding sound distortions, emphasizing the need for precision gears and a balanced flywheel.
16:00: new lamp placed in the projector after assembly.
17:07 - 22:07: Summary of the key features that ensure a projector's quality and longevity, stressing the importance of a manufacturer's guarantee for reliable performance.
20:00: Pianist plays a piano. Images of various audiences watching films in a classroom, in a conference room, and at a club meeting.
21:12: accurate sprocket system and movement systems of projector are shown again.
21:52: the Bell & Howell guarantee / warrantee is mentioned.
22:07 - 23:48: Conclusion emphasizing the responsibility to provide perfect projection in various settings, such as churches, classrooms, factories, and business meetings.
Complete Record: Here are two films about the Bell & Howell Filmosound 202 projector. The first is a training film used to instruct new owners in the operation of the machine, and by sales people to show interested customers the ease of operation of the projector. The second film starting at 1:40 is entitled, "The Show Must Go On". It compares the new Filmosound 202 with the kind of projectors used in modern cinemas, suggesting that it will provide steady, trouble free operation and keep audiences entertained and happy. The Bell & Howell Filmosound 202 projector was an innovative 16-millimeter optical magnetic motion picture sound projector produced from 1952-1955. The projector used a thin magnetic stripe on the 16mm film to record and playback sound. This stripe could be added using a special striping machine that a person could buy, or at a Bell & Howell laboratory. The magnetic striping was far cheaper than a conventional "optical track" which had to be created through a much more complex process. If properly recorded, it also had better fidelity than an optical track. 0:29 - 1:26: "Bell & Howell Practice Film for the Filmosound 202". This brief film provides instructions on adding a magnetic soundtrack to a 16mm film with an existing optical soundtrack, including setting up the projector and microphone for recording. 1:46: "The Show Must Go On", a film within a film. Reflection on the early days of motion pictures and the simplicity of watching movies in the past. A woman accompanies a film on the piano in a nickelodeon type movie theater. "Ladies Must Remove Hats" sign in a silent movie theater, and the projectionist has a problem keeping a movie from "rolling" through the projector -- leading to a title card "The Operator is In Trouble". 2:30 - 6:03: Discussion on the evolution of projectors and the importance of high standards in film projection to avoid common issues like film scratching and tearing. A motion picture projectionist in a movie theater is shown prepping a movie for projection and wiping his brow. Seque to the B&H Filmosound 202. A modern audience is shown in a theater watching a movie. 6:03 - 10:03: "Man on the Street" type interviews with various customers. At 7:17 a teacher is shown being able to easily thread the 202. Detailed explanation of the features to look for in a quality projector, such as easy threading, safe lock sprockets, and proper lubrication. 9:33: the Maltese cross, heart of any projector. 10:03 - 13:12: Importance of optical efficiency and sound quality in projectors, including the alignment of projection lamps and the role of the flywheel in maintaining constant film speed. 16mm movie reel is shown in motion on the Filmosound 202. 12:29 the B&H factory is shown with components carefully and skillfully assembled. 13:14: A high school film library is shown with many 16mm films stored on racks. 13:12 - 17:07: Further technical details on maintaining film speed and avoiding sound distortions, emphasizing the need for precision gears and a balanced flywheel. 16:00: new lamp placed in the projector after assembly. 17:07 - 22:07: Summary of the key features that ensure a projector's quality and longevity, stressing the importance of a manufacturer's guarantee for reliable performance. 20:00: Pianist plays a piano. Images of various audiences watching films in a classroom, in a conference room, and at a club meeting. 21:12: accurate sprocket system and movement systems of projector are shown again. 21:52: the Bell & Howell guarantee / warrantee is mentioned. 22:07 - 23:48: Conclusion emphasizing the responsibility to provide perfect projection in various settings, such as churches, classrooms, factories, and business meetings.
Transcription
[Music] if your film already has an optical soundtrack the new magnetic soundstripe can be put alongside it your film will then have two soundtracks either of which can be played as you choose when your film is returned you thread it through your projector just as you do for any showing next you plug in the microphone if you plan on recording music either with your voice or by itself you can plug in here directly from your photograph now you turn the selector lever to Magnetic and the sound switch to record you turn up the microphone volume control all the way and adjust the master volume control until the tiny guid light flickers like this at the sound of your voice in the microphone you flip the motor switch release the clutch press the record button and begin recording your message whatever it may be [Music] remember when you could see a movie for a nickel back in the good old days of 1910 [Music] [Applause] l [Music] for [Music] n [Music] a [Music] yes those were the good old days of Motion Pictures anything would get by and everyone had a good time except perhaps the man who ran the projector he had his troubles many of them yet his day with its crude equipment foretold a day when Motion Pictures would take their place as a cultural and educational medium modern projectors have made it practical and profitable to bring educational films to our schools religious messages to church groups training and Technical films to factory workers films that help sell goods and services for just as the Art Of Motion Pictures has advanced so has the science of projection The Last Link in the long chain of forces that bring the finished picture to the screen but oddly enough just as in the days of the Nickelodeon most filmed troubles still stem from projection for all projectors do not have the same high standards of [Music] performance the threading is so complicated on our machine I guess that's why we scratch and tear so many prints in our school why don't they make a projector that's EAS our machine worked fine for the first year at our sales meetings but after that nothing but trouble why don't they make a projector that'll give Dependable Serv we like to show films in our church but the pictures never seem bright enough even fresh bulbs don't help why don't they make a projector I'd try to use more training films in our plan but I can't depend on the projector seems like it's always in the shop being repaired why don't they make a projector that'll stand up that's what I mean do they all give trouble like that I'm supposed to buy a projector for my company how do I know I'm going to get my money's worth what causes these troubles what do I look for in a projector well the things to look for the things that spell quality in a projector are relatively few and simple first there's the way in which your projector handles film and film handling starts with threading this should be easy and simple enough that a child can do it the film should travel in a direct line over a plainly marked path without twisting because twisting can cause film to break now film is moved through all projectors by sprockets that engage in the film perforations but if film gets out of position these sprockets can cause trouble can rip perforations and make film useless they're essential they lock the film firmly in position so it's either correctly seated or the guard prevents the film from touching the sprocket teeth once in place the film cannot become disengaged with the right projector designed for straight line threading with safe loock sprockets your films are guarded against breakage and sprocket damage and when the picture area of the film passes over recessed rollers it's free from another Hazard this is the danger of scratching that makes pictures look like this to eliminate all friction between film and metal the picture area must be held away from the metal another point to check is the shuttle the mechanism that controls the movement of the film directly behind the lens on a cutaway model the shuttle can be seen when the drive mechanism is operated by hand only one type of shuttle action is entirely Dependable a straight in straight down and straight out motion the shuttle teeth should be entirely disengaged from the film during the the time each individual picture is being projected this 3 to1 movement in which the shuttle touches the film only one trip in three provides the smoothest possible projection free from flicker it eliminates sowing action that wears out film perforations provides the utmost film protection just as important steady pictures free from the troubles that other types of shuttle action can bring and to operate the shuttle as well as all other film moving Parts only Precision gears should be used they prevent the variations in speed and the frequent failures that belts and pulleys can cause Precision Gear Drive makes a projector more versatile too a clutch allows you to stop action easily for study or discussion of any single picture makes the projector a better train an educational tool and incidentally for trouble-free operation be sure your projector supplies metered lubrication from the oiling cups lubricant flows down into felt heads that serve as reservoirs feeding filtered oil to All Parts in exactly the right amount oil cannot seep onto the film with metered lubrication and your projector should permit reversal of the film for review quickly and safely at the flip of a switch it should have two speeds allowing for use of both sound and silent films and in choosing your projector don't overlook the takeup mechanism remember that winding too tightly or too Loosely can result in film damage so make sure your projector maintains a Conant tension on the film whether the takeup Reel is almost empty or entirely full normally the tension would vary as the Reel became weighted with more film but this device keeps the tension constant winds film evenly and safely avoids another source of film damage rewinding to should be simple and fast you should be able to rewind a full hour's program in less than 2 minutes yes in choosing a projector first consideration should be given to the film movement mechanism years of trouble-free service should be built into every part for instance the aperture plate it could be made inexpensively good enough to get by for a year perhaps instead like every other filos sound part whether stationary or moving this one is made to fit with Precision exactness finely adjusted machines shape it to meet minute [Music] tolerances it's optically polished to obtain the smooth mirror-like surface so necessary for film protection [Music] then the aperture is inspected finally it's hand stoned another precaution to assure a precision-made part capable of doing its job perfectly year after year it's because of such extreme care in the manufacturer of every part of the filmo sound that you can count on quality performance in All Phases of mechanical [Music] operation Prince whose total value adds up to thousands of dollars go through the average machine each year only if they're protected against damage can they do the job expected of them but Safe Handling of film is only one factor to consider in projection equipment equally important is how the picture will look on the screen that's why you should check the optical system of any projector before you buy it's this Optical system that gives pictures like this instead of this the light source of course is the heart of the optical system but no two projection lamps are exactly alike that is the position of the filaments varies no matter how minutely and yet a lamp can send a maximum of light through the lens only if its filaments are accurately aligned in the optical system achieving this perfect adjustment is a critical process each lamp must be individually fitted with a special base that will position the filaments exactly for use in any filmosound projector the filaments of each bulb are lighted and the image projected on a Target the lamp then adjusted up and down or sideways until the image shows the filaments are exactly centered then in this position the pre-alignment gauge is brazed onto the lamp base with this gauge permanently in place the lamp will be correctly aligned for use in any filo sound projector assuring you all the light the lamp can [Music] give and Optical efficiency means other features too the projector you choose should have a rodium reflector unaffected by heat or corrosion and prefocused in the plant it's should have two condensers to send the greatest amount of light through the film giving the picture on the screen maximum Brilliance every part of the optical system should be easy to take out without tools even the lamp no matter how hot should be quickly and safely removable with bare hands condensers and lens should be readily accessible for cleaning a new lamp should slip into place with no adjustment whatever its filaments in perfect alignment with the optical system with this straight line Optical system all parts factory adjusted you have the best in projection illumination another factor to check in projectors sound reproduction is a complicated business but there's one point about it that everyone should understand and that's film speed and its effect on sound quality now when film speed is constant at 24 frames a second you get perfect sound reproduction like [Music] this but you start having trouble if film speed varies as in this demonstration minute variation show up to cause distortions or Wows like this [Music] the idea then is to keep the film speed absolutely constant at 24 frames a second achieving this uniform Speed without variation requires a combination of features in the projector the first Precision Gear Drive taking the place of unreliable belts and pulleys the film driving mechanism of your projector should be operated only by gears and controlled by a governor and as a further step toward constant speed a perfectly balanced flywheel must regulate the rotation of the sound [Music] drum Dynamic balancing of the flywheel is another extra step in the filmos sounds manufacturer the action of the flywheel is checked on Precision Instruments [Music] any degree of unbalance is readily detected to bring the part into Perfect Balance excess weight is removed from the flywheel [Music] it's ready for use only after rechecking shows it meets specifications assembled with the sound drum and mounted on roller bearings it forms a unit that will roll effortlessly with the film help keep the speed of the drum constant but still another Safeguard is necessary for good sound reproduction because film movement through the gate is a series of Rapid starts and stops a problem is created as shown here in slow motion the film picks up an uneven forward movement or flutter as it's called and as the film passes over the sprockets any slight variation in the film perforations may add still more flutter or change in speed but in the filos sound this flutter never reaches the sound drum because of the oscillatory stabilizer this device exerts a slight tension on the film just just ahead of the drum and immediately behind it in this way the flutter is made to bypass the sound head area the drum is isolated from sprockets and all other sources of flutter so at the sound head the film is moving steadily at constant speed and the result is clear undistorted sound [Music] yes mechanical performance Optical efficiency and perfect sound these are things that spell quality in a projector but quality also means length of service proven by actual lifetime test after 2500 hours of non stop operation in the testing laboratory stock filmosound projectors show no decrease in performance efficiency not the slightest sign of excessive wear in any part more than 2500 hours the equivalent of more than 8,000 showings in normal use the Assurance of service like this year after year makes the best projector by far the most economical one and only the best projector provides all these features ease of threading on a direct line over a plainly marked film path safe lock sprockets that secure the film in [Music] position machined and recessed film handling parts that cannot scratch film a shuttle that guards against film damage provides steady pictures an optical system with pre-aligned bulbs to ensure brilliant evenly lighted pictures controlled film movement producing clear undistorted sound a lightweight machine that's carried with ease be sure the machine you buy has all these features and above all make sure your projector is backed by more than a salesman's promise be sure it carries its manufacturer's guarantee not for a few months or a year but for life this is your one Assurance of quality projection trouble-free at the lowest possible cost per hour of service today and for years to come there was a day not so many years ago when audiences were easy to please they were used to seeing the operator signal of distress but the modern theater has conditioned audiences to accept nothing but steady brilliant pictures clear lifelike sound today wherever Motion Pictures are sh shown in the church in the classroom in the factory or in the business meeting audiences expect and deserve perfect projection nothing less it's our responsibility and yours to see that the show does go on in the best possible way
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