Film Speed. Ottawa, Kan., writes "How many minutes should it take to run a standard reel of 1,000 feet? In other words, to obtain the best results how many revolutions of the machine crank should there be per minute? Why do some pictures flicker more than others when all are run under the same conditions? Ought some pictures be run faster than others, or should the speed be uniform?

Any flicker there may be is always more pronounced on light scenes than on dark ones. While I have called attention time and again to the matter of speed, and its vital importance I will, for the benefit of newer readers take it up again. Speed is of very, very great importance and a comprehension of this fact is absolutely necessary to do really fine projection. The operator "renders" a film, if he is a real operator, exactly as does the musician render a piece of music, in that, within limits, the action of the scene being portrayed depends entirely on his judgment. In the Passion Play he can make Peter act the part of a jumping jack and he can turn a horse race into a howling farce, by over-speeding and under-speeding. Generally speaking 17 minute is the average time for 1,000 feet of film. This is by reason of the fact that normal speed is 60 turns of the crank per minute, that being the speed the camera is supposed to be run in taking the picture. However, the camera operator guesses at speed and doesn't always hit it very closely.

I have timed a camera operator, without his knowledge, running nearly 70, and again as low as 50. Probably the speed will, taking one scene with another, average about 60. There is one rule, and one rule only, the operator must be guided by if he wishes to produce artistic projection, viz.: the action of the scene being portrayed. The one and only exception to this is scenic films, in which there are no moving figures. Take the Passion Play (Pathe) for example. It should be run right down to the limit of slowness. It is much more impressive thus. The scenes are religious and solemn and the figures should move slowly. To run at normal speed (60) would not bring out the full beauty and impressiveness of the scenes. To run at 65 or 70 would make of it a howling farce. Imagine the figure of the Savior carrying the cross at a gallop. I have seen very near that same thing. I would cheerfully have paid five dollars for the privilege of heaving a brick into that operating room. It was a shameful debauchery of projection.

On the other hand I have seen an automobile race appear utterly ridiculous by being run too slowly. I have seen a man falling who appeared to float down- underspeed. I have seen persons walking, having a floating motion, utterly absurd (too slow), and again with their legs twinkling along as though they were automatons. Watch the scene closely and by variation of speed bring out everything there is in it. No set rule applies.

Only the application of brains to the matter of speed can properly rend a film. That is one reason why the real operator never takes his eye from the screen. I have often changed speed half a dozen times on one film of 1,000 feet. Operators will do well to put in a film before or after the show when no one is present, and note the difference in running a scene at various speeds. It requires rare good judgment to be able to correctly judge the speed which will produce the best certain result on any average scene.

F.H. Richardson, "Projection Department," The Moving Picture World, December 2, 1911, pages 721, 722.

© 1998, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)

Return to the Silent Film Bookshelf Home Page