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Author Topic: Interesting Mitchell projector on ebay John Schulien Expert Film Handler Posts: 206 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 05-18-2001 11:13 AM                     Every once in a while something really interesting pops up on ebay. Here's one of those somethings: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1238810428 As someone else pointed out on another forum, this projector has no sound capability. Does anyone know what this sort of projector would be used for? The entire projector is blimped, which would lead one to believe that it was intended for use on a shooting set. At any rate, that's a heck of a piece of hardware!  |  IP: Logged Jeff Taylor Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 601 From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY Registered: Apr 2000 posted 05-18-2001 01:37 PM                     Did you note the Samuel Goldwyn Studios stencil on the machine? This was used for rear projection scenes...hence the high quality intermittant and extremely stable image.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 05-18-2001 01:58 PM                        Probably a pin-registered movement (projectors don't get any steadier than that!), taking film with Bell&Howell (BH) perforations. Likely that projector was used on quite a few classic films to project the "background plates". ------------------ John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging Eastman Kodak Company Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419 Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243 E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-18-2001 02:31 PM                        Don't these machines use the same movement as Mitchell cameras? If so, it's definitely pin-registered and definitely designed for BH-perf film.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-18-2001 05:41 PM                     The movements in these are quite a bit different than a camera type movement. The aperature is placed far above the reg pins and claw to stay cool, plus the pins and claw are ground for positive perforations, not negative perfs as in a camera. Bill Hansard has a warehouse full of these projectors in L.A. that contains a number of these plus several Vistavision and hand built MGM process projectors from the 20's. All are still usable and some have been retrofitted with 10K xenon lamps. When I worked on Uncle Buck Bill sent in one of his projectors for rear screen stuff. It has a single blade shutter that syncs with the camera shutter. Ya can't watch it too long unless you want a heck of a headache. Unfortunately these projectors as neato as they are, are mainly relagated to the scrap heap these days. They are rarely used except for special purposes. Stuff is all digital these days. I have pictures of Hansards projectors that I'll send into Brad to post. They are quite unique. Mark @ GTS  |  IP: Logged John Anastasio Master Film Handler Posts: 325 From: Trenton, NJ, USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 05-18-2001 09:20 PM                        How was the synchronization accomplished between the camera and the projector? Did they just use synchronous motors? Geez, that thing is a beaut.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-19-2001 09:40 AM                     They used a 3 phase sync motor and a selsyn to the camera  |  IP: Logged

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