How to Make a Filmstrip
K ast month in an article titled, “How to Make a Filmstrip,” there was a description of how missionaries in Alaska produced an inexpensive filmstrip. This month we are presenting the technical data for making such a filmstrip. It should be noted that this type of filmstrip is strictly an amateur affair. Its value lies in the fact that it can be produced anywhere — mission field or local church. Many feel such a project is a way of drawing people together. And where there is a sense of “ belong ing” it is often easier to present the claims of Jesus Christ. Filmstrips for promotional use are quite a different thing and can not be done by amateurs. An or ganization will need to pay from $1,000 up for a good promotional filmstrip and experience has taught there just aren’t any shortcuts. But the strictly amateur job can be done for under $100. One Southern California church did an amateur filmstrip on the construc tion of their new church building. The building project was one in which many of the members helped and the filmstrip told an interest ing, human interest story. Technical Data Black and White 1) Use a good camera with a fairly large negative size (Rollei- flex, Graphic, etc.). A tripod al ways helps and is essential if shut ter speed is under 1/100 of a sec ond. 2) Shoot two or three shots of each scene. From proofs select the ones to appear in the filmstrip and
have these enlarged to a uniform size (5x7 or 8x10). 3) Number the enlargements in the order they are to appear in the filmstrip and mail to a commercial filmstrip company. •The average filmstrip will have from 40 to 50 frames (scenes). A H o llyw ood company that does good work at a reasonable rate is Ernie Nemeth, 6260 Romaine, Hollywood, Calif. Cost of shooting the negative will run around 50c per frame (some companies will charge up to $2). There is usually a minimum devel oping charge of around $10 and a minimum print charge for 100 feet of film (around $6). Since a film strip will run about 5 feet in length (counting leaders) and the mini mum print charge is for 100 feet, you might as well get 15 or 20 prints of the finished filmstrip since the price will be the same as for one. Be sure to state that you want the strip shot at full aperture (or it might come back printed on sound film). Full aperture means the entire size of each frame will be used for the photo, while on sound film a portion is left for the sound track. Full-color Filmstrip 1) Use a good 35mm camera and Kodachrome or Anscochrome film. 2) When the film has been processed as normally select the slides you want to appear in the strip and number them in order. The numbering can be done on tabs on the corner of each slide. 3) Mail to a filmstrip lab (for address of one see number 3 above). For a uniform color job the cost will be about $1 per frame with a
$5 developing charge and $15 min imum print charge (as in black and white this minimum print charge is for 100 feet). For a more elaborate filmstrip, captions can be added. This can be done in the following way for black and white: 1) Hand letter or have a printer give you repro duction proofs of each caption. 2) Allot every other frame (or fewer as needed) for a caption (if you do this, paste the caption on off-white cardboard the same size as the print surface of the enlarged photo and number accordingly). 3) Or you may want the caption to go under the photo. In this case be sure the photo is trimmed so that the photo plus caption is exactly the same size as those photos without captions. Captions for color present a more complicated problem and should be avoided in amateur filmstrips. If captions are not desired it is possible to add narration by use of a tape recorder. This narration will be done after the filmstrip is completed. There should be some kind of an identifying sound on the tape in order that the filmstrip op erator knows when to change to the next frame. One way to pro vide this identifying sound is to tap a glass tumbler. Amateur filmstrips can be both enjoyable and profitable. Of course if the missionary or pastor or Sun day school superintendent or daily vacation Bible school leader or camp director decides a filmstrip is a lit tle too complicated then a story can be told by making a set of col ored slides. Either way something creative has been accomplished that can be used to further the work of our Saviour. end .
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