ABOUT THE VISIT IN THE USSR OF A GROUP OF AMERICAN CINESPECIALISTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A026400180001-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 28, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 16, 1964
• Content Type: REPORT

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PUBLISHED IN TEKHNIKA KIN? i TELEVIDENIYA 1964,
NO. 1, 92-94
M. Z. Wysotsky
ABOUT THE VISIT IN THE USSR OF A GROUP OF
'AMERICAN CINESPECIALISTS
From the 20th of October to the 11th of November 1963, a
group of distinguished American einespecialists visited the USSR.
They visited our country as a reciprocal visit in conformity with
the agreement about cultural exchanges.
The group consisted of: Dr. Deane R. White, Engineering
Vice-President of the American Society of Motion Picture and Tele-
Vision Engineers (SMPTE), and Director of Research Laboratories of
the Du Pont Company, Ethan M. Stifle, Vice-Priesident of the SMPTE,
Manager of a SectiOn of ti* Eastman Kodak Company on the east coast
of the USA (New 'York); William E. Gephart, one of the Governors of
the SMPTE and President of' the firm, General Film Laboratories in
Hollywood; Frank R. Capra, distinguished director and producer, Who
has an-engieering training, hap worked it the eine industry since
1921 and rha S phetdgraphed :Ore than 35 films. He is one of the
leading members of the Association of Motion Picture Directors in
the USA.'
nuring the Stay in the Soviet. Union the group visited:
in MOSCOW'.
the "Mosfilm" motion picture studio
the All Union State Institute for Cinematography
.
the "Rossiya"Cine theater
the laboratory.fOr release printing of color films NIKFI
(the Scientific Research Cine Photographic InstitUte)
,-? ? Y
the Kremlin Palace of Congresses
the circular Kinopanorama theater in the Exhibition g
Progress of the National EcOnomy
in Alma-Ata
the "Kazakhfilm" motion picture studio
in Kiev
the motion picture studio named after A. P. Dovzhenko
the site of the new studio for popular science films
in Odessa
the factory "Kinap" (Cine Apparatus Factory)
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in Leningrad
the "Lenfilm" motion picture studio
the Central Construction Bureau
the motion picture printing plant
the TV station
and the hall for re-recording and dubbing of wide-format
and panoramic films in the motion picture news studio.
During the inspection of the "Mosfilm" motion picture
studio, the delegates paid attention to the large scale of pro-
duction, the contents and technical equipment of the stages.
Among the equipment which drew attention: the new camera,
"Mir", with mirror shutter which is considerably lighter than the
"Mitchell" (by more than 20 kg), the line of 'cameras for wide-format
exposures, the series of camera lenses, light filters, combination
photography by the traveling matte" method (infrared screen and.
camera WS) which guarantees complete absence of outlines, equipment
for de-anamorphizing wide screen films with the possibility of pano-
raming, printers foririnting 70mm wide-format films and their vari-
ants, universal sound editing table for assembling 35 and 70mm
films, universal machine for application of magnetic stripes to
35 and 70mm film prints (very compact) universal machine for "electro-
printing" stereophonic sound records, universal demagnetizing equip-
ment and others.:
The delegation became acquainted with the sound recording
arrangements - pound studios, new wide-format room and sound equip-
ment - (desk for music recording "Rapsoddla", nine-channel mixer
desk for re-recording wide-format and panorama films, magnetic
reverberator, portable magnetophone type "Sonata" for recording on
narrow magentic tape with positive synchronization).
In the other studios ("Lenfilm", "Kazakhfilm", and the
studio named for A. P. Dovzhenko) the American cinespecialists paid
attention likewise to
the overall contents
the highly technical matter of "presence"
the fundamentals of contemporary equipment
the enthusiasm and interest of the.workers whom they had
occasion to encounter.
At the "Lenfilm" studio attention was drawn in particular,
by a trick printing machine, which was assumed to be in regular
production and also by an operating crane with remote control of
camera exposure by television monitoring. -
The American motion picture specialists spoke warmly of
the "Kazakhfile studio, particularly about the arrangements for
combination photography. They looked over the plans of the new
studio and the plot for its construction.,
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In the Moscow plant for mass printing of color films, the
specialists noted the clearness of the technical process, including
the order and cleanness. Attention was given to the control-
measuring equipment, the small size restoration machine and the
machine for slitting 32mm into two 16mm films, guaranteeing high
precision of cutting. While there, the specialists expressed
interest in the possibility of purchase of these machines. They
noted the work directed toward the adoption of the method of
additive (control of) color printing.
At the Leningrad printing plant the group interested
itself in the department of hydrotype (imbibition) printing and
the control measuring equipment.
During the visit to the All Union State Institute of
Cinematography, the delegates became acquainted with the training
of the creative staff for cinematography (writers, directors,
operators, artists, and eine scientists). This school is unlike
any in the USA and has auditorium facilities, reception rooms,
library, reading rooms, stages, laboratories, sound and editing
equipment and review rooms. The delegates became acquainted with
several thesis works.
At the Odessa "Kinap" the specialists from the USA
inspected products manufactured - universal sound editing table,
projectors and auxiliary equipment. The delegation noted the
scale of manufacture of the 16mm projector "Ukraina", through
which, every 5 to 7 minutes one comes off the conveyor. Their
attention was attracted by a stand for animation of films with
remote, programmed control and also by the method of welding eine
screens with ultra high frequencies.
Nearly a whole day was devoted to becoming acquainted
with the work of the Central Construction Bureau in Leningrad
and in observing the laboratories. The specialists from the USA
visited the laboratories of acoustics, semiconductor techniques,
sound recording, sound reproducing, optics and printing equipment.
They inspected nonanamorphic taking and projection optics of
recent models and, in particular, a camera lens F = 16mm f/2.8
and other objectives for the exposure of wide-format films, and
models of contemporary microphones (including a radio-microphone)
and printing equipment for printing wide-format films and their
variants.
At the Leningrad TV station the American specialists
became acquainted with its studio, assemblage of equipment, visual
quality of the eine exposure screen of the kinescope, equipment of
the section for production of TV films, and quality of TV broad-
casting.
In Leningrad the delegates also noted the new sound
equipment for re-recording and dubbing wide-format and panorama
films. This equipment was located at the studio "Lenkinochronika".
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After acquaintance acquaintance with the apparatus', the delegates watched for
an hour the wide-format film "Krepostnaya Aktrisa" while they
paid attention to the exceptionally low level of noise with the
re-recording of the magnetic original, which makes sure of a
practically complete freedom from noise at the pauses.
The delegates devoted a significant time to becoming
acquainted with the work of the All Union Scientific Research
Cine Photographic Institute (NIKFI). As is recognized, the USA
does not have an equivalent scientific research institute dedi-
cated to the working out of all eine technical and photographic
problems, and this is costly to cinematography.
In the institute they saw the laboratories for light
techniques, exposure techniques, printing equipment, acoustics,
sound reproduction and photochemistry.
In the laboratory for light techniques, the delegation
paid attention to
? the line of Xenon lamp for eine projection (0.5,
and 3 kw)
? a 16mm stationary projector with Xenon lamp with very
simple controls, calculated to show films without
overloading
? reflectors with interference coatings
? a source of light for projection with a screen light
flux of 60,000 lumens.
In the camera laboratory - 70mm cameras - for high speed
and for "traveling mattes"; lenses and equipment for their study.
In the laboratory for printing techniques - apparatus
for the production of various tests (in the course of the talk, it
was suggested interchange of test films be made for more detailed
knowledge of their exact characteristics).
In the acoustics laboratory the delegates paid attention
to the models of rooms planned for multipurpose usage and as eine
theaters. In the sound reproduction laboratory the US eine- .
specialists became acquainted with various amplifying equipment
for eine theaters; both miniature types, assembled with transistors,
and heavy duty stationary ones. During the visit to the section of
loud speakers, the attention of the delegates was directed to the
system of three unit sound reproducers and the quality of their
sound.
During the visit to the photochemical laboratory an in-
teresting discussion came up in the base laboratory, in particular,
about the course of further development of new forms of base for
eine films.'
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The specialists of the USA paid attention to the out-
fitting of the photochemical laboratory with control measuring
apparatus'and instrumentation and also inquired about the possi-
bility of purchase of individual items for laboratories in the
USA.
In the large review room of NWT the American visitors
heard nine-channel stereophonic recordlalg?.
In the final remarks the cipespecialists called the
existence of such a Scientific research inititute very fortunate
4114 named NIKFI'','the brain trust of Soviet cinematography".
r,r
Ip a meeting of the leaders of the scientific and engi-
neering technical workers w#4 the USA specialist's, which was
orgahized. by the'section of Science and TeChnolOgy.of the Union
of' CineMatographic Workers in the: USSR, 'tj:g leader of the delega-
tion, Dr. White, epOke briefly 0out the .activity pf the American
SoCiety'of*otion'Ficture ands Television Engine, and after