Bowler, Stanley W.

English

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528 The Sclentiflc Film Institute at Göttingen STANLEY  W.  BOWLER THIS WONDERFUL Institute  is  the realisation  of  a  twenty-five-year-old ambition and largely  the  cul~tion of the  intense  efforts  of  its  permanent Director, Dr.-Ing.  Gotthard Wolf,FRps, over that  period.  It is  fairly  safe to say that  there  is  nothing  quite  like  this establishment anywhere in the world, for under its  group of roofs  is  to  be  found practically  every  facility  needed  by research  workers  using  cinematography in  a  multitude  of  scientific  disciplines and industrial and other processes, in all \ its  applications  as  a  basic  means  of investigation and recording. Until  this  year  the  Institute had been housed  in some  of the  buildings  of the Max  Planck Society nearer to the centre of the town,  but the need for ,additiona space  and  specialised  buil  mgs  had OeCOri1.e so essential that completely new planning  for :=äSet  of  buildings  of  its own was  undertaken.  The new  site. of almost six acres, lies to the north-east of the town of Göttingen on the slope of a hill  along  the  right-hand  side  of  the ancient Nuns' Way, an old road leading to a convent just over the hilI.  Although rather bare when  we  were  there for the mid-year  meeting of the  Research  Film Projector equlpment tor the main auditorium. The  British Journal of Photography,  September 16,  1961 Section  of  the  International  Scientific Film Association, the site will  obviously be a very beautiful one when the landscape gardening is  completed. The principal  building  closest  to  the road contains  the  administrative  offices as  weil  as  the  main "iuditorium,  the library  and narrow-gauge film  vaults  in the basement.  Tfie auditOrIum seats  120 people in comfort, is fully air-conditioned (as  are  several  of the  other  important sections of the Institute) and has excellent projection facilities.  These include a  pair of  Bauer13.I1  35  mm  sound-on-film machines  with  1000  watt  xenon lamps, a  pair of  Bauer  Selection  11.0  16  mrn sound-on-film  machines with  1000  watt xenon  lamps,  slide  projectors  for  all sizes of lantern-slides and transparencies, tape-recording equipment for the record- I ing  of conferences and lectures,  as  we as  the  many accessory  devices  generally -associated  with  a  projection  room. Since a number of international meetings are  held  at  Göttingen  during  the  year the hall  is  fitted with a  radio system for simultaneous translation in three languages.  Three  permanent  sound- / proof booths are installed at the back of the  hall  from  which  the  three-Ianguage versions are radiated.  Visitors are loaned small battery-operated transistor Siemens receiver  units,  with  light-weight  head-phones, on a neck-strap.  Each is provided with  four  switched  channels,  one  of which  receives  directly  frVlm  the  micro-phone at the  lecturer's  rost  rum and the other three the different language versions -at  the recent meeting to which reference has  been  made  the  three  versions  were English, French and German. An interesting point about the installa-tion  is  that,  in  addition to  the  monitor Th~ Britisn J:JUrllal of Photograpny.  Srplrmbt'r  1·;,  fußI  529 High.speed cinematography being  used  to investigate the operation o( a threshlng machine. loudspeaker in the projection-room, there I  is  another  speaker  connected  to  the speaker's  microphone  so  that  the  pro-'ectionists  can  follow  a  lecture  and  be ready  without  any  hesitation  to  show slides  or  films  at  the  precise  point required.  From  the  visitors'  point  of view,  too  another sensible  arrangement was the careful timing of the programme and the breaks in it for coffee and biscuits mid-morning  and  mid-afternoon-mem-bers  of  the  Institute  staff  outside  the hall  were  also  wearing  receiver-units and  could  follow  the  progress  of each session  without  having  continually  to look into the hall  so that everything was ready at the end of a given contribution. It  is  obvious  that  considerable  thought has been given to the purely ' mechanical ' side of the installation to ensure that there is the minimum disturbance to the partici-pants of a conference or meeting. In addition to the main hall there is  a second  smaller  one  used  as  a  formal lecture-theatre.  In this ca  se  seating for 37  people  only,  at  tiered  benches,  is provided-the projection  facilities  again include 35  mm and 16 mm Bauer sound-on-film  equipment, as  weil  as  those  for transpareneies and slides  of all  formats. On the  practical  side  the studios  and laboratories  are  most  impressive,  not only  as  regards  number  and  size,  but also  for  the  completeness  of  their installations.  At  the  time  of our  visit working demonstrations oftypical investi-gations  were set up as  they  would  have been  for  the  actual  research  projects involved. The  largest  main  studio  has  an  area of about 1500 square feet  and an overall height of about 25  feet.  In addition to a steel-framed  gallery  running  round  the four sides of the studio at high  level  for the  placing  of overhead  lighting,  there are two 3-ton DEMAG cranes on tracks for  handling  large  pieces  of machinery and equipment.  One end of the studio has large double doors opening out on to a covered  way  leading  to  one  of  the internal  roads  on  the  site,  so  that  the biggest  lorry can  be  driven straight  into the  studio  or  large  items  of plant  off-loaded  by  means  of one  of the  cranes, all under cover. In  this,  as  in  all  other  studios  and laboratories, there are inset wall-mounted switchboard  panels  (in  the  main  studio also at gallery level) for the outlet sockets for  light  and  power  with  switches  and fuses  grouped  together,  the  aim  being not  only  great  flexibility  in  the  power supply  but  also  to  avoid  trailing  cables to  lighting  and  other  units  crossing  the working area of the floor. There  is  another  subsidiary  studio, also  used  for  engineering  investigations, rather more than half the size of the main one but without crane facilities.  In this ca  se  the  lighting  units  are  suspended from  rails  or tracks along the ceiling  by means  of  lazy-tongs  or  lattice-works. The lighting units,  by  Weinert of Berlin, can be completely controlled from ground level.  The three essential  movements of turn (or horizontal rotation), tilt  (in  the vertical direction) and focus  have worm-gear  drives  terminating  in  D-shaped rings on flexible  stems.  The tongue of a flat  metal  hook  on  the  end  of a  light bamboo pole can be slipped into any one of these rings  to  make  whatever  adjust-ment is required, even though the lamp is 530 twelve  or fifteen  feet  above  floor  level, quite easily and very precisely. The  sound  studio  is  about  the  same size  as  the second  largest  studio  and  is again  very  fully  equipped  for  recording and play-back, professional type Siemens' Klangfilm magnetic tape-recorders being installed.  The  projection  equipment  is again  Bauer,  similar  in  type  to  that installed  elsewhere  in  the  Institute,  but in  this  case  fitted  with  Rotosyn  syn-chronising  equipment  for  working  in conjunction  with  the  tape-recording equipment,  for  the  post-synchronisation of commentaries and dubbed tracks. To any mechanically-minded cinemato-grapher who  has  waited  impatiently  for some simple piece of accessory equipment to be  made, the engineering workshop is adelight.  It is as fully equipped as many medium-sized  factory  tool-rooms,  weil organised and staffed.  In this workshop special  plant and equipment is  designed and made so  that the solving of difficult problems  is  made easier.  The  mainten-ance  on  tne  vast  amount  of apparatus and  accessories  is  also  facilitated  and carried  out  quickly  so  that  lost  studio time is reduced to the absolute minimum. Slightly  uphill  from  the  main  block and the large studio  group of buildings Tlre  Brilish  Journal 0/ Pholography.  Sf>pfPmber  15,  1961 are  the  two  laboratory  buildings,  the first  having a single Hoor and the second two  Hoors,  both  being  connected  by covered passage-ways.  At the end of the first  building  there  is  also  a  very  large greenhouse  for  botanical  work.  Thc sm  aller  of the  two  la bora  tory  buildings contains  a  number  of separate  rooms, each  fully  equipped  with  cinemicro-graphie apparatus, for biologieal, medical, chemical  and  physical  experimental research work.  Cinemicrography and its many  special  techniques  have  always played a most important part in the work of the Institute and a considerable amount of development  work  has  been  done as far  as  the  actual  apparatus  is  also concerned. The  larger  of  the  two  laboratory blocks is  primarily devoted to high-speed photography  and  cinematography,  in which the principal studio has an area of about  1200  square  feet.  Work  UJ::  to 10,000 pictures per second can be handled, involving  very  high  voltages  and  the latest  techniques  in  image  dissection. Ancillary  rooms  house  accumulator-banks, darkrooms and a workshop-for, in this section again, much original work is  done  requiring  skilIed  electronic  and mechanical  engineering.  The' stills ' section  is  also  housed  here  and  fulfils the needs of the whole Institute, including The  British  Journal of Photography.  SC'pUmJer  lJ,  1!J61 Recordin,  o(  the  shatterin,  0( ... laminated  ,lass  under  impact. Be/ow : FlImin, a spider at work. 531 record photography, black-and-white and colour  work,  document-copying  and  SO on.  lts equipment is  as complete as, and matches in general excellence, that in  the rest of the Institute. In the uppermost corner of the site is the Director's house and just below  it  a small  block containing the house of the chief electrical  engineer  (whose  respon-sibilities  in  an  installation  of this  kind are very  heavy  and complex)  as  weil  as guest  rooms  for  visiting  scientists  and research workers.  At the opposite end of the  site  is  the  house-keeper's  residence. An  interesting  solution  to  the  problem of  safe  storage  of  35  mm  negative, duplicate  negative  and  positive  film co pies  has  been reached  by  building the film-vaults  into the side of the  hili,  just above  the  high-frequency  laboratory. Lastly,  there  is  the  main  transformer house:  its  contents  give  a  very  c\ear indication  of  the  electrical  load  which the work of the Institute requires.  In it there are three quite large  transformers, one of 400  kVA,  one  of 250  kVA,  and another  of 100  kV A,  giving  a  total  of 750  kVA,  wh ich  would  be  quite enough to supply a  respectable sized village with power.  Of this load, for instance, about 120 kW is  required for the air-condition-532 ing  plant,  which  holds  certain  parts  of the  Institute  at a  temperature  of about 63°F.  and a  relative  humidity of 65  per cent. Supporting Dr.-Ing Wolf in  the work of the Institute are ten scientists, covering the  fields  of  pure  science,  medicine, biology,  ethnology,  botany  and  so  on, as  well  as  Dr.-Ing  J.  Rieck,  who  deals with  the  mechanical  engineering  side  of the  activities.  These  seientists  can,  in turn, call upon the services of six camera-men,  each  with  an  assistant,  the  team being led  by  Herr K.  Nowigk.  Six  other assistants are in  training.  Each camera-man  has,  in  his  charge,  an  Askania  Z outfit,  complete  in  every  respeet  for 35  mm work.  Some of these equipments also  have  time-Iapse  accessories.  There is  also  a  complement  of  ten  J  6  mm outfits,  three of which are Arriflexes,  as weil  as  an  Arricord  sound-film  camera for  loeation  work.  Apart  from  highly specialised  high-speed  equipments  there are  also  five  35  mm  and  six  J  6  mm equipments  with  facilities  up  to  8000 pictures per second, of generally available types, such as  Fastax, eIe. The extent and range of lighting equip-ment  is  also great; in addition to mirror lamps, are lamps, expendable flash outfits, and electronie flash  of every conceivable kind  there  are  no  less  than  fifty  2 kW, fifteen  5 kW, and fifteen  500 watt incan-descent focusing spotlamps. The  • stills'  side  is  equally  weil equipped,  both  for  loeation  work  and photography  in  and  around  the  labora-tories-the  processing-rooms  contain so  me  of the  latest  enlargers  and  so  on, the whole being in the charge of Fräulein Hildegarde  Seils  10  whom,  incidentally, I am indebted for the illustrations to this report :  several  of  them  were  taken specially at my request. The  total  number  of people  engaged in the work of the Institute, though, at the present  time  is  about  sixty.  Of  these, about  twenty  are  responsible  for  the smooth running of the plaee and include projectionists, electrieians, sound-record-ing  engineers, administrative and library stafl',  as weil  as the house-keeper and his stalf,  which  includes  the  excellently  run canteen.  It is expeeted that the total may rise  to  about  one  hund  red  when  a number  of existing  advertised  vaeancies are filled. The  oplical an.lngement  (or  filming  spark-2rosion.\ The  British  Journal  01 PholOgraphy.  Sepli'mber  15,  1961 The eventual aim of the Institute is,  as a  central  body  in  Western  Germany, only to deal with really difficult problems for  which  its  resources  can  be  fully mobilised.  At the same time, it is intended that  as  many  people  outside  shall  be trained to work in their own universities and  research  laboratories and to  handle the more routine uses of cinernatographie for  straight-forward  investigations.  In addition  to  this  general  arrangement of work,  research  teams consisting of a scientist  in  the  subject  to  be  examined with  his  camera-man  and  assistant, together  with  the  necessary  cameras, accessories,  sound  recording  apparatus and  lighting  equipment,  can  be  sent  in specially fitted vehicles to sites away from Göttingen. This  delegation  of work  is  becoming daily  more  essential,  for  at  any  given time  there  is  an  average  of about  one hund  red  projects  on  hand,  some  0 ' which  will  involve  two  or  three  years work.  This  applies  particularly  to biological  work  where  life-cycles  spread over several  seasons are  involved.  As  a further  example,  about  five  years  ago the  Institute was  asked  to  look  intü  the TI,.  Br;t;sh  Journal 0/ Photollraphy.  S.pt.mber  15.  1961  533 An engineering problem is  sol  .... ed  by  high-speed  clnemaphoto,rJ.phy. operatlon  01  a  tnresnmg-macnme-thls was  done  with  the  aid  of  high-speed ...,..cinematography.  From the results of the nvestigations changes  were  made in  the design  of  the  machine.  The  modified machine,  having been  put  to work for a season  and  tested  in  a  practical  way  in the field,  was  then  re-examined.  From this  continuous  research  over  the  years considerable  improvements  have  been effected  in  the  overall  performance  of the machine. Other  practical  work  has  been  done on  the  splintering  of car  wind-screens, again  using  high-speed  cinematography for  the  recording  of  the  shattering  of the  laminated  glass  under  impacts similar to those experienced when a stone from  the road is  thrown  with  very  high velocity  against  the screen. So  me  new  work  has  recently  been begun  on  the  underlying  principles  of the latest  spark-erosion  techniques  used for such engineering work as the cutting away  of difficult  shapes  when  making dies  in  very  hard  tool-steels.  This mvesugatlOn  has  necessitated  quite  an elaborate  set-up  in  the  high-frequency laboratory and from the results obtained it  is  expected  that much  new  knowledge will  be  provided  about the eating  away of the meta  I at the spark point. One of the most  intriguing set-ups  in one laboratory was that for investigating the  action  of a  spider's  spinnarets-the live spider was in a rectangular glass case with  a  sandy  Hoor  and  had  started  to spin threads across the face  of one gJass panel.  The camera was focused upon this surface  and the  illumination came  from several  electronic-Hash  heads,  synchron-ised  to  the  camera  shutter  at  a  taking speed  of 24  pictures  per  second.  Other work  which  has  been  done with  several varieties  of spiders concerns  the  way  in which  they  take  their  prey.  Yet  other work has  been  done  in  connection with the  continuous  fight  against  harmful insects.  The  extent  and  variety  of the work  undertaken may  be  gathered from the  relatively  few  demonstrations  seen, but it  can only give the merest indication 01  the  wh oIe  scale  01  research  whlch continually  occupies  this  very  highly trained and skilIed team of scientists and technicians  working  together  in  what must  be  very  nearly  ideal  conditions. I am much  indebted to Dr.-Ing. Wolf and  his  colleagues  for  their  care  and courtesy in demonstrating and explaining the  many  fascinating  things  which  were seen in  the Institute and in providing me with  the  information  and  illustrations to  make this  report.  The old  university town of Göttingen adds considerably to the pleasure of a visit there and, although this  was  the  fourth  occasion  on  which the  work  of the  Institute  was  discussed in very great detail, the journey is always weil  worth while.  If an invitation can be secured by any seriously-minded cinema-tographer, interested in the wider applica-tions  of the  use  of film  as  a  research method, then I feel  sure that after such a visit  there  is  not only a  feeling  of great stimulation - if  also  of  considerable envy-to  repay  the  time  involved  in making the trip. 

The Scientific Film Institute at Göttingen

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