9.5 MINI FESTIVAL
Alan Lott
In these modern times of the gauge war between various video systems
and confusing computers it is somewhat heartening to realise that
some things never change.
This was brought home to me when I attended the Mini Festival presented
by the Wessex 9.5 group on Saturday 21 October 2000. This group is
very fortunate to have their own club house adjacent to the Allendale
Centre and they have furnished it as a 100 seat cinema, something
like Don Curries but on a much larger scale with plush tip up seats,
a tea bar opening onto the rear of the seating area, good parking
adjacent (but prepaid tickets).
The very full programme commenced at l400hrs and ran with two short
intervals, and a one hour break for a fish and chip supper at l800hrs
until 22.15
As usual it was a full house and Grahame Newnhame, the organiser
of the group 9.5 stated that it was becoming so popular that numbers
would have to be restricted in future. The programme was essentially
based on the 9.5mm film gauge, the first ever-amateur gauge and marketed
in 1922. Although it has undergone many marketing changes and almost
died out in the United Kingdom in the 1960's following the failure
of Pathescope.
Great Britain it is now very much 'up and running' with international
groups and competitions with a small but growing band of devotees
in the U.S.A.
I started on 9.5 and my wedding in 1945 was filmed in this format
so I have an affection for this gauge, although I haven't filmed in
it for many years. I still have my original Dekko camera still in
good running condition as well
as a Specto 500 dual gauge 9.5/16mm projector; also a VOX rebuilt
sound projector and a selection of 9.5mm sound films including pre
war musicals. Older members of the club will remember me showing some
of these.
I have taken the 9.5 Association's magazine for many years and have
been slightly sceptical of its claims made by members who still film
in 9.5mm of the magnificent pictures they are now able to screen using
Fuji or Konika film. I must say I was very impressed with the pictures
projected at the meeting. It has almost tempted me to pull out my
Dekko and shoot a few feet!
Roger Spence the president of the group who has come first in many
international competitions projected his latest film "The Milli"
a colour film with magnetic sound track of the metre gauge narrow
gauge preserved railway that runs between the old East and West Germany.
It was stunning.
Jeremy Jago gave us a most interesting slide talk about the early
history of sound recording in the U.K. and the U.S.A. He showed pictures
of early equipment I have never seen in reference books.
Also did you know that many pre war musical films made by British
Lion Films now only exist on 9.5mm sound because British Lion destroyed
all the master negatives and all 35mm projection prints after the
run on the main cinema circuits. One of these full length films "It's
a Grand Old World" featuring Sandy Powell was shown to complete
the evening.
If ever the club is short of material to make up a seasons programme
it would be worth inviting Roger Spence to come along and give a demonstration
of the current situation of the 9.5mm film gauge
Finally news for the video devotees! It was announced in the October
2000 issue of Stereoscopic Society Journal of 3D imaging that Canon
has introduced a 3D zoom lens for DVD cameras
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