Tangible Media: Removable Storage of Image, Sound, Motion and Data
Tangible Media: Removable Storage of Image, Sound, Motion and Data
Tangible Media: Removable Storage of Image, Sound, Motion and Data
Frames
Americom

Title:

Ulysses

Artist:

Kirk Douglas, etc.

Date:

1965

Material:

Vinyl flexidisc

Dimensions:

7 in. (18 cm)

Company:

Americom 8mm, Inc. / Lux Film

Location:

New York, United States / Turin, Italy

Sound-on-disc for 8 mm movies. The soundtrack is on a flexi-disc record. To synchronize the sound with the movie, the movie was first threaded manually so the sync mark on the film was in the film gate. The user started the record and when they heard instructions followed by a tone, started the projector. There was no synchronization beyond that, so the film and sound could and often did drift out of sync (millimeter2982 2015). Some films, like this one, required two record discs. This was accommodated by adding an "Intermission" title to the film, followed by instructions to stop the projector, line up a second sync mark, start the second record and at the tone, restart the projector (Mcelwee 2006). Subtitles provided an alternative when synchronization failed, which it did—often.

Both standard 8 and Super 8 films were available. The films were reduction prints of commercial 16 mm and 35mm films. Titles included Snow White and the Three Stooges, The Curse of Frankenstein, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Popeye.

References
⌃  Back to citationMcelwee, John. 2006. Anon. comment to Your Best Choice in 1929 Home Entertainment. Greenbriar Picture Shows. Oct. 11.
⌃  Back to citationmillimeter2982. 2015. Americom 8mm with soundtrack restored Horror of Fu Manchu. Milli Meter. July 17. YouTube video, 14:47.