History of Soviet filmstrips. Positive shots of our childhood

In today's post, I would like to reminisce with you about filmoscope and filmstrips, about how we watched cartoons, fairy tales and different stories on a wall hung with a white sheet, the so-called screen, and some of us fell asleep to the sound of our mother, who voiced these filmstrips, reading the captions under the slides. True, in a number of cases, sound accompaniment on a gramophone record was attached to the filmstrip, the signal to change the frame was given by a “squeak” recorded on the record. Frames, of course, were changed manually, with the help of a roller pen.

Personally, I remember saying: "Mom, wait, I want black bread with sprats in tomato sauce." What was delicious bread and what a bastard...

By the way, my favorite filmstrips are The Three Little Pigs, Ludwig the Fourteenth, Krylov's Fables, The War of the Crocodiles, The Pot of Porridge, etc. I will post them at the end of the article for free download.

The cost of children's filmstrips then was about 50 kopecks.

So what is a filmoscope?

filmoscope- the name of optical devices of different classes adopted in the USSR.

The apparatus with which we viewed filmstrips with you is called - slide projector, although the people called him a filmoscope.

Overhead projector (filmoscope, slide projector, frame projector) - a kind of projection apparatus for demonstrating transparencies, filmstrips and other media on a transparent basis. It gained its greatest popularity in the 20th century.

Some filmoscopes (for example, "The Seagull", "FED-Mikron", "Agat-18"), for display, could take individual frames of the film, which was inserted into transparencies frames. Although it was much easier not to cut the film, but simply to reproduce it on an ordinary children's filmoscope.

On sale, in addition to filmstrips for children, there were sets of slides on certain topics. Most often these were art, museums, history, geography.

Educational filmstrips and transparencies were widely used in schools, secondary special and higher educational institutions. Sometimes, these same educational filmstrips and transparencies were independently made by amateur photography students (student scientific work departments, student scientific society, electives). Such creativity was mutually beneficial: on the one hand, the university received an educational filmstrip at its disposal, on the other hand, the student could be given the opportunity to pass the exam easily (by agreement with the department).

In organizations and enterprises, workers and employees were shown filmstrips on civil defense and labor safety.

What else to add, let's remember what filmoscopes we had, and some, perhaps, still have.

Filmoscopes (slide projectors) of the USSR

Very good quality labeled slide projector. Produced in Kyiv. This slide projector model has a time relay, with which it is very convenient to change frames if the display time of each slide is the same. Right time slide show can be set from 7 to 45 seconds. The Alpha slide projector also uses a KGM 24-150 lamp. The lens has a focal length of 80 mm and a relative aperture of 1:2.8. There is a remote control with which you can control the slides in the forward and reverse directions, as well as perform lens subfocusing. There is no autofocus in the slide projector. Interestingly done and lifting device. When you press the button, the spring-loaded front leg itself extends. Having picked up the desired angle of inclination of the slide projector, release the key and the slide projector will remain in a stable position.

The slide projector "Diana" replaced the "Alpha". This device is a 1996 release. Unlike other overhead projectors, "Diana" has, in addition to the autofocus system and the time relay, smooth adjustment luminous flux which increases lamp life. The Diana slide projector also uses a KGM 24-150 lamp, and the lens has a focal length of 80 mm and a relative aperture of 1:2.8. The slide projector has three knobs - power on and light flux adjustment, time relay and autofocus on. The slide projector is equipped with a touch remote control with four control buttons. It has 2 adjustable feet on the front for greater stability.

Distinctive feature This model is a 300 W high-power cinema projection lamp and, as a result, forced cooling with a fan. Otherwise, the slide projector is very similar to the Light models, but somewhat bigger size. Despite the size of the device, it has a relatively small weight, since it does not have a transformer. It seems that this is one of the best and very rare devices. Possessing a high luminous flux, light weight and dimensions, the DP slide projector combines simplicity and reliability with the functionality (forced cooling) of expensive devices.

Zarnitsa is one of the inexpensive filmoscopes. The model is made in metal case, and is very reminiscent of the filmoscope "FD-2", as appearance, as well as characteristics. Lens with plastic lenses. The device uses a 6 volt lamp with a power of 30 watts. No height adjustable front legs. Its price was 8 rubles 50 kopecks.

The filmoscope is quite rare and improved, although it is very similar to the FD-2 slide projector. The case has been slightly changed for better cooling, because of this, the adapter for filmstrips has also undergone a change. The lens is exactly the same as that of Zarnitsa and FD-2. The cost of the device was 12 rubles. Common disadvantages include the lack of the possibility of demonstrating slides and pulling the film under the bottom of the apparatus, which contributes to additional wear of the filmstrip (the film is scratched).

This pattern is also rare. Produced at the production association "Zakarpatpribor, Uzhgorod, Ukraine. The device combines the advantages of "Fairy tales" - simplified charging, at the same time, the adapter can be removed and cleaned without disassembling the entire overhead projector, and a special adapter for viewing slides is also included. Film scroll handles on both sides, which is also more convenient. Adjusting the lamp also does not cause problems, the lens is not completely pulled out (it is possible if desired) and does not fall out like in the "FD-2". But the lamp is standard, 6V 30W, which is currently almost impossible to get. It cost 10 rubles.

Slide projector "Kyiv 66" is intended only for slide shows, however, it can demonstrate both ordinary transparencies and wide film (medium format, film with a frame of 6 × 6 cm). The model has 2 lenses with different focal lengths and a replaceable condenser - each slide format has its own. Lamp standard halogen KGM 24-250. Change of slides is made manually, reciprocating movement of a pusher. Shops are used for narrow film standard for 50 frames (type "Peleng"), or special for wide film for 30 frames.

The slide projector "Lektor-600" is designed for static projection of color and black-and-white filmstrips with a frame size of 50×50 mm.

The slide projector "LETI" is intended only for displaying filmstrips. Has a remote control. Unlike other slide projectors, "LETI" has the most powerful luminous flux, a 500 W halogen lamp, due to which it is very bright, and it is not even necessary to darken the room to view filmstrips. In the LETI slide projector, the lens has a focal length of 91.7 mm and a relative aperture of 1:2. The model has a leather case with a zipper. But the most important thing, in my opinion, the dignity of a slide projector is an exceptionally careful attitude to filmstrips. They do not scratch or fade (there is a heat filter), so the films will last a very long time.

Inexpensive filmoscope costing about 8 rubles. Producer UPP-1 UTOG, Kharkov. The case is metal, small dimensions. A6 21 lamp is used as standard. The focal length of the lens is 63 mm.

12. Slide projector (filmoscope) - "Bearing 500". Very good, but expensive devices (about 250 rubles). The Peleng 500 slide projector is designed to demonstrate color and black-and-white transparencies (slides), as well as filmstrips (using an attachment installed in the slot on the top cover). I should note that all these projectors are “sharpened” for showing slides. In the bearing 500 series, several modifications of projectors were produced. All modifications have a halogen lamp, 150 W., luminous flux 500 lm. Most have a remote remote control(except Bearing 500K), but it is only for slide show control. In addition, cases were produced for these devices with two slide magazines with 50 frames each. Such projectors do not spoil the film, because. have forced cooling. A kind of domestic HiFi.

- with the ability to view filmstrips, without autofocus. Very convenient prefix for viewing filmstrips with protective glass, filmstrips do not deteriorate and do not fade. The disadvantage, in my opinion, is only one: the focal length of the lens is 100 mm. too big for a filmstrip, although watching slides is just right.

is a modern slide projector with automatic focus, designed to demonstrate transparencies (slides) mounted in standard frames 50 × 50 mm in size. A device that monitors the sharpness of the image on the screen (auto focus) facilitates and simplifies maintenance of the overhead projector. It was the flagship model of bearings, although the demonstration of filmstrips on it is impossible.

Very rare and by far the best overhead slide projector. Only 3-4 thousand of these overhead projectors were produced. The kit comes with a wired (very long) remote control and 3 interchangeable lenses, with focal lengths of 78, 100 and 150mm. and aperture ratio 1:2.8. The lamp in the overhead projector is halogen, 250 W., the luminous flux reaches 700 lm. There is a timer (time relay) for automatic slide show with a specified (up to 30 seconds) time interval. The Peleng-700 AF slide projector has a switchable auto focus. Also, if you have slides with different size frames (for example 18x24 and 24x36), then this is the only slide projector you need! Thanks to interchangeable lenses, the size of the projected image can be easily adjusted to fit the frame size. Demonstration of filmstrips by the design of the Peleng 700 slide projector is not provided.

15. Slide projector (filmoscope) - "Peleng-800". This model had a 250 W halogen lamp and a 1: 1.8 coated lens, thanks to which the luminous flux reached 800 lm! This slide projector allows you to watch slides, biological preparations in a frame, and, unlike its younger counterparts, you can view filmstrips on it, moreover, you can control it from the remote control. The filmstrip is shown smoothly, because. The film is placed between the panes and illuminated by a lamp and a two-lens condenser. A special drive of the tape drive mechanism allows you to control the display of the filmstrip both in manual mode and using the control panel (in the forward and reverse directions) or from the tape recorder (in forward direction). This is a professional Hi-End overhead projector.

This model is a high-end device. Designed to demonstrate slides both in automatic mode with different shutter speeds (show time), and using the remote control. It also provides for work with sound from a tape recorder with automatic frame change. Cassette type "Svityaz" for 36 shots. By special order, the device is produced with a programming device in the form of a type-setting field on a cassette (for programming the time of showing each slide). The focal length of the lens is 75 mm. Light source projection lamp K 220-300-2 (300 W). The device was produced in the 1970s.

Another universal device that has several modifications and configurations. The figure shows a modification with a transformer and a voltage switch on the lamp (K12-90) for 12V and 13V. By completeness: he could show either slides, or filmstrips, or both. Two types of slide adapters were produced: for one slide (uncomfortable) and for 2 slides (similar to "F75"). The main advantage is the brightest devices without forced cooling. Lens 78 mm with a relative aperture of 2.8. Lamp 90 W. The luminous flux is about 100lm. (declared 140, I think this is at 13 volts). The common disadvantages of slide projectors of the "Light" and "Ekran" types include: 1 - significant heating due to the high power of the lamps. 2 - relatively inconvenient loading of a filmstrip into a cassette. However, the filmstrip in such a cassette is practically not scratched. 3 - extraneous illumination of the room.

This is a transformerless model. It uses a 220V 100W movie projection lamp. More modern design little weight and dimensions, high luminous flux of 100 lm and silent operation - that's character traits this model. In addition, an interchangeable frame appears in the cassette for filmstrips for a standard 24x36 frame, which allows you to view negatives, uncut slides, and even use the device as an enlarger to get large photos. At the same time, slide projectors DF-3T were produced - with a transformer and a 12 V 90 W lamp. The price of the overhead projector was 30 rubles, complete with such a cassette and a single adapter for slides.

19. Slide projector (filmoscope) - "Light DM-4". This is also a transformerless model. It also uses a 220V 100W movie projection lamp. Similarly, slide projectors DF-4T were produced - with a transformer and a 12 V 90 W lamp. An improved model of the projector, but mostly only in the field of design. It cost already 35 rubles. Indeed, the slide projector is pleasant to take in hand, the body seems expensive, it opens easily and smoothly, the lens also looks more solid, but has the same specifications same as previous models.

This model was produced in the same way as Peleng in Belarus. In the Svityaz model, the slide magazine has a different design than the Peleng slide projectors and is designed not for 50, but only for 36 frames (slides). Unlike the Svityaz model, the Svityaz-M slide projectors have an adapter for displaying filmstrips. By the way, it is quite convenient, it does not require fixing the beginning of the filmstrip under the spring, as with the Peleng adapters. The filmstrip itself is wound into a special container with springs, which is then removed from the adapter to remove the filmstrip. Slides are shown manually using a pusher, while the cassette (diamag) moves automatically. There is a switch for moving the diamag back and forth. The remote control is not provided. The Svityaz slide projector also uses a KGM 24-150 lamp. Focusing is done by turning the knob. The device cost 80 rubles.

Filmoscope "Fairy Tale" was produced in the city of Azov. A distinctive feature of this model is the absence of a removable adapter for filmstrips. In it, the film is loaded directly into the filmoscope. He is often praised on the forums. Indeed, loading the filmoscope is very simple, as long as the film is not skewed. However, in this filmoscope it is very difficult to align the lamp, because The lens guides are removed together with the plastic housing. Its price was 14 rubles 50 kopecks.

This is also a transformerless filmoscope model. It also uses a 220V 100W movie projection lamp. Similarly, slide projectors DF-4T were produced - with a transformer and a 12 V 90 W lamp. An improved model of the projector, but mostly only in the field of design. It cost already 35 rubles. Indeed, the slide projector is pleasant to take in hand, the body seems expensive, it opens easily and smoothly, the lens also looks more solid, but has the same technical characteristics as the previous models.

The manufacturer of the model is NPO Analytpribor, Kiev. The case is metal, the dimensions are small. A6 21 lamp is used as standard. The focal length of the lens is 62.4 mm. The cost of this filmoscope was 8 rubles.

The case is plastic, made in the form of a gun. A distinctive feature of the filmoscope "F-7" is the absence of a removable adapter for filmstrips, the film is loaded directly into the filmoscope. A6 21 lamp is used as standard. The focal length of the lens is 62.4 mm. The cost of the apparatus was 10 rubles. By the way, I had just such a filmoscope, green. My neighbor had the same one, only blue.

The case is plastic. A distinctive feature of the F-9 filmoscope is the absence of a removable adapter for filmstrips, the film is loaded directly into the filmoscope, as in the F-7 model. A6 21 lamp is used as standard. The focal length of the lens is 65 mm. The cost of the device was 10 rubles.

This filmoscope was produced in Minsk. It worked from a 220 V network. In the people, this model, for its appearance, is usually called "Tanchik". Easy to use. The case is metal, the dimensions are small, the price for it was low.

This model is executed in a metal case, and was produced at the Zagorsk plant of school instrumentation. It has a very convenient charge of filmstrips - in the adapter for filmstrips there are guides to engage with the rubber rollers of the drive. The focal length of the lens is 77 mm, the glass is coated, the aperture ratio is 1:4.8. The lamp A6 21 is used as standard, but it is better to replace it with K6-30-1, which is quite acceptable. Also produced various modifications of this filmoscope: different in size (reduced model), without a switch in front, different in appearance of the body. The slide projector cost only 10 rubles. 85 kop.

This model was produced in Zagorsk (now Sergiev Posad). The main difference from all the previous ones is its versatility. The slide projector allows you to view both filmstrips and slides. In addition, the body of the device is metal, hard. The workmanship is beyond praise, all parts fit well, the lens in the frame sits firmly. Filmstrips are displayed smoothly, the film strip scroll handle is double-sided, very comfortable and does not get loose. The slide adapter is designed for two slides: during the demonstration of one frame, you have the opportunity to insert the next slide into it. Works great with cardboard slide frames. Its disadvantage is only the stretching of the film under the bottom of the device. It cost 13 rubles.

This filmoscope was produced in Zagorsk, at the School Instrumentation plant. Operated from a network of 120, 220 V. or from batteries 6-8 V. All parts and assemblies of the filmoscope are mounted on a metal base. The lighting chamber with a hinged cover contains: a light source (a 6V car lamp) and a mirror reflector. A three-lens condenser and a Periscope lens with focal length 77 mm. For ease of carrying and storage, the device is placed in an easily removable wooden case with a carrying handle. This model is considered antique, and is worth a lot in good condition.

The FD-2 filmoscope, unlike many other models, has a pleasant design, a normal luminous flux for a well-darkened room and operates silently, therefore, it has gained universal respect for itself. The main disadvantages are: the lack of the possibility of demonstrating slides and pulling the film under the bottom of the apparatus, which contributes to additional wear of the filmstrip. It cost 9 rubles. 50 kop.

This model is a modified version of the FD-2 filmoscope. The case has become less angular, the cooling holes are round, and the lens is exactly the same. The plastic lenses of the objective can also be attributed to common shortcomings, which is typical for inexpensive filmoscopes of the FD-2, Zarnitsa, Znayka line, etc. Its cost was 12 rubles.

34. Slide projector (filmoscope) - "FD-3". The model is similar to the previous "FD-2", only it is made in a metal case.

Very compact, neat slide projector, similar to "Light". It uses the same 220V 100W movie projection lamp. However, the slide projector has a one-piece, non-folding body. Instead of legs, the angle of inclination is adjusted by the sole. At the bottom there is a place for winding the electrical cord. The price was 25 rubles. By the way, "folding" models were also produced.

The three main units of the device - the projector, the screen-attachment and the slide-attachment - interact with each other and with an additional device (film attachment). This allows you to project filmstrips and slides both on the built-in translucent screen (25 × 25 cm) and on a conventional reflective one. When working with a diaper attachment, standard diamags for 50 frames are used. Two shops are included. Slides are changed by reciprocating movement of the pusher (manually). The Screen-3 slide projector has forced cooling.

This model is designed for viewing filmstrips and slides on a built-in translucent or reflective screen. The screen attachment is a protective casing with a handle in which the projector is mounted for transportation and storage. The size of the built-in screen is 14×14 cm. The device has a power button on the case. The design of the overhead projector allows you to rotate the set-top box by 90°, which is convenient when alternating horizontal and vertical frames on the film. Standard replacement lamps K220-100. One is included. The price of the slide projector was as much as 65 rubles!

One of the cheapest filmoscopes ever produced. Its price was only 5 rubles. 70 kop. To reduce the cost of the model, the manufacturers designed it in a small, simple case, and also left it without a mirror behind the light bulb for directional light. There are also no legs on the case. The lamp was used automobile at 12V, power - 15W.

The slide projector "Etude" was produced by the Kharkov Machine-Building Plant. F.E. Dzerzhinsky. This model is very similar to "Light", it uses the same 220V 100W movie projection lamp. However, it is fundamentally different from slide projectors "Light" by a prefix for viewing filmstrips. It is more convenient and it is easier to load the film into it, although it was not included in the kit, and it had to be bought separately, for 1r. 40 kop. In addition, there is a 3/8" tripod thread at the bottom of the slide projector, which allows you to mount the slide projector on a regular tripod. The model is very compact and neat. The price was 20 rubles.

Several filmstrips

- Fables of grandfather Krylov (1986) - download ;
- War of the Crocodiles (1985) - download ;
— Ludwig the fourteenth (1988) — download ;
- Moidodyr (1988) - download ;
- The Three Little Pigs (1988) - download .

Well, that's all for today. I hope that each of you, dear reader, has found something to your liking.

See you soon on the pages of Dobro IS!

February 25th, 2014

Each of us treasures childhood memories in our hearts. Joyful or sad, bright or full of bitterness, they serve as a bridge that connects us today, adults and respectable, with those little children that we once were. Sometimes, feeling nostalgic for a bygone childhood, we get these memories from the depths of our memory in order to return at least for a second to that carefree time, free from our current problems and worries.

For many of us, such vivid memories can be filmstrips that we watched in childhood. Let's take a look at their history...

The quiet hum of a projector-filmoscope and a bright beam that turns a white sheet on the wall into a magical screen on which color pictures replace each other ... All this remains forever in the child's memory. Do you remember your mood at that moment? Joy and impatience while the elders adjust the lens and load the film with the filmstrip into the projector, your delight at the second when the first frame appears on the wall and the fairy tale begins...

Film-strip- this is a series of positive images (transparencies), united by a common theme into a short film, usually consisting of 20-50 frames. Filmstrip is related to comics, cartoons, book illustration, but also differs from them. The name itself comes from the Greek δια, which in this context means "transition from beginning to end"; and English. film - roll photo (movie) film.

Transparency film is based on the change of static frames (unlike cinema). Its frame is closer to easel painting or graphics, which is why some artists classify filmstrip as fine art.

In the frame of the filmstrip there is movement, expression, as in any work of fine art. At the same time, the issue of transition from frame to frame, their coupling and combination, as well as the problem of matching the text to the image, is acute.

The word "film strip" and the subject it denotes are well known to all adults who have grown out of Soviet children. The number of people who do not know what a filmstrip is is increasing every day. Explaining what a filmstrip is is not so simple. Because a filmstrip is not only a story told with the help of text and an image divided into frames. It is also a kind of technique for presenting a story to the viewer, in which each frame is considered separately.

Filmstrip is also a pastime organized by manual movement of frames, reading captions aloud, and collective viewing of images projected onto a screen in the dark.

In the second half of the 20th century, filmstrips were widely used in the USSR, they were common in everyday life, in particular, numerous filmstrips were created - illustrated fairy tales, historical and literary works. Technical filmstrips were intended to organize the educational process.

Viewing filmstrips is carried out using a filmoscope or slide projector, projecting the image onto the screen, in the simplest case it was white wall or a sheet.

Overhead projector FD-2

In countries Western Europe and in America, along with filmstrips, there were some types of home screen entertainment for children and adults, but only in our country the practice of viewing artistic filmstrips was widespread everywhere. The love of the audience and the support of the state contributed to the popularization of artistic filmstrips.

But the Soviet filmstrip, like the cartoon, began with the efforts of enthusiasts. Filmstrips were a new technological advance that allowed images to be viewed with inexpensive equipment.

magic lantern

It is curious to note that the filmstrip appeared much earlier than cinema and even photography. The earliest devices, magic lanterns, whose design principles did not differ significantly from 20th century overhead projectors, date back to the first half of the 16th century.

By the end of the 19th century, filmstrip had already taken a firm place in people's lives. Transparencies were produced both on film and on glass. Mass shows were organized, mainly for educational, less often, for entertainment purposes. In pre-revolutionary Russia, there were filmstrips on natural science, geography, most of the “foggy pictures” were dedicated to the history of the Russian state (“25th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Alexander II”, “St. Cyril and Methodius”), there were also dramatizations of literary works (“ ice house”, “Masquerade”). The display of the paintings was accompanied by reading aloud from the brochure that came with each painting.

One of the first Soviet overhead projectors was a unit called "IZBACH", designed by P. Mershin, an employee of the Glavpolitprosveta. The built-in dynamo and rheostat made it possible to use it where there was no electricity.

The technology of making filmstrips as an illustrative material has replaced the previous technology of using separate glass slides. Transparencies were not very convenient, as they were heavy (they were made on glass photographic plates), and a lot of space was needed for their storage.

“It would be interesting to launch this projector,” says Anna Kotomina, senior lecturer at the Department of History and Theory of Culture at the Russian State University for the Humanities. - Here is such a rhythm - we really lack this in modern world insane speeds, perpetual information overload - such slow reading.

Anna Kotomina, historian, teacher of multimedia technologies, studies filmstrips from a scientific point of view. She has assembled a collection of over 300 films dating back to the 1930s. Her children enjoy watching magic films. Anna is sure that the filmstrip, as a huge layer of visual culture, has not died - it has simply faded into the background. Her opinion is shared by many professionals.

“The filmstrip was, to some extent, limitless,” says Olga Gornostaeva, director and teacher at the Faculty of Animation and Multimedia at VGIK. - As such a primary educator and educator of a young viewer. The picture could be stopped, repeated, one could learn to read on the inscriptions. This, unfortunately, is a lost culture. This place has not yet been fully replaced by anyone or anything.”

The great-grandfather of the filmstrip is considered a magic lantern - Laterna magica, which appeared in Europe in the 17th century. Light - first oil, then kerosene and electric - fell on hand-painted glass and created the magic of an animated picture.

With late XIX century, in addition to entertaining and charming, the filmstrip also had an educational function. With the support first of the Zemstvos, and later of the Soviet agitprop, filmstrips covered literally all aspects of life: they introduced the people to the classics of literature in an accessible form, taught the rules of personal hygiene, and behavior in dangerous situations.

In the late 1920s, the production of filmstrips became massive. In the early 1930s, the Filmstrip Studio appeared. Small projectors and cheap, affordable films made their way to every corner of the country. Millions of people spent cozy family evenings watching - it is difficult to imagine a happy Soviet childhood without a filmstrip. By the way, in addition to fabulous, educational and propaganda, he also had unexpected - strategic tasks.

“A huge number of filmstrips of classified content were produced,” says Sergey Skripkin, the last director of the Filmstrip studio. - That is, let's say, filmstrips that taught the possession of weapons, some serious methods of conducting searches. During the production of such filmstrips, there was always a Red Army soldier with weapons at the entrance and at the exit, where no one was allowed in, and the artists worked right there, left their originals right there, took pictures and took them away.

With last director Filmstrip by Sergei Skripkin, we are talking in the courtyard of the Lutheran Cathedral of Peter and Paul in Starosadsky Lane, where in Soviet time the studio was located. In the last frame of almost every film there was an imprint and the final line - the end of the filmstrip. Skripkin sadly jokes: the phrase turned out to be prophetic. The end of the filmstrip began with the eviction of the Studio from the cathedral building.

“It happened so quickly and unexpectedly,” recalls Sergei Skripkin. - Everything began to collapse instantly, production stopped, these filmstrips already made were sent in bulk somewhere. Here were huge heaps of original filmstrips, including sometimes simply brilliantly drawn, real masterpieces.

During the sudden collapse of the studio, some of the unique equipment was fatally damaged, some simply disappeared. Thanks to the efforts of the staff, more than 20 thousand author's sketches for filmstrips were saved. After all, the artists of their time worked better on the filmstrip - the same ones that made the glory of Soviet animation and children's illustration - Avrutis, Repkin, Migunov, Shevchenko, Savchenko. Now these sketches are stored in the funds of the Museum of Cinema.

“The oldest filmstrips that we have in our collection are The Tale of Tsar Saltan and The Little Humpbacked Horse,” says Pavel Shvedov, an employee of the Cinema Museum.

In 1930, a studio was founded in Moscow "Film-strip", which produced first black-and-white, and then color filmstrips. Filmstrips were considered as a means of agitation, they were used for educational, school, lecture and propaganda work, they did not require sophisticated equipment, and in terms of the effectiveness of the impact they were close to films.

In 1934, the first filmstrips for children were made: "Baggage" and "Fire" (according to S. Marshak), "The Girl-Revushka" (according to A. Barto) and a number of others. Later, filmstrips based on films appeared (“New Gulliver” in 1940, “Battleship Potemkin”, “The Cranes Are Flying”, etc.).

Many well-known writers worked as authors and consultants in the DIAFILM judge: A. Tolstoy, L. Kassil, K. Chukovsky, S. Marshak, S. Mikhalkov, V. Bianchi and others. The following artists participated in the creation of filmstrips: E. Evgan, Kukryniksy, V. Suteev, K. Rotov, V. Radlov, A. Bray and others.

From the 60s - 70s. In the 20th century, with the advent of more advanced projectors, epidiascopes, filming and film projection devices for narrow film (16 mm and 8 mm), which made it possible to view both old filmstrips and color professional and amateur slides and films, the decline of the “era of filmstrips” began.

Now there are digitized filmstrips which can be written to a flash drive or HDD and play back with a conventional projector. Some filmstrips can even watch online on thematic sites (we will share links at the end of the publication).

But, perhaps, even new technologies are not able to completely replace the cozy miracle of the “magic lantern”. It cannot be otherwise, because the world of the filmstrip is an extraordinary world. Turning off the light in the room, directing the beam of the projector at a white wall and meeting your favorite characters means forgetting about multi-channel acoustics, plasma panels and home theaters for a while; it's like driving an expensive car to your old apartment and suddenly finding there a teddy bear that was once best friend childhood...

For many of us, such vivid memories can be filmstrips that we watched in childhood. Let's take a look at their history...

Transparency film is based on the change of static frames (unlike cinema). Its frame is closer to easel painting or graphics, which is why some artists classify filmstrip as fine art.

A filmstrip is also a pastime organized by manually moving frames, reading captions aloud, and collectively viewing images projected onto a screen in the dark.

In the second half of the twentieth century, filmstrips were widely used in the USSR, they were common in everyday life, in particular, numerous filmstrips were created - illustrated fairy tales, historical and literary works. Technical filmstrips were intended to organize the educational process.

Viewing filmstrips is carried out using a filmoscope or slide projector, projecting an image onto a screen, in the simplest case it was a white wall or sheet.

Overhead projector FD-2

In the countries of Western Europe and America, along with filmstrips, there were some types of home screen entertainment for children and adults, but only in our country the practice of viewing artistic filmstrips was widespread everywhere. The love of the audience and the support of the state contributed to the popularization of artistic filmstrips.

But the Soviet filmstrip, like the cartoon, began with the efforts of enthusiasts. Filmstrips were a new technological advance that allowed images to be viewed with inexpensive equipment.

magic lantern

By the end of the 19th century, filmstrip had already taken a firm place in people's lives. Transparencies were produced both on film and on glass. Mass shows were organized, mainly for educational, less often, for entertainment purposes. In pre-revolutionary Russia, there were filmstrips on natural science, geography, most of the “foggy pictures” were dedicated to the history of the Russian state (“25th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Alexander II”, “St. Cyril and Methodius”), there were also dramatizations of literary works (“Ice House”, "Masquerade"). The display of the paintings was accompanied by reading aloud from the brochure that came with each painting.

“It would be interesting to launch this projector,” says Anna Kotomina, senior lecturer at the Department of History and Theory of Culture at the Russian State Humanitarian University. “There is such a rhythm here - we really miss this in the modern world of insane speeds, eternal information overload - such slow reading.”

“The filmstrip was to some extent limitless,” notes Olga Gornostaeva, director, teacher at the animation and multimedia department at VGIK. - As such a primary educator and educator of a young viewer. The picture could be stopped, repeated, one could learn to read on the inscriptions. This, unfortunately, is a lost culture. This place has not yet been fully replaced by anyone or anything.”

The great-grandfather of the filmstrip is the magic lantern - Laterna magica, which appeared in Europe in the 17th century. Light - first oil, then kerosene and electric - fell on hand-painted glass and created the magic of an animated picture.

Since the end of the 19th century, in addition to entertaining and charming, the filmstrip has also an educational function. With the support first of the Zemstvos, and later of the Soviet agitprop, filmstrips covered literally all aspects of life: they introduced the people to the classics of literature in an accessible form, taught the rules of personal hygiene, and behavior in dangerous situations.

In the late 1920s, the production of filmstrips became massive. In the early 1930s, the Filmstrip Studio appeared. Small projectors and cheap, affordable films made their way to every corner of the country. Millions of people spent cozy family evenings watching - it's hard to imagine a happy Soviet childhood without a filmstrip. By the way, in addition to fabulous, educational and propaganda, he also had unexpected - strategic tasks.

“A huge number of filmstrips of classified content were produced,” says the last director of the Filmstrip studio, Sergei Skripkin. - That is, say, filmstrips that taught the possession of weapons, some serious methods of conducting searches. During the production of such filmstrips, there was always a Red Army soldier with weapons at the entrance and at the exit, where no one was allowed in, and the artists worked right there, left their originals right there, took pictures and took them away.

We are talking with the last director of Filmstrip, Sergei Skripkin, in the courtyard of the Lutheran Cathedral of Peter and Paul in Starosadsky Lane, where the Studio was located in Soviet times. In the last frame of almost every film there was an output and the final line - the end of the filmstrip. Skripkin sadly jokes: the phrase turned out to be prophetic. The end of the filmstrip began with the eviction of the Studio from the cathedral building.

“The oldest filmstrips that we have in our collection are The Tale of Tsar Saltan and The Little Humpbacked Horse,” says Pavel Shvedov, an employee of the Cinema Museum.

Now there are digitized filmstrips, which can be written to a flash drive or hard drive and played back using a conventional projector. Some filmstrips can even watch online on thematic sites (we will share links at the end of the publication).

We all have childhood memories in our hearts. Tired of the worries and fuss of the present, already adulthood, sometimes we open the curtain of the soul and mentally return to carefree childhood everyday life. At such moments, when nostalgia for a long-gone childhood embraces, each person awakens his own, most cherished and vivid memories. Many of us who are now over 30 remember quiet and happy evenings of viewing filmstrips. The whole family got together. A filmoscope projector hummed softly, a magic screen lit up on a white sheet hung on the wall, and after a few seconds, the first frame appeared ... THE USSR.

What is a filmstrip

What is a diafilm? What is its history? The very name of the word comes from the Greek "dia", which means the transition from beginning to end, as well as from the English word film - photo (cinema) film on a roll. A filmstrip is a few dozen positive images (transparencies) that are combined into a short film. The filmstrip usually consisted of 20-60 frames.
Each frame is built in a certain order. The captions that accompanied each such image turned the film into an illustrated story. Each filmstrip used reproductions of drawings created by the artists.

Filmstrip is, first of all, friendly communication. Watching a filmstrip is like reading picture books together. All frames were moved manually, so the filmstrip could be interrupted, discuss some plot with friends or relatives, come closer to get a better look.

The history of filmstrips

Filmstrips were viewed with the help of a filmoscope, a slide projector. "Magic lanterns" - the very first devices were called, appeared in the first half of the 16th century. One of the first in the union was the IZBACH unit, which was designed by P. Mershinov. In Moscow, in 1930, the Filmstrip Studio was established. This studio was engaged in the production and distribution of such films. First, the release of black and white, and then color filmstrips was launched. In 1934, the very first children's filmstrips were produced. Well-known writers, S. Mikhalkov, A. Tolstoy, K. Chukovsky, V. Bianchi, L. Kassil, S. Marshak, and others worked in the Filmstrip Studio, both as authors and consultants. Such well-known artists as A. Bray, K. Rotov, E. Evgan, V. Suteev, V. Radlov and many others participated in the creation of filmstrips.

Since the 1950s, the production of filmstrips has become massive. About 400-500 titles of filmstrips were produced by the "Diafilm" studio per year. The release of already voiced filmstrips was also started. The educational films were accompanied by the release of the text separately in the form of a booklet. Also, sound accompaniment was recorded on records to the gramophone. Due to the fact that filmoscopes were relatively inexpensive (5-30 rubles), viewing filmstrips was common in many Soviet families. The price of the filmstrip itself without a soundtrack was 20-30 kopecks for black-and-white and color versions, respectively.

Educational films, literary works and, of course, fairy tales were produced.

Any Soviet family in which children grew up could, like “Dunno on the Moon”, “The Adventures of Munchausen”, “The Brave Tailor”, “Uncle Styopa”, “Moidodyr”, “Pippi Longstocking”, “Malachite Box”, “Ryaba Hen ”, “Kolobok”, “Thumbelina”, “Bremen Town Musicians”, “Morozko”, “Scarlet Flower”, “Teremok” and many other children's fairy tales.

In the 70s of the XX century, more modern projectors appeared. They made it possible to view both old filmstrips and modern professional and amateur films.
Now there are digitized filmstrips. They can be recorded on portable media or simply played back with a projector. Now filmstrips can be watched online on special sites.

However, even new technologies will never be able to replace the miracle of the "magic lantern". After all, a filmstrip is a world of fairy tales and magic. Turn off the lights in the room, direct the beam of the projector at the wall and meet your favorite characters - all this means forgetting for a while about plasma panels, multi-channel modern acoustics and about home cinemas and just plunge into your long-forgotten Soviet past... The past, which someone now calls the word "retro".

Indeed, 23 years have passed since the last Soviet filmoscope was produced. But no modern technology will not be able to oust from the heart the memories of childhood joy from a fairy tale, which was painted by a ray of bright light on a white sheet.

So the times have come when a household video projector or plasma panel with a diagonal of one and a half meters, you will not surprise anyone. Technology is moving forward, and full-fledged three-dimensional television is just around the corner. It is all the more interesting to remember with what devices the gray everyday life was diluted about 30-40 years ago. Yes, not just remember, but try to cross their capabilities with the capabilities of modern digital technologies.

So, there is a rare device - film strip projector "Screen" 1977 release. The projector is fully functional, if not for one thing: filmstrips on film over the years have lost color / contrast and faded so much that it is very difficult to see anything in the projected picture. What to do? Readers of the DIY blog already know the answer - make your own filmstrip!

In general, I came up with, and what is most interesting, I checked, a truly “folk” way of making filmstrips. (I understand, I understand, few people need this ... hell, no one needs it at all! But since I'm here, so be it, I will continue ...) It is extremely simple, it requires only a household computer and a printer, the materials are commercially available in any city.

That is, we will not bother with applying a filmstrip to film, developing and fixing with chemical reagents. We'll print a filmstrip! On a conventional laser printer. On plain transparent film lomond, which is sold in computer stores. Modern resolutions of black and white laser printers are 1200 dpi, which is quite enough to get 1050 × 800 dots on a standard filmstrip frame. Yes, the filmstrip will turn out in black and white, but is it really a disadvantage if the creation process is pure creativity, close to cinematography and animation? Yes, yes, we will not print ready-made scans of Soviet filmstrips - we will make our filmstrips absolutely from scratch.

Lyrical digression. When I was little, I was very fond of filmstrips. The process of viewing has always reminded me of some sacrament. First, the film is loaded into the projector, always “upside down”. The light is turned off, the position of the picture on the wall is aligned, the sharpness is adjusted. The first frame appears and playback begins. People sit quietly in the dark, only the slots on the projector and the screen glow. Each frame of the filmstrip moves out to the quiet creak of the roller, spinning under the fingers of the operator. Someone reads the frame captions aloud, and when everything has been considered, scrolling to the next frame begins. While scrolling, many are waiting - what will happen next? The process is slow, but very exciting.

So let's start bringing our idea to life. We will need a computer, a vector drawing program, a 1200dpi laser printer and transparency film for laser printers.

First, we draw a filmstrip in vectors. For this you need to know standard sizes frame (I measured them on a regular filmstrip):
On an A4 sheet, 14 frames fit vertically. If the filmstrip is longer, several columns can be printed on the same sheet at once, then glued with acetone. When drawing, the main thing is not to shrink too much, and remember that the final image will be about 1050 × 800 pixels in size. After drawing, you need to print a filmstrip on a sheet of white paper, check the resulting dimensions, examine the quality of the picture under a magnifying glass, in general, select optimal mode print. When everything suits, finally print on a sheet of transparent film.

The printed tape is then cut out with scissors or a sharp cutter, glued if necessary, and inserted into the projector. All! You can start browsing.

As a test of my idea, I drew a short 12-frame filmstrip, printed it, and inserted it into a slide projector. And I was pleasantly surprised - the pixelization on the image enlarged by the overhead projector is almost invisible, and the black-and-white picture itself looks like frames from an old silent movie. I felt almost like Charlie Chaplin, who, as you know, was not only a great director, but also experimented a lot with film technology.

The paint on the film is held firmly, after several viewings, degradation and shedding of the picture did not occur. The film does not melt from the lamp inside the overhead projector, as it is designed to come into contact with the heated drum of the laser printer.

In general, the experiment turned out. But I consider it the greatest success that my child perfectly perceived the black-and-white filmstrip, and after watching it showed several times how the cat jumped after the mouse, and how it ran away.

A little about filmstrip

The filmstrip is called "Mouse and Cheese". The plot is built according to the canons of dualism, and is saturated with reflections on the characters of the characters. On the one hand, the mouse does not do well, desiring someone else's cheese. On the other hand, she is a brave and sharp-witted person who managed to use evil for her own good. The image of evil in the form of a cat serving an invisible master will not leave indifferent any aesthetic critic.

… I was wondering if I should post a preview of the filmstrip here. Remembering that people famously post xkcd comics, I decided - why is a dozen frames of a filmstrip worse? We reduce the reading speed, and slowly rewind, looking at the perfection of the lines in each frame:

Links to the original filmstrip:

Filmstrip (vector) as SVG file: http://rghost.ru/2674015
Filmstrip (vector) as XAR file: http://rghost.ru/2674037
Filmstrip (raster) as one PNG image, 1200 dpi: http://rghost.ru/2674061
A filmstrip (raster) as a set of PNG images for viewing on a monitor: http://rghost.ru/2674095

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