Chapter 121

Chapter 121

The First First

What I called out was Mr. Auguste Escoffier of the Carlton Hotel.

Because while chatting last time I faintly heard the talk that he received a big shock at last year's French Universal Exposition.

Unfortunately I only saw the Universal Exposition content from newspapers.

So intending to receive the opinion of a person who directly visited and more grandly than that, no, only picking the insufficient points he saw and felt and improving.

To the degree anyone seeing the words 'Britain's exposition is better than France' come out.

France, unfair? If unfair should have held later?

But will I do that improvement directly?

No, where do I have time for that?!

I believed if rummaging the Board of Trade personnel who will plan such matters instead will definitely pop out somewhere.

Or if thoroughly shaking the Department of Food Innovation something will fall.

I waited for Mr. Escoffier, and started pondering items suitable for the exposition in my own way.

Turned the room once, turned once more, appreciated the cloudy London sky outside once, kicked the floor with shoes tuk tuk then suddenly a novel idea floated and stopped the steps.

Should call this novel?! Or should say obvious but couldn't think of in the meantime?

I punched my head once, and immediately ran to the lodging next building.

And there stopped Mr. Edison who was wrestling with shelves together with Mr. Tesla in the warehouse.

I poured out the idea that floated in my head wildly even before catching the breath. An innovative something that achieves harmony of inventions, technology, culture and art.

Mr. Edison fully crumpled the expression.

"Ahem, as you said I am the first inventor who commercially succeeded the movie playback device... "

Correct. What I thought of was exactly movies.

This okay to think almost a fixed idea.

Expositions come with screening rooms. Obvious sound from a modern person's position.

But current movies are simple ignorant silent films with not even one sound. I didn't want to screen that crude item at my exposition.

Had to improve necessarily, and I had a quite okay thought.

And if consulting about that, correct to ask this person in front of the eyes first. Because a self-proclaimed and others-recognized video expert no matter what anyone says.

1891, genius inventor Thomas Edison conceived the principle that if connecting several pictures to film and winding on a disk and turning fast, an optical illusion like the picture moving occurs, and invented the first movie viewing device 'Kinetoscope'.

Of course didn't make directly. Only thought of the idea, and made the research and development the employees of his personal company 'Edison Manufacturing Company'.

Looking from that side also had similar corners to me. I also handed only the idea of the grinder to Mr. Royce and made.

Anyway when the Kinetoscope was first revealed to the world, said caused a tremendous sensation. That was natural. Because first showed the concept itself of 'movie' to the world.

The Kinetoscope was a form of putting a device that turns film inside a large wooden box, and drilling one hole that can look into the screen. The audience could appreciate moving pictures or scenery of about 20 seconds to 1 minute length through the hole.

Mr. Edison designed this device as coin insertion type and placed at theaters or expositions, exhibitions etc., and earned a lot of money with crowds wanting to see moving pictures.

If only continuing like that would have been happy but history didn't turn like that.

1895, a very strong rival appeared in France.

In Lyon France the Lumière brothers lived, the older brother the father's photo printing company, the younger brother working as a technician of that company.

They one day saw Mr. Edison's Kinetoscope at a neighborhood theater and received a big impression, but felt big dissatisfaction at the point of only being able to see the video 1 to 1 one person at a time. Because had to stand in line for a long time to see just that 1 minute video.

They went home and tinkered with film, discovered the fact that if projecting light on film the video contained on the screen enlarges and created a movie playback equipment called 'Cinématographe'.

That was an innovative equipment equipped with all functions of camera, developer, projector.

Directly shoot video, and play right on the spot!

Moreover not like Mr. Edison's Kinetoscope only one person can see at a time, multiple people simultaneous viewing possible!

Naturally the Kinetoscope itself didn't become competition.

Of course if only having time Mr. Edison also would have sufficiently found methods to cope. Had money earned in the meantime, and the Lumière brothers also had limits to the speed of producing projectors.

The problem was in the patent law. Applied for technology patent, but forgot to apply for international patent so couldn't prevent unauthorized copying in other countries.

Ultimately numerous fake projectors started sweeping the market in an instant, and Mr. Edison's Kinetoscope business immediately went bankrupt.

The reason he is uncomfortable now.

"Attaching a phonograph to the projector and making not silent film but sound film? As you said that's not such an easy thought! Already I tried too! If only succeeded how good!"

"Uh... Can't?!"

"Said already tried? Full of problems!"

The Edison of seven falls eight rises didn't give up right away even experiencing business failure.

He utilized the loose patent of the Cinématographe and produced a similar device, and there one spoon more connected his phonograph and created an equipment called 'Kinetophone'.

A machine that simultaneously plays video and sound!

A device that zeroed in on the Cinématographe that only short black and white videos turned due to technical limits, but said failed nicely.

"The playback speeds don't match each other! Even if slightly twisted the sync becomes a mess!"

The phonograph played records at a fixed speed, generally rotated about 70~80 times per minute.

And the projector turned 15~20 films per second.

If the time video and sound play isn't perfectly synchronized the result becoming a mess was natural.

Mr. Edison to solve this attached the same motor to the projector and phonograph and tried to mechanically match the speed somehow.

But the problem was the film. Because the celluloid film material too weak even playing a few times stretched little by little so ultimately physical synchronization also had limits.

"In fact vibration and gear friction is a bigger problem! Because shaking the projector and continuously making stretch! Anyway directly matching sound and video is impossible. If technology doesn't get better! What can't can't! What can't even if I do really can't!"

The matching problem of sound and video is solved later as technology of imprinting sound together on one film is developed, but still far until such an era comes.

But I didn't want to give up easily.

That is... sound film, right?!

If exposition must have a movie screening hall! But bringing the silent projector French people made as is to the British exposition was tremendous nonsense.

If only properly connecting the phonograph and projector, there was clearly a way to solve the problem. If can't solve that? Then even existing silent films at least had to be more attractive than now.

I also a few years ago paid as much as 5 pence at a London theater and saw the Kinetoscope. That was just a crude video shooting around the Thames River, and honestly couldn't feel different from kids' camera toys seen in past modern so disappointed too.

I expected if silent black and white film Charlie Chaplin with mustache wearing a bowler hat and swinging a cane that talk!

Didn't know would be several stages more behind the era than that!

So useless stubbornness arose.

Definitely will line people long with only movies at my exposition! And that spinning several circles of the building!

I decided to throw one all-purpose word Mr. Edison would react to for now.

"Instead of machine connecting with electricity can't? Seems possible?"

"...Connect with electricity?"

That moment, Mr. Tesla who was silently listening to the conversation raised his head.

"What meaning connecting with electricity?"

"Uh, well, just... If only connecting with machine continuously the sync twists, right? Then connecting with electricity, real-time adjusting to move on the same signal... Such can't?"

Somehow even while speaking confused what words saying.

But the time lived in modern, and numerous ideas considered natural in that time naturally melted into me too.

I organized thoughts, and tried hard to keep pulling that out.

Refrigerator, board game, vacuum tube, computer algorithm... All pieces started matching in the head.

And I ultimately hit a home run.

"Yesterday the 2 electrode vacuum tube Mr. Fleming brought, can stabilize current with that, right? Then using that can't make a stable synchronization signal? And if adding a switch to the 3 electrode vacuum tube, seems can make a kind of synchronization device. Doing speed control based on electronic signals. If doing like this can real-time synchronize the projector and phonograph. Seems much more accurate than physically connecting with gears...?"

"Right. If synchronizing with electric signals, the incomplete synchronization problem that occurred due to vibration and friction can definitely solve."

Mr. Tesla's eyes sparkled.

"Mr. Edison, let's use the Maxwell motor."

"...Maxwell motor?"

"A motor that compares the difference between a specific value and the current state and adjusts the speed. Simply speaking, a system that automatically receives feedback and adjusts the speed. Exactly matches the concept of 'feedback control' Teacher Jean said. If only having the signal device can solve the synchronization problem in real time. If only equipping the necessary equipment can make in one day. For now in my view theoretically possible."

At Mr. Tesla's words I cheered inside.

As expected as the strongest genius inventor in history found the answer right away with only a hint.

Honestly didn't understand even while speaking, but didn't know the mixed memories while meeting various inventors recently and listening to principle explanations would have such effect.

My thought was simple.

If physical connections like belts or gears difficult? Just connecting separately with 'wires' fine, right?

All modern electronic devices do so, right.

And that idea, meshed with the vacuum tube just developed and created tremendous ripple effects.

Mr. Edison listened to Mr. Tesla's words and briefly fell into thought, then face turned red and blue and grabbed the chair and jumped around, then soon clapped hands and even shouted.

"Jean-Paul Durand! You are a genius as expected! If met you only one year earlier the matter of wasting five hundred thousand dollars due to investment failure wouldn't have happened! If only having this can definitely revenge on the Cinématographe!"

"Okay? The remaining playback problem roughly solved if just unifying the standard. Make play at 20 frames per second, and quickly raise the phonograph speed, right."

"Right, exactly that!"

"The film stretching problem well... If placing the phonograph far and reducing vibration okay, right."

Mr. Edison made a very triumphant expression.

He was in various financial problems to the point the past glory colorless, and the mistake of the Kinetoscope also played a part.

Losing General Electric company to J.P. Morgan also big, but firmly believed the success of the video playback device and turned the production factory large but because the projector was invented had to dispose all.

So even lost control of 'Edison Manufacturing Company' bearing his name and entrusted to a professional manager then fled America as if escaping state.

The countless patent disputes hanging there, honestly didn't even want to think that said.

That was exactly the motive he dreams of a new start in Britain.

"...If this succeeds, not impossible to move the Edison Manufacturing Company whole to London. For reference the projector not what I directly designed so don't know the principle. But there are capable ones among my employees so if entrusting will somehow do. Can I borrow the telephone of your office a bit? Will send a telegram to New York and gather core personnel a bit."

I naturally welcomed.

That is well heard from the start the Kinetoscope not what Mr. Edison directly designed.

Currently Mr. Edison and Mr. Tesla were sweating implementing the refrigeration device, so the talk of naturally handing over the sound projector development to his employees.

"If succeeding, I'll guarantee the patent rights. The business also probably will succeed greatly. I'll properly promote at the exposition."

"Then will become an unparalleled great revenge! You, okay to kiss the cheek briefly? No time you looked lovable as much as today!"

"Ugh, naturally can't! Don't approach! Disgusting!"

"Uahahaha! Hahahaha!"

I didn't doubt this success either.

Like the appearance of the refrigerator, vacuum tube and computer advanced, the era of sound films also just advanced one step.

Now remaining is the content of the video.

People will be amazed just with sound imprinted on the video, but with only that a bit insufficient to spin lines in circles.

Needed content that can shock people somehow.

About 10 minutes video length. There were limits to the playback time of records or films, but like past movie theaters changing in the middle so that no problem.

Had a few thought of.

First, for now since I'm in the position of eating the British Empire's salary, one government promotion video must enter, right.

This part if consulting with Chairman Balfour might be very greatly pleased.

Second, as much as my current solid back is His Majesty the King of the British Empire, one video praying for the health and well-being of His Majesty Edward VII also had to include.

This thinking of looking for an appropriate silent film director and making shoot in documentary format.

Third. Since cooking exposition shooting and uploading cooking recipes also seemed not bad.

Since Jean-Paul Durand's international cooking exposition, no thought of directly appearing as reference for this part.

Anyway the name sold, use a bit more generously. Or make Mr. Escoffier called out a while ago? Seems will like.

Finally, the most bold idea.

I was planning to shoot the Holmes series as a sound film.

And that as the world's first sound film.

If this degree won't cause quite a sensation? At least seems will surpass the Paris Universal Exposition degree.

So decided to call out Mr. Doyle for now.

Needed the opinion of London's 2nd influencer.