1. Troubles with Technicolor (especially reels).

2. PRINTING!!!!

3. Health issues regarding polyestar dust.

#1 Lab splices must be stopped! At least put them on the frame lines. Having more than half of the reels in a print containing a lab splice midframe is just unacceptable.

#2 Lab printing needs to be slowed down! When I can run a loop of PA-35 target and get an absolutely perfectly steady image and the prints (mostly from Deluxe CA) shake all to hell, then there is something wrong.

#2 -- Printing. Many people have suggested that the printing speeds be slowed down. This is good however, I question the labs willingness to go along with this. Maybe they can only be required to do this on flat films where the problem is more prevelant. Hey, at least it is a start.

The SMPTE Committee on Projection Technology (P3)
Bobby Pinkston Chairman

Dear Mr. Pinkston

There are many problems that face the modern presenter of film today. From staff shortages to the low quality training of Film Handlers (Projectionists) in the theatres today. The job of the projectionist is more difficult than it has been in the past. The problems that are faced in the field are many. We know that SMPTE isn’t responsible for any of them. But we ask for your help in addressing some issues that you may be able to bring to the attention of the film industry.

We, the members of the Film Handler’s Forum on Film-Tech.com ask you to bring the following to the attention of the Committee on Projection Technology.

1. High-speed, low-quality film printing.

You and I work the Telluride Film Festival. We know how well properly printed film can look. The images are crisp, clear and free of bob and weave. We notice that many films today come to the theatres hard to focus, with poor registration and with various defects from the printing process. There are dye marks on the film, parts that appear water-spotted, mid-frame and out of frame lab-splices, excessive negative dirt and other such problems. We believe that printing the film too fast causes this. We understand that there are many prints to get out to many theatres, but this is messing with quality that the projectionist cannot control.

Today there is much talk about Digital Cinema. You and I know that film can look much better when properly printed and presented. It is low quality prints and low quality presentation that is driving many in the industry to get on the Digital Cinema bandwagon.

We have noticed that prints that come from English or Canadian film labs are of much higher quality. We have found this to be very consistent. So we know it can be done.

We ask that the printing labs do a better job with the film printing. Perhaps they can print slower, clean the machines more and find the defects with the prints before they ship.

2. Lack of standardization in the film shipping industry. i.e. Heads out or tails out, dirty film cans, old film cans and all of the troubles with Technicolor.

As we understand it, in the past, films were shipped out “tails out.” There are notes in the old film cans that tell us this. We have noticed that, today films are shipped, heads out, tails out, emulsion in and emulsion out. We ask that the film labs and the film shipping industry adopt one standard and stick to it. Our proposal is to have all film ship tails out, emulsion out.

We also ask that the film shipping industry replace old, damaged film cans on a regular basis.

Technicolor Entertainment Services has taken over much of the film shipping business lately. There have been problems. We have attempted to deal with these problems directly with Technicolor, but with little success.

Technicolor ships prints to arrive on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. Sometimes films do not arrive until after the first posted show time. We believe that Technicolor’s insistence on this late shipping practice is bringing the average film quality down. Projectionists have to build up their prints too fast and they don’t get to perform the quality control on the prints that we would like to do. Technicolor claims they inspect each print but we see no evidence of this in the field. Technicolor also demands that they pick up prints on Friday by noon instead of the customary Monday morning. Technicolor demands that we break down prints by late Thursday night so they can deliver them to the sub-run theatre down the street. We know who gets the print. They know where the print is coming from but Technicolor demands to do the transport so they can make the pick-up and delivery fee. This is unnecessary wear on the prints and extra work for the operators on an already busy Thursday night, due to the late arrival of prints.

We propose that Technicolor deliver prints to the primary theatres by Wednesday afternoon so we can check the prints for damage and call Technicolor on Thursday for replacement reels. We also ask the film industry set guidelines as to the proper procedure to place film back in cans. i.e. splicing the heads and tails back on and properly labeling the reels. We are getting too many prints with making tape splices and no labels or worse, no leaders.

Lastly, Technicolor’s reels tend to come apart in the film cans. We ask that they go back to the one-piece plastic reel or find a design that will stay together, like ETS’s reels.

3. The problems with Extended Length Reels.

We are still having problems with Extended Length Reels. We have found that ELRs are coming apart. This can be fun with 6,000 feet of film spilling onto the floor. The reels need to be redesigned. The center spindle shaft needs to be 5/16” like the standard 2000’ shipping reels are, as many platters simply cannot accommodate the ½” design. We have had good luck with the standard Goldberg 6,000 foot reel and wonder why that couldn’t be adapted to the ELR program. Goldberg also makes a metal 6000’ split reel. If a “split design” is a mandatory item, then it is these reels which should be implemented. We have also heard from a few reel to reel houses that have spent up to 3 hours breaking down ELRs onto standard 2,000-foot reels. (Luci/Nugget) Also, many of these ELRs do not have a drive pin hole (as the 2000’ New Line reels do not either) which is mandatory for most platters.

We ask that the program be reevaluated and the reels be redesigned.

This is our short list of problems that the SMPTE working group may be able to address with the film companies. We thank the Chairman for his time and understanding.

Brad Miller, Ian Price
And the rest of the members of the Film Handler’s Forum at Film-Tech

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The scope of the committee he chairs doesn't cover the topics that we addressed. He has passed on our letter to the committee that is in charge of setting standards for film exchanges and film shipping. (I didn't know they had one.)

He is also passing our letter on to the NATO committee that may be able to address these concerns.