Stephen Jones.

Before you build up your prints on Thursday night, take a piece of masking tape about 2-3 inches long and place it on the non-soundtrack side of your reel. On this tape, take a marker and place a line where the film roll ends and make a notation of the reel number also on this tape. This way, when breaking the print down, you will see virtually exactly where to start slowing down. Just make sure to use a piece of tape to do this and don't mark on the reel as if this practice ever becomes widespread, differentiating between other people's marks will be damn near impossible.

Also, don't worry about peeling the tape, just tear it between your fingers and single side splice the leaders back on. "If" the next theater cares about that frame, they can peel the tape off. If that next theater doesn't care, they'll cut one frame (or more) over anyway. The bottom line is it won't slow you down a bit if you simply tear the splices. (However, with Neumade tape it really takes no extra time to peel the tape.)

NOTE: Do NOT and I repeat do NOT "cut" the splice apart with a pair of scissors or using the splicer cutter blade. Always tear the splice or those two frames will never line up again should the next operator want to save them.

I always tear the splices. I will not cut off the old frames now that you mention it. It is a good compromise.

 |  IP: Logged

Just how close is the nearest theatre to the one you are currently working? If you are being paid a wage below what you feel you are worth, QUIT!!!

By definition, you would be making no less than you are now no matter where you went to and perhaps they would be better at supplies and having the equipment repaired (presuming you were still an operator). Why stay in what appears to be a crappy job (over worked, under paid with poor working conditions) for minimum wage? Around here, you can't get high school kids to work for minimum wage because there is always some store (not necessarily a theatre) that needs employees so much they pay more.

In short, don't use your circumstance to justify your treatment of a print (be it cutting a frame, or splicing with opaque tape); work somewhere where your talents will be appreciated and your skill can improve.

Steve

 |  IP: Logged

It most CERTAINLY would NOT be cheaper to "buy a new projector" vs. repairing the frame shaft. It's even doubtful, that it would be easier to put on a new head, vs. fixing the problem. The problem is likely a stripped pin on the frame gear or perhaps a loose bracket. In either case, you're probably talking about $2-10 in parts. I'll bet there are at least a half-dozen guys in the Chicago area that could fix it in less than an hour.

quote:

---

There was a brenkert Steropticon for intemissions in the 3+ hour films

---

I've seen those advertised going back to the silent days.

Most of the prints I run are archive prints more than thirty years old. A few of them have lost so many frames that the original c/o marks aren't there anymore. They were lost with those frames.

I'm not allowed to make cuts in the archive prints because they are the last of their kind; if they go, the audience won't get a rerun of that film again unless someone digs up a new reel or reels. It follows that I have to run every show with five or six c/'s, double that number with the russian prints. Every reel start or end that was massacred earlier in its life becomes painfully obvious to me, and to the patrons. I guess the projectionists that handled these prints thirty years ago didn't think that the prints would be archived one day.

The job is not well paid, far from it, but I have accepted doing it anyway since I can't stand the thought of not doing it. I love the job, even though I curse these old prints every now and then. (I always long for the few preview shows we get, those beautiful prints with all the bells and whistles: Dolby Digital, Scope, flawless colours, you name it. I even get to splice them. )

But yes; every now and then, I work as an extra at the local multiplex and see what happens to these marvellous new prints when the management cares more about the the dress code than the correct handling of prints or the projection equipment. It's sad, and I know how hard it can be to set up a decent booth in those conditions.

Cleaning Lenses: Turrets make life a whole lot easier in this respect! However, on my old Simplex, if one is careful enough to always seat the lens collar back into the projector so the alignment pin is all the way back into it's groove you won't have that problem. (As much) In fact, I can do a FLAT-to-SCOPE lens change in about 20 seconds and still have the lens 98% in focus. It's becasue I made sure that both lenses were in their collars the exact same way. (accounting for the difference in focal len.) The pin on the collar goes all the way back in to the alignment slot, snug. Then I make sure the lens is turned all the way clockwise (looking back toward the proj.) so the pin is against the side of the groove. -- Frankly, I'm one of those guys who doesn't believe in cleaning lenses until they need it... "Need it" = a little dust OK....any fingerprints, haze or schmutz BAD. Where I work, there are bone heads who would destroy the lenses if we had them cleaned every week. I prefer to do it myself on an as-needed basis!