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But if they printed the frame, why not project it?

We cut the heads and tails like this at make up. If they print it, we show it.

Granted, I am a first run house, but isn't the whole concept of leaving one frame on the leader a "moron check" for the next exhibitor?

Ours are broken down correctly. If you see head one, then you are holding reel one.

It amazes me at what lengths we will go to "idiot proof" our process just because we allow "idiots" to handle film.

I love film, but I will welcome digital projection.

You cannot choose who will handle a print before it arrives at your theatre. It doesn't matter "who" did "it"!! Your audience is who are seeing it. They are seeing it at your place.

I know of companies who re-attach leaders (heads and tails) with masking tape!! It is an accepted practice!

Um, I don't work there anymore.

We make up and break down prints in such a manner that Steve Guttag himself could project them reel to reel and never miss a cue!!

Sure, he'd whine about the splices, but he'd be proud of me!

The ident frame is un-necessary so long as the handlers are professional.

Kodak Guy!!? Comments!?

<g>

Russ

As for cutting off 6 frames...that's just crazy (and how did you come to the conclusion that it was 6 frames that wouldn't matter if they weren't shown) you only need _1_ left attached to the heads / tails. Not 6, not 3, not 2... _1_. It's all very well to say >>It amazes me at what lengths we will go to "idiot proof" our process just because we allow "idiots" to handle film.<< but let's be real... we DO allow them to run some booths and just because you say that the leader of spool two is attached to spool two, wouldn't make me any more confident that that is in fact the case. If you got a second run print with no reference frames attached could you be 100% confident that all heads and tails were on the right spools? No, you can't be sure. With a reference frame you can be _100%_ sure that what it says it is is what it really is.

>>Granted, I am a first run house, but isn't the whole concept of leaving one frame on the leader a "moron check" for the next exhibitor?<<

I object to you using that term. Just because on a second or third run I would like to be confident my heads and tails were replaced correctly at the last theater. You make up an older film sometime without reference frames and see just how important your "Moron Check" was. It's a simple matter of courtesy.

Guys, think about the next guy and the one after that and the one after that. He's one of us too and don't you think he deserves the same amount of confidence in his print as you had when you first made it up new?

As for the basic issue of the single check frame let me explain for the benefit of those who have never dealt with 2-projector changeover operation that while the goal would be to stay on the old reel right up to the last frame and enter the new reel right on the first frame the reality is that you exit several frames before that last frame and enter a few frames in to the new one. In theory that entire second after the changeover cue is available although a good operator changes much more tightly but the very first and last frames never get shown. And films are edited with this in mind.

I might add that one slim advantage of running a print with cut & spliced leaders is that it serves as check of how accurate our changeovers are. That is, we hear the head splice on the incoming reel go through the gate just an instant before changing to the new machine and the tail splice on the outgoing reel go through a split second after changing away from the old machine. Clickety click.

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Brad replied: >>Yup, just by the condition of the print.<<

Come on...are you telling me that you 100% trust a print sans reference frame on the heads/tails _just_ because it looks like it was re-spliced by someone who gives a toss?

If that's true, you're just asking for this to happen to you.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but sometime soon and in front of a lot of people and it'll be just that one print you didn't get time to run through beforehand.

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You're inferring that everyone should be up to your standard and you know that just isn't the case. This industry is now populated with all ages and levels of experience.

When a 17 year old 'part timer' is in the box and has to make up two prints on a Thursday night as well as run 15 projectors, is it really fair to him to say "read the soundtrack and look for the edge markings" or would it be that much more practical to say "Make sure the reference frames match what follows"?

It's not his fault he doesn't have the knowledge of the soundtrack reading skills but any nitwit could make sure the frames match up.

The days of having guys like you in every booth are long gone and that's sad, but it is a fact. This is one small, insignificant way to make it easier for all and sundry.

Think of the next guy when you build up that new print...leave a reference frame.

*My prints always get broken down properly. Period.

*I will not be responsible for any theater that decides to hire an idiot who is untrained and does not care. If a theater gets a print with or without ID frames and the person building it up on reels or a platter is an idiot, untrained, does not care, or has some other mental defect, reels will still be assembled out of order. Theaters get what they pay for...and when it comes to being cheap, they deserve what they get. Any professional projectionist can easily read the optical track and edge marks.

*I will never leave a reference frame on...ever! Please quit asking. Everyone has that one thing they believe in 100% and will never budge on, this is mine.

Feel free to beg the rest of the world to leave an ID frame on, but it's not going to happen on any print I run so please direct any further "ID-cutter" requests toward someone else. If the studios really wanted an id frame on the leaders, they would print it somewhere in the countdown.

I would hope others restrict themselves to a MAXIMUM of ONE and ONLY ONE identification frame. Any more is butchering the print any way you slice it. Personally, I feel leaving a frame on the leaders is butchering enough, but 2 or more is simply unacceptable.

I was taught by my father who I did and always will consider to have been a professional projectionist.

>>Everyone has that one thing they believe in 100% and will never budge on, this is mine.<<

Happy news...it's mine too!