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Topic: Marking Reel Splices

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-13-2001 11:49 PM

Brad said:
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Company policy? What a stupid policy that is! If the projectionists at a theater are intelligent enough to not need yellow tape, the corporate guys should be pleased and not punish them to use the inferior quality of that tape. Yellow tape works best in a trash can.
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I agree with Brad's comment.

Trouble is, I have seen some projectionists that don't have enough sense to come in out of the rain.

You get what you pay for.

And, I have seen some corporate execs, theater owners, and theater district managers that don't know the difference between a projector and a camera, let alone, their butt from a hole in the ground.

If you are a first-run house, use clear tape. It doesn't take that much difference in time when it comes to dismounting the print for shipping.

However, when you have a trash print running in a trash house, the high number of splices already in the film makes it very difficult to determine which splice is yours, and which is not.

Then, it could be a toss-up (even though it is not necessarly correct) to determine what kind of marking is employed to ID your splices when time comes to dismount the print.

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 05-14-2001 02:36 AM

I agree with everything Randy and Paul said in their last posts. You always feel for the splice, you don't look for it. In a first run platter house there is no reason for having to mark your splices. If you are having so many problems that you can't tell repair splices from reel change splices you have far greater worries that this.

That being said, I see nothing wrong with edge marking tape if you're not using SDDS or if you are and it doesn't cause a dropout, so long as it is removed afterwards. Your method for using Zebra tape Randy is genious. If your prints are so splicy that you need to mark the splice somehow, Randy's method seems ideal.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-14-2001 04:13 AM

If y'all would mark how full the reel is with a piece of white tape and a marker before starting to unspool the reel, then you won't need to worry about not being able to tell the difference between repair splices and reel splices. You'll know because the reel is either as full as it was when it came to you or it is not. Check the image below:

Also, reel change splices always have different scenes on each frame (unless it is a fade out/fade in). It is rare that a lab splice will be on a scene change. I've also noticed funny little "circles" in the upper right corner of the outgoing reel for four frames that are 24 frames before the last.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 05-14-2001 07:32 AM

The most elegant solution is the one outlined by Brad and Joe --- put a piece of tape on the inside of the shipping reel flange and mark how "full" that reel is. On tear-down, it's then a simple matter of watching for the splice when you have nearly "filled" that reel. Also, Bobby is correct that the subtle differences in the film's slit edge usually allow seeing the different reels like "growth rings" on a cut tree stump.

Randy's use of "Zebra" tape in a way that doesn't use the cross-frame line is less disruptive. That cross-frame line is visible on "scope" prints, and does disrupt the sound. BTW, the tape was designed to offer the option of using it either way.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-14-2001 05:26 PM

I am not in favor of using a magic marker to indicate how much film is on the reel, for several reasons:

1. Some reels are black in color.
2. After it has been through several theaters, the mark would be bogus, anyway.

If a hunk of tape was used, it might be a better idea, as long as you take everyone elses tape off the reel..

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-14-2001 05:31 PM

Paul, that's the idea. ALWAYS attach a piece of tape before you mark. It certainly would be worthless if this practice caught on and reels had many marks right on their surface.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-14-2001 06:35 PM

OOPS!

Joe, I didn't see the tape on that reel in your illustration. Sorry...

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Danny Hart
Film Handler

Posts: 50
From: St Andrews, Scotland
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-14-2001 07:20 PM

There is NO need for you to mark the film in any way, or use anything other than clear splicing tape.

You must be able to estimate the size of a reel when you're spooling off. It's also visible on the platter; the reels are almost always slightly different shades of brown (with the right lighting).

You should feel for the join by the edges and when you get to it, compare it with the reference frame you left on the leader/tail when you put the film together.

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Danny Hart
Film Handler

Posts: 50
From: St Andrews, Scotland
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-14-2001 07:28 PM

Another idea would be to buy a UV pen and lamp. You could mark the film as much as you like and wherever you like, it wouldn’t affect the picture or sound. Just be sure you know what you're looking for when searching for your UV marked joins under the UV lamp. Good for changeovers, too.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-14-2001 08:22 PM

Hmmmmm.... Marking changeovers with UV pen... Interesting!

I wonder if there's a brand of pen that will fluoresce under the wavelengths of UV that the xenon lamp outs out? The light from a xenon will make the antifreze in the cooling pumps glow. Why not a spot on the film?

Man! If done properly, you could get your C/Os frame-accurate every time without even trying!

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 05-15-2001 08:32 AM

The use of a transparent dye that fluoresces under ultraviolet illumination has been suggested by several, and published in BKSTS "Cinema Technology". Gordon McLeod mentions his use of the method. Kodak has not evaluated the long term effects of such dyes on the film. Perhaps a clear splicing tape that fluoresces could be developed, so nothing needs to be applied to the film.

The most elegant methods do not put any permanent marking on the print, and are not visible or audible to the audience.

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