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Author Topic: What's the best way to find reel numbers? Joseph D. Olson Film Handler Posts: 26 From: Seattle, WA, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-12-2003 12:51 AM                        The only time I've ever heard of this problem being solved without ordering replacement reels was for Lawrence of Arabia, in which nearly every ID frame was the same on all reels. Luckilly, the film booker for the chain had seen the movie so many times, she figured it out for the guy. I'd say call whoever your distributor is and bitch.  |  IP: Logged Robb Johnston Expert Film Handler Posts: 147 From: St. Louis Suburbs Registered: Nov 1999 posted 03-15-2003 08:37 AM                        I had a similar issue about 4 years ago. I was helping open a theatre and one of the prints we got was Permanent Midnight. There were heads and tails, but 3 or 4 of the reels had at least one if not both leaders incorrectly placed. For example, what I thought was reel 3 had the head of 3 and tail of reel 4, all with no ID frames. By that time it was very late at night (early morning) after the VIP event had ended, I was the only person in the building, and didn't know what to do. I called Technicolor since they were the delivery agency, basically to complain about the theatre we had recieved the print form and found a helpful item that they offer. Their Customer Service reps have access to a reference Frame ID sheet that the rep used to help me ID the frames over the phone. I gues sit is the same type thing John referred to, and there is no need to wake your booker. No need, that is as long as it is a technicolor print. The single most positive thing I have ever encountered with that company.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 03-15-2003 09:24 AM                    I have had that situation occure several times over the years. What I would do is look at the sound track and if there was sudden changes at the reel joins it most likely didn't match. Another thing I would do and this is if they just tore the splice and left the tape on the film, I would match up the tear pattern. Then I would screen it for correctness. I don;t recall having to redo anything afterwards. My big question has always been what the hell did they do with the leaders to begin with?  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-15-2003 11:59 AM                        The whole idea of needing a secure site because an image could possibly be seen by the public of a film which the studio wants to market TO the public is part and parcel of distribution's paranoia and their demonstrable, compulsive obsession with protecting their "intellectual property." They want total control (as if there is such a thing). Then they they turn around and PAY to have every media outlet around the world promote those very same images. If they are so worried about the public seeing ID frame images --and it should be noted that if the print and has no leaders attached, it is unlikely that the it is a new title which hasn't been played yet; missing leaders isn't something that happens pre-release -- then Photoshop can easily be used to black out actor's faces or block-digitize any special effect that they want to "protect." They could even put a hatch pattern over the whole frame. The image would still be useful for ID purposes but pretty useless for any "financial harm" the execs might conjure up in their delusionary, paranoic brains. Don't they realize that even if a frame or two were to "get out" before a picture's release, all it can do is stimulate a desire for their intended market? They should be happy there is enough interest in their product that someone is willing to go through the trouble to hack a few ID frames. It's the same idiocy as their going balistic that someone might get a hold of a trailer of one of their titles. A trailer is an ADVERTISEMENT -- they PAY to have people see them. How it becomes a BAD thing for people to have interest in their product is a twist of logic that makes Alice in Wonderland look like a land of reason and sensibility. Frank  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-15-2003 01:22 PM                     Can anybody say, "Digimarc"?! www.digimarc.com  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-15-2003 01:56 PM                        If I can see it, I can copy it, Digimark or not. What are they going to do, encode an image for every theatre so they can track down who let it out? Heck they don't even utilize CAP coding significantly.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-15-2003 05:47 PM                     Why thank you Frank for a more detailed expression of the studio paranoia that I did not express. Indeed protecting those ID frames on a secure site is one of the most ridiculously stupid things I have ever seen in this industry. No wait, I think this one may actually deserve the title "most stupid". Studio paranoia has sunk to a new level. (I'll bet Valenti is behind this somehow. He seems to think that everyone is criminals and the public would actually want crap like low rez ID frames.)  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 03-15-2003 05:55 PM                        quote: I don't know if a partial reel ID could be superimposed on the SDDS track without driving the SDDS into default. Any comments? Yers, as long as it is not in the cyan layer. The SDDS camera will not see it.  |  IP: Logged Brett Rankin Film Handler Posts: 78 From: Sierra Madre, CA Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-15-2003 06:24 PM                     " I don't know if a partial reel ID could be superimposed on the SDDS track without driving the SDDS into default. Any comments? " Why not use the available between-sprocket space on the opposite side of the DD track? It's the only part of the film that isn't used and reel numbers or other pertinent info could be printed there..  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-15-2003 06:59 PM                        What about prints without SDDS tracks? Why couldn't that area be used for reel identification information (maybe different colored edges for different reels, as others have suggested in other threads)? Although this wouldn't help for major releases (which would have SDDS tracks), it would be a low/no-cost way to help out those of us who often deal with more limited releases which may have no digital tracks or be SRD and/or DTS only.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-15-2003 09:30 PM                        Brett, the between sprocket hole area on the inboard side is reserved for future Dolby tracks. You'll probably see it used for 'Dolby 10.2'. Yers, the current printers are only capable of a cyan exposure in the SDDS area. The current edge print is printed by the manufacturer before processing. An additional magenta edge print could be printed, but that would cost money so I doubt it'll ever happen.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-15-2003 10:19 PM                     I wonder how much it would cost for the labs to turn a light on to create a colored stripe down the inboard sprockets? One color per reel, of course. I would say that it should match the leader colors (R1=yellow, R2=red, R3=green, etc) but some supergenious decided to make R4 yellow too!  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-15-2003 10:36 PM                        Isn't R4 orange?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-16-2003 12:31 AM                     Not down here. There seems to be a slight difference in shading, but R1 and R4's colors are so close that if they ARE different, then they shouldn't even bother. With blue, pink, purple, and so many other OBVIOUS colors, they had to go and re-use yellow for R4.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-16-2003 09:06 PM                     Yeah, but R-1 should have the opening credits on it, no?  |  IP: Logged

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