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Author Topic: Thrown LoTR on Christmas Eve Bruk Mogos Film Handler Posts: 19 From: USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 12-26-2003 06:35 PM                     Richard you talking about LOTR thrown on Christmas day,we had a projector overheat in middle of the movie on the opening night(Wednesday 12am), imagine with about 400 people siting inside who been waiting for 2-3 hours to see the movie. luckily we had another projector running at the same time just with about 15 min of set, so we just had to move them to the working auditorium.  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 12-26-2003 09:39 PM                     How exactly did it overheat? Did the power supply over heat and go out, Xenon bulb burnt out? [ 12-27-2003, 01:14 PM: Message edited by: Chris Hipp ]  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 12-27-2003 01:45 AM                     Brad, I think Mathew was brainstorming on how to modify the system so it could be used to move prints without clamps and serve as a dustcover overnight.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 12-28-2003 08:51 AM                     I am glad to see F.T. marketing another quality product. Unfortunately, his idea is not new. A similar item for the Christie platters has been around for many years, but it has its faults. I forgot the manufacturer, but this was a three piece plastic deal that had to be glued together by the customer. The major flaw to this one was the inability to remove from the platter after the film has been threaded. If an awshit occurs, then the film has to be cut and respliced in order to remove this ring. I mentioned this product on F.T. a few times, but I dont think anyone took notice? So hopefully Brad designed a one-piece unit that is "split" with a latch so that it can be removed if necessary?  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 12-28-2003 09:40 AM                    I think the requirement that you thread the correct film or at least discover your error in time to do a center ring drop is a very minimal one. Just how far along are you when you discover your "awshit" ? Well past trailers and easily accessible splices apparently. I see no reason to compromise the design to accomodate that level of Film Done Wrong.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-28-2003 11:54 AM                     We do the same thing that Chris suggests, only instead of leader we just cut a strip of an old trailer and wrap it around the print, then tape it. When the print tails out, the "ring" of the trailer is left behind and easily slips over the print again with no need to re-tape if done correctly. This makes all the prints look neat on the platters and since the tape that labels the print is stuck on this piece of trailer, there's no "gunk" left behind on the tail of the print to cause problems. This beats spending $30 on one of those long velcro strips, and we make a new one for each print we build up. As for the timing of the "awshits", sometimes it's not the operator's fault. We frequently run special screenings at our theater for rentals or Bollywood pictures and that's usually not communicated right away. I like to thread up as early as possible, so when I have Print X in House 6 threaded at 5:45pm, someone usually comes up at 6pm saying there's something else is arriving at 6:30 to play in there at 8. It seems like whenever a 3+ hour movie comes out, theaters seem to freak out and destroy them. I don't think there was any theater in the area showing a "clean" print of Titanic in it's 8th week. At least the last 3-4 reels were platter-scratched and covered in dirt indicating it was woud up off the floor. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-28-2003 01:20 PM                        Thomas, there would be plenty of time to unthread that movie. It only takes a minute, maybe two. I've moved prints that have been unthreaded without problems. In fact I've moved prints that have played 15 minutes of film (or more) due to a power outtage that delayed everything. Not fun, but it can be done.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-28-2003 02:02 PM                     There is also no need to cut the film. The film can be rolled back onto the center ring from the takeup platter and then unthreaded backwards through the system, then center dropped without making a cut. Alternatively, provided the automation can handle a start cue, your first preview won't be through the brain yet. Just break the splice at the end of the leader that attaches to the first trailer and turn the projector motor on. You will want to stand there for a minute and help the leader through the rollers (purely to keep it off of the floor), but then you just re-do that one splice at the end of the leader and drop it back in. Taking the reports on this thread as an example, if these theaters had the safety rings... #1 Their customers would not have been sent away angry. #2 The theater would not have had to issue refunds and passes. #3 The print would not have gotten damaged. #4 The theater complex could have purchased a safety ring for each auditorium and still saved money over what was lost in that one accident. The math speaks for itself.  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-29-2003 05:24 AM                        why remove the rim-ring before fixing the aw-shit? you've got to fix the aw-shit before even thinking of threading another show. are we talking about moving a threaded print to another platter deck without unthreading it, because the deck isn't functioning? that really does sound like an aw-shit, no matter how you slice it. carl  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-29-2003 01:01 PM                     You know I never saw a changeover house throw a print  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 12-29-2003 01:41 PM                        Any indication of "static cling" before the prints were thrown? Many times, some "cling" causes enough speed variation to throw the print off center. I agree, a retaining ring is very good insurance to prevent the damage reported here. Gordon wrote: quote: You know I never saw a changeover house throw a print But I have seen reels fall off the feed spindle. (Or thrown on the floor in disgust by the operator. )  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-29-2003 02:54 PM                        Gordon--you've never had a takeup belt break or had the film break on startup and pile up on the floor (maybe in a puddle of oil)? And why is it that Century reel magazines are apparently designed so that they can be closed completely without locking the reel on the spindle? Not smart at all. Simplex didn't make that mistake.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-29-2003 03:22 PM                     Never had a belt break had a shaft break once As for a splice breaking on startup that is the same as if it was a platter With slow start there is no takeup snatch As for magazines The DP70's in 35mm can be closed with the catch open as can most 35/70 ones in 35mm mode The Ernamann 8b magazines the spindles had no catch the door when closed pushed a ball bearing race against the reel hub. The back part was spring loaded so even a bent reel would track well The only complaunt if ya didn't close the door the reel would fall off Also the shafts didn't go right through so you didn't have any bell  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 12-29-2003 03:35 PM                     OK already, Everyone is talking about me doing Fim Gone Wrong... Here is a scnerio that happened to me once. Working with the Christie package. In the middle of a show. For some ungodly reason, the payout head wanted to start causing problems. The three rollers were obviously turning at different speeds or something, resulting in a huge ever growing loop off the center roller. I tried to carefully lean over just to adjust the roller, and in doing so accidently bumped the fling-ring caussing it to pop off the flange. Only way to fix problem was to shut show for 30 seconds, which did annoy the audience.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-29-2003 03:40 PM                     quote: You know I never saw a changeover house throw a print Damn, John and Scott beat me to the obvious ones. I have walked into a booth at shift change in a dark booth and not noticed the previous operator didn't lock the reel on the supply spindle. The sound of that huge amount of film with the projector ripping through what it had was about the worst shock of my life. Ever since then I find myself looking 2, 3 or 4 times at the spindles before I walk out of a changeover booth, even though I have personally never forgotten myself. Will, I've seen that problem once in the past. Turned out to be the film having excessive curl and being in the simplest terms "stiff". With that in mind, there was a happy spot in the roll that would trigger this just right. The cause (and fix) was due to the two flangeless rollers in the brain. One was tight and one was loose. The fix was simply flipping them.  |  IP: Logged

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