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Author Topic: Do foil cues have any effect on Xetron cue detectors? Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-21-2004 06:15 PM                     quote: 1. Don't have Neumade splicers. I feel your pain. quote: 2. I once had quite a bit of Accuta II tape but I stopped using it because it pulls the paper backing along with the foil tape. I hate Accuta II tape. Peel it from the other end first. For some reason Aucuta II tape doesn't like to be peeled from one side to the other, but the other way around is fine. quote: I fully expect that there will be some image shifting at cue time but I promise to be honest and report back if it turns out okay. It won't. I know there are tons of people out there who will claim their CIR splicers are a gift from the gods, but if you don't have a (properly aligned) Neumade, don't expect much because the perforations in the cue tape won't be perfectly punched, even if the CIR is brand new. It should still be better than what you have now though.  |  IP: Logged Joe Schmidt Expert Film Handler Posts: 172 From: Billings, Montana, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-21-2004 07:46 PM                     A comment on cue marks... In most any old movie, particularly 1930's era on the TCM channel, for example, you'll see black round cue marks about every 8-10 minutes as the films were put together on 1000' reels. The cues were punched in the negative that was in the camera and thus carry forward on all subsequents internegs and prints. In the earlier times films were distributed on 1000' reels and that practice continued for a long time in foreign countries. Subsequently "double" reels were made up which are the 20-min. reels of today. In current production I believe cue marks are not usually punched in the negative, but are added manually to each of the color reversal intermediates used to prepare most of the release prints.  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-23-2004 01:22 AM                        quote: Up until 1937, features were cued for 1000 ft. reels Nothing beats doing film inspection, finding a splice in the middle of a reel, checking it, SEEING CUE MARKS THERE, holy smoke, somebody's scrambled the reels breaking them down, oh wait, it's the 1,000' R1A splice. 1,000' reels & cues persisted longer outside the US. I ran a BEAUTIFUL Mario Bava La Ragazza che sapeva troppo (The Girl Who Knew Too Much), which came on 1,000 cores. It had obviously been spliced together previously into 2,000' reels, & since I had to run it more than once I mentally flipped a coin & decided to splice it onto 2,000' reels. More work, should have just run it from 1,000' reels. FYI, in case you ever haveta wonder the same. Gosh, that b/w photography & print was beautiful, but I probably would never have had time to look at it if I ran it all from 1,000'ers.  |  IP: Logged Mark Hajducki Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 500 From: Edinburgh, UK Registered: May 2003 posted 02-23-2004 05:59 AM                     If you are using platters/towers remember to ensure that the audience notices the changeover by using solid yellow spliceing tape. The print of Etre et Avoir (To be and to have) arrived covered with this stuff. (And they were involved with the BBC 4 world cinema awards) My current involvement with automation only extends to removing the cues added by previous projectionists.  |  IP: Logged Dave Bevilacqua Film Handler Posts: 5 From: Nashville, TN Registered: Nov 2003 posted 02-23-2004 03:00 PM                        First, going back to original question, regular foil cue tape does not work with the "Opticue" systems. Even Nuemade has abandoned that design. Big Sky is the only company still using this cue system. I agree with Brad...it really sucks!!!! With their systems (the Neumade Maxi 12 or Big Sky Series one) you have to use a series of cues...not just one. And the worst part is you HAVE to put them in the middle of the frame! Most of these automation units require 3 or 4 cue at the beginning of the credits for the light cue. YOU ALWAYS SEE THESE ON THE SCREEN. You can change the Opticue unit out for a traditional proximity cue detector, but most companies don't care if you see the cue or not! With regards to Manny's questions about foil cue tape. We here at Jack Roe USA make a very unique product. Our Pulse Cue Tape is especially made for proximity cue detectors. These are pre-cut aluminum strips that go right on the side of the film as Brad has indicated in his photo. These are pure metal, with no poly backing, so they NEVER wear out!! I always suggest putting a clear piece of tape over the cue to keep the edges down, but you don't have to do that. Since these are cut to size, they are easy to use!  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-23-2004 03:46 PM                     Dave, I can vouch for the pre-cut aluminum cue tape supplied by JR. I've used it for many years and never had a problem with it. It's cut such that it fits from picture edge to sound track edge perfectly and works great on FM35/37. It peels off easily and leaves no mess behind and I never taped over it. If it's used as a middle cue it never gets any mechanical wear and will last for ever!  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 02-23-2004 05:12 PM                     The reason Neumade abandoned the Opticue was not because of any problems with the tape, but because the detector was discontinued. A person with a Maxi12 automation using the Neumade cue detector can select either, 'random cuing' with a series of cues, or, 'sequential cuing' using a single cue to advance. A simple switch / jumper inside the automation selects either mode. An operator can easily change it whenever they want, providing no external equipment requires one or the other. If the user installed some other make of detector such as an FM35, then obviously they have to go by that manufacturer' instructions. While having a visible center cue go by is not good, there are ways to reduce seeing it, such as placing them where the film fades to black. For flat prints, it should be placed evenly on the frame line. As is often the case, the projectionist can make a improvements in presentation, regardless of the equipment.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-23-2004 06:39 PM                    quote: In current production I believe cue marks are not usually punched in the negative, but are added manually to each of the color reversal intermediates used to prepare most of the release prints. I don't think anyone uses CRI anymore. Is it even made? Assuming a show doesn't go through a digital stage it's Camera Neg >> Interpositive >> Dupe Neg (called Interneg by some) >> release print Cues are punched into the Dupe Negs (and slightly inked in black on their inner surfaces to produce the halo).  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 02-24-2004 12:14 PM                        Scott Norwood asked: quote: What would be the best way to design a non-visible c/o cue? Scott's ideas are worthy. How about using the DTS timecode, or perhaps digital metadata from the Dolby Digital tracks to sequence the events? Frame count cueing would only require careful measurement of the cue points by running the print through a frame counter or syncronizer once, when the show is made up. If the trailer pack is changed, the new cue points could be calculated.  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 02-24-2004 12:35 PM                     Brad, is the Aucuta II tape the kind that comes in pre-cut strips on a roll of paper backing? They definitely are more heavy-duty than the kind that comes on a roll that you have cut. But they, too, will show up on screen if you use them for a center cue. For center cues, I cut a little *tiny* square from the kind that comes on a roll. Never shows up on screen, even on scope prints. Adding to what John W. said: The number of cues required with an opticue system depends entirely upon how your automation is programmed. Even in random mode, one theater could have it programed so that one cue will turn the lights down after the trailers, whereas another theater could be using five cues for the same thing. All depends on how the matrix is programmed. At my theater, one cue will turn the lights down. That's why I was asking if one foil cue will have enough reflective property for the cue detector to actually read it.  |  IP: Logged

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