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Topic: My First Interlock

Michael Barry
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 584
From: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-01-2004 08:27 AM

This is re-stating what Brad and others have already said, but I will say it again anyway because it cannot be stressed strongly enough: test run a reel of something first before you do anything before a paying audience. Not just once. Run that reel two or three times to ensure that things are working peachy keen and you've got it down cold. Then you're ready - not before!

And good luck - you'll be fine! [Smile]

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 03-01-2004 09:14 AM

Running it prior to an audiance is very important especially if the interlock has not been run before or for a long time. Problems you are not aware of can be found before the paying audiance does. otherwise it is good practice. I have also found that a good prayer prior to hitting the start button works very well too. [Smile]

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 03-01-2004 09:47 AM

We should have a most complicated interlock thread. See who can outdo each other.

Ciao

dave

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Jeremy Fuentes
Mmmm, Dr. Pepper!

Posts: 1168
From: Corpus Christi, TX United States
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-01-2004 09:53 AM

Can anyone top Brads 16 screen interlock? Or are we talking about one that actually runs for public viewing?

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Wolff King Morrow
Master Film Handler

Posts: 490
From: Denton, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 03-01-2004 10:33 AM

It would be a lot easier to do the 16-screen interlock at my theater, so it wouldn't be as good as Brad's. We need someone at an 18 or more screen theater to top it!

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-01-2004 10:44 AM

quote:
If you have "wrap detectors" make sure the one on the takeup platter is NOT threaded. There will be too much tension and your platter will shut off.

Chris... just want to clear my head on this one, because I'm not seeing it.

Wouldn't a wrap detector follow the feed platter, not the takeup? And in any case, it seems to me that since the film is running from the feed platter to its own projector in the same manner it would anyway, it wouldn't "know" that it was being interlocked, regardless of how many machines would follow. I'd think a wrap detector on an interlock should be just about mandatory, considering the mess a wrap could cause "downstream".

I don't do interlocks much, so am I missing something?

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Jeremy Fuentes
Mmmm, Dr. Pepper!

Posts: 1168
From: Corpus Christi, TX United States
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-01-2004 10:52 AM

quote:
I don't do interlocks much, so am I missing something?

Interlocking is fun and exciting and it helps relieve stress, on an otherwise stress filled day!! [thumbsup]

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Richard Greco
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1180
From: Plant City, FL
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-01-2004 11:48 AM

Thanks For all the help guys, I'm sure I'll be fine tonight.....

Just wish me luck [Smile]

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-01-2004 01:12 PM

Would a wrap detector (tension failsafe) do any good in an interlock situation? I've never worked with them personally, but my understanding is that they cut power to the takeup platter deck when feed tension is high. The idea is that this will cause the failsafe below the soundhead to drop and cause the automation to kill the show. I can't see how this would work in an interlock situation, assuming that the payout deck is on a different platter tree than the takeup deck.

Oh, and when you test the interlock system, you might want to test failsafe operation and the "emergency stop" buttons which are usually located on the control box. Some systems also have "restart after film break" buttons which might be worth a try as well.

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Jackson Gilman
Film Handler

Posts: 37
From: Madison, WI, USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-01-2004 01:58 PM

Bypassing the failsafe on all projectors other than the feeding projector, in my opinion, is critical. This may not be the case if you're using those ceiling roller things, but if you're using interlock poles, the tension coming in from the poles will be too high, and you may end up triggering the failsafe as soon as you hit start. Our theater has been doing extensive interlocking on up to 6 projectors at a time daily with this Passion movie, but we're still working the kinks out of how to run them efficiently ourselves.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-01-2004 02:52 PM

...from Scott:

quote:
Would a wrap detector (tension failsafe) do any good in an interlock situation? I've never worked with them personally, but my understanding is that they cut power to the takeup platter deck when feed tension is high.

Mine are connected to the projector failsafe. In an interlock situation, that would cause the whole chain of machines to shut down, as they should.

...from Jackson:

quote:
Bypassing the failsafe on all projectors other than the feeding projector, in my opinion, is critical. This may not be the case if you're using those ceiling roller things, but if you're using interlock poles, the tension coming in from the poles will be too high, and you may end up triggering the failsafe as soon as you hit start.

Some automations bypass the failsafe for a few seconds, so things can stabilize. You wouldn't need wrap detectors at projector 2+... but are you at least using the wrap detector at the feed platter?

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Jackson Gilman
Film Handler

Posts: 37
From: Madison, WI, USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-01-2004 03:14 PM

On the feeding projector, yes. But the projector that is taking the print up is bypassed. Our automation system is designed to terminate the interlock in the event any projector does not detect film. I guess it works the same with any system. We run CNA 150 automation systems on Strong Simplexes.

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John Pytlak
Film God

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

posted 03-01-2004 03:15 PM

Always better to have the tension-sensing failsafe(s) shut down the projector(s) directly, rather than just shut down the take-up and expect the slack to trip the bottom film break detector.

With interlock, it is especially important to use on in-line film cleaner to keep the print spotless.

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Jackson Gilman
Film Handler

Posts: 37
From: Madison, WI, USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-01-2004 03:45 PM

Yeah, our failsafe system seems to actually break film more than save it. But I can't be so entirely sure that we dont' remember to turn the failsafe back on after interlocks and whatnot.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 03-01-2004 03:53 PM

quote:
Some systems also have "restart after film break" buttons which might be worth a try as well.

CAREFUL!!! Not all projectors will ramp down to a stop at the same speed. If you stop an interlock, you MUST check the tension arms before proceeding. Odds are the tension will be off after stopping the machines.

quote:
We should have a most complicated interlock thread. See who can outdo each other.

I've got everyone beat on this, hands down. It's all about versatility. However I won't be posting pictures until I can do a full theater tour.

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