my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Putting together films with clear tape? (Page 3)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

Author Topic: Putting together films with clear tape? Josh Jones Redhat Posts: 1207 From: Plano, TX Registered: Apr 2000 posted 05-24-2004 03:53 AM                        and to think I was finally gonna get a chance to wack someone with my film-tech baseball bat.....just the thing for outing bad film handler....permanently! Josh  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-24-2004 05:53 AM                     In a somewhat displeasing post, Bill Enos writes, "I run second run with us getting many films off the truck directly from some first run. Almost every print is visibly marked with something." It's amazing how different a world you must live in. We run two to three prints a weekend non-theatrically (except summer), which means the same pool of prints as 2nd run (generally). Reel end markings are NOT a common occurance. Less than 1 in 10 prints, if that. All the other crap, yes. Masking tape, leaders not spliced, lab splices intact, multiple layers of tape, out of frame splices, cue tape, reels broken down in the wrong places (well, that's less than 1 in 10, too), scratched (we replace if its bad where feasable), missing DTS (1 in ~8), etc. So, do you suppose it is regional variation? Sample size? (how many screens are you?) Observer error? --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 05-24-2004 08:07 AM                     It really would be interesting to find out where prints have been. There may be regional variations, colored tape is marking, and it is almost always present, easily removed, hardly a factor. Of the eleven films we ran during the VCU French Film Festival, nine came directly from Paris--4 had shoe polish. The other two came from the U.S. and Canada--both had silver paint stick, must have been to the same theater at some point. Yes, DLP will eliminate these things, but the long term problems with that have yet to be discovered.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 05-24-2004 09:19 AM                        When film is slit to 38 strips from a "wide roll" to 35mm, each slitter knife has a unique "profile" that can be seen as a gloss difference as you look at the spliced rolls on the platter. Each reel will have a slightly different gloss. As Thomas Procyk notes, a lab splice where two different rolls of raw stock are joined will also have this gloss difference. Good lighting will help see the gloss difference, so you can anticipate the splice as you unwind the film. [ 05-24-2004, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: John Pytlak ]  |  IP: Logged Nicole Halper Film Handler Posts: 47 From: Plano, Texas, USA Registered: Mar 2004 posted 05-24-2004 09:35 AM                        (earlier Steve- I wasn't trying to gloat. It's so hard to sense sarcasm in a post. It was really more of - well if I can do it-- anyone can.-- and I see you visited my site to conclude the dlp comment.---mind you I also said I bought 225 watches- you can't believe everything you read) [ 05-24-2004, 10:10 PM: Message edited by: Nicole Halper ]  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 05-24-2004 09:41 AM                     quote: John Pytlak a lab splice where two different rolls of raw stock are joined will also have this gloss difference Lab splices shouldnt be confusing, as long as during build up you note that none of the reels were very short, and all were about the same size, then all the shades should be the same size. If you dont remember if there were short reels, then use the method I recommended, until you learn to feel for them.  |  IP: Logged Dave Callaghan Film Handler Posts: 60 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jan 2003 posted 05-24-2004 11:09 AM                     Occasionally when breaking down onto shipping reels I have noticed the film is catching on something. When it isn't a problem with the reel, it turns out to be masking tape that someone has placed on the inside of the reel flange, with a sharpie mark for the reel size. To those who do this, please, in future, could you put the tape on the outside of the reel. Perhaps someone could comment on the following. I believe that the shipping reels are routinely reused to mount new prints. True? If so, masking tape on the outside makes much more sense. Once film is on the reel, marks for shorter reels on the inside can't be seen. Someone relying on these marks will be completely confused at breakdown. Marks on the outside are at least visible. When the next reel of a different length is shipped, the old mark which is now incorrect can be seen easily and replaced. This is just one more instance of how masking tape and film is more trouble and wastes more time than it is worth because it is used inappropriately or when it isn't needed.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 05-24-2004 01:44 PM                    quote: John Pytlak When film is slit to 38 strips from a "wide roll" to 35mm, each slitter knife has a unique "profile" that can be seen as a gloss difference as you look at the spliced rolls on the platter. Wow. John, do you have any links to THAT? I'd like to read more about that process. I've never heard of that. I learn something new every day!  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 05-24-2004 02:27 PM                        Here's a link to how wide rolls are slit, perforated, and packaged at Kodak: http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/h1/sizesP.shtml#p  |  IP: Logged Jason M Miller Master Film Handler Posts: 284 From: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA Registered: Jul 2004 posted 08-09-2004 10:51 PM                     After reading all of this I think I would like to use clear for all of the splices at the theater I work for but we use Zebra Tape for the reel to reel splices, and I know if I use the clear the person that has to break it down will get pissed and yell at me.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 08-09-2004 11:56 PM                    If you absolutely have to use something then put some tape on the shipping reel and mark the diameter of the film pack and the reel number before you build. Then on breakdown you can wind at high speed until you get very close, slow down, and watch and feel for the splice. At least that way only you're only doing something to the reel not the print.  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 08-10-2004 12:01 AM                     quote: It's so hard to sense sarcasm in a post. I I think that is what these are for...  |  IP: Logged Robert L. Fischer Expert Film Handler Posts: 145 From: Montreal, Quebec Registered: May 2004 posted 08-10-2004 05:00 AM                    My theater requires the use of yellow tape. I'd like to use clear tape, but we platter our prints and our SPECO make-up tables are good at throwing film on the floor if you have to make a sudden stop. If it were up to me, I'd inspect every print on a rewind bench, but our two benches are covered with crap and haven't been used in years. When I used it once to rewind a few reels, my co-workers looked at me like I was crazy. Most of them didn't even know what they were intended for. If only they knew the concept of "film done right"...  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 08-10-2004 06:10 AM                        using clear tape won't necessitate making sudden stops during breakdown. if you place your finger on the outer top edge of the film that's still on the platter, you can feel the splice many revolutions in advance. you can slow down gradually as you feel it approach. when i stop, i overshoot by around 10' or so, then spin the platter the other way by hand, feeling for the splice as it comes back off the shipping reel. when your coworkers look at you like you're crazy, look at them like they're idiots. but keep doing inspections on the rewinds. when you find a poorly aligned lab splice, film damage, or old cue tape on a reel, point it out to them and say "i sure am glad i caught that before it ran through the projector!" be consciencious yourself, and it may rub off on others. encourage them to check out this site. carl  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 08-10-2004 12:16 PM                     Darnit Carl, where's your member picture. You've got almost 700 posts and yet still no pic. quote: Carl Martin if you place your finger on the outer top edge of the film that's still on the platter, you can feel the splice many revolutions in advance. An advantage to this technique is if your splicers make crappy splices, they are even easier to feel this way! Personally I think you will find that marking the "fill line" on the reel a better solution for assisting with finding the splice. It's on the Building 101 page in the tips section.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.