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Author Topic: How do you identifiy test film Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-03-2006 06:44 PM                        As Brad says; if the emulsion in held in a constant plane, then thickness of the base shouldn't matter much. Though Kinotones have the best idea, Kelmar turrets hold the locked position to much higher tolerances than normal Century gates and it shows in better focus. Likewise, older Century curved gates (H-style) have better focus since the emulsion side is held constant. Louis  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 07-04-2006 03:28 AM                        Well, to answer the question earlier, yes. It's preferred to focus on the feature. But since often it can be difficult to tell focus from the booth, and through a window that won't open (and our ushers seem completely incompetant in coaching me over the radio on the focus), I've been figureing out tricks to help compensate. The ad was of similar stock, and good condition. I would place it by the area of the projector, so it'd adopt a similar temperature and humidity as the feature film. I would also run it immediatly after the feature drops, OR run the projector manually untill the trap and gate are up to operating temps. This will hopefully make sure any flexing of the loop from heat in the gate, will be as close to what the feature will experience. It works rather well. I chose that trailer because the guy's pores make a pattern of fine dots that will pop out clear where you're in focus, and this effect if visible from my window. I've checked this the hard way. I've set my focus normally, and then run dowstairs to view it from the auditorium, and you can tell it's not well focused. I'll run the loop, and focus, and run down stairs later during the feature, and it looks 100x more focused. So with a planar gate like that, don't you experience, what I heard called, "breathing" of the film? Supposedly it's why we have curved gates now, to reduce the film flexing back and forth in the gate as it heats and cools. Supposed to look kind of like it's breathing.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-04-2006 04:16 AM                     Charles, your practice poses a few problems. First, you are striking the xenon just to focus on. This is bad for the xenon and kills lamp life. Second, a film left in loop form will tend to take on a different curl than a film wound on a reel or platter. This affects focus. Third, that loop of film is getting blasted by the heat of the lamp over and over every few seconds, whereas the real film only gets hit once every few hours for an instant. As such your loop may be embossed, also affecting focus. Just buy yourself a $30 pair of binoculars.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-04-2006 03:53 PM                     Yea, I even shoot people who strike up the bulb just to frame with since they are too lazy to put on enough framing leader to thread with.- Monte  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-04-2006 04:43 PM                    quote: Charles Greenlee I would also run it immediatly after the feature drops You do that every show? We check focus all the time (when the feature is playing), but find that we really dont have to do much adjusting..definately not between every show.  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 07-04-2006 09:19 PM                        Nope, don't do the loop every show. That'd be a pain. I don't normally strike the lamp every time I want to do a test, just in rare cases, actually I've only done it twice. Usually, I just get to the projector before it drops and thread the test loop in as soon as it's done, the lamp can stay on (manually) for that few seconds with the lamphouse shutter down, so no need to restrike after the automation would normally kill it. And the test loop is no smaller in Diameter than what your feature would be wound on the platter, I usually let it lay out on the unused platter for that screen during the show before I want to run it. As far as the heating issue with the film, yup, can't solve that one. Yeah, I should get some binocs, but the windows where I'm at now, open, allowing for an unobstructed view. Still would be handy to have some tho. I wonder if I could con...errr I mean convice the theatre to buy some for the booth.  |  IP: Logged

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