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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Hey you, you suck! (AKA: Outing bad film handlers) Part 2 (Page 21)

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Author Topic: Hey you, you suck! (AKA: Outing bad film handlers) Part 2 Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 09-19-2008 04:28 PM                        I received our print of Traitor last night. The heads were not securely fastened to the reels so I basically had spaghetti. On most reels they had about 1" of tape "securing" the end of the leader and most of these tapes were covered in dust or twisted so they didn't stick. To make matters worse, only 1 of 6 reels had reference frames on the heads. As I was building up, I also discovered they broke the print down without any regard for matching reels numbers - Reels 1-5 were all broken down onto the wrong reels. I was able to match several of the reels because the first frame was not cut straight so I had a sliver of the top of the first frame. What's curious is the print had been film-guarded and looked pretty clean.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 09-19-2008 05:13 PM                     Justin, How to read DTS time codes to determine reel number  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 09-19-2008 07:16 PM                     That was really the one thing that SDDS had going for them if one looked at the rear display when one swung out the front display - while film was running, one can see both the frame and the reel numbeer on the display. Now, I can't remember, but didn't the 6AD units have a similar feature to where one can see the reel and frame count on the front display through the screen menu?  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 09-20-2008 12:15 AM                     The XD10 does. --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Geena Phillips Expert Film Handler Posts: 198 From: Norcross, GA / USA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 09-20-2008 10:32 PM                        Hey, Chris, Singh Is Kinng was from Adlabs, and, like all Adlabs prints, it came on cores. Some jerkoff took them at some point. Oh, and Joe? Welcome to my world. I have at least a couple prints like that weekly; if I'm lucky I won't get them the day of the first show.  |  IP: Logged Jon Miller Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 973 From: San Diego, CA, USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 10-11-2008 12:57 AM                     It's film festival time for me again, and with it another round of suck to end up in my hands... Exhibit A, Ji jie hao (Assembly): Every reel was so thoughtfully numbered at the beginning and end with price stickers so even the brain-dead could determine which reel was being rewound, conveniently forgetting about the on-screen consequences this crap causes at each reel change... Each reel also had little reminders of whose products or services to avoid... Alas, this does not compare to Exhibit B, L: Change the World. Looks like a foil cue a previous projectionist forgot to/neglected to/saw no reason to remove, right? Well, multiply this by 12 to see how much aggravation ensued. Six reels of this seven-reeler each had a pair of foil cues near each tail, presumably for automated changeovers. And not just any cue tape, but the thinnest foil with the most aggressive adhesive; just about impossible to scrape off completely with a fingernail and clean up with a rag dipped in FilmGuard. The time spent removing the cues and cleaning up the residue could have been used to make up a five-reel feature. The one thing in common between the two prints: leaders and tails not spliced back on when the print was last broken down. So to the persons responsible for this bad print etiquette, cue tape and all:  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 10-11-2008 01:29 AM                        I never understand how theaters can neglect to reattach BOTH the leader and the tail. That means they must actually remove all film the tail from the reel hub and just toss it back into the can (or throw it away, as I've experienced).  |  IP: Logged Jon Miller Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 973 From: San Diego, CA, USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 10-11-2008 12:40 PM                     To clarify, Joe, the heads and tails were wound back onto the correct reels and in the right order; just not spliced. It's not the worst I've seen, but just more evidence of lack of true professionalism.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Pitt Master Film Handler Posts: 266 From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: May 2007 posted 10-11-2008 05:56 PM                     The price sticker on the print wouldn't be too bad, surely. I mean, it would show up as a single-frame black flash on the screen, but so do the Opticues and many theaters still use them! The only possible problem is if the sticker comes off and lodges somewhere inside the projector or film handling assembly. Price stickers aren't designed to stay on for a long time... Getting back to bad film handlers, it's been at least a week since I saw a movie in Sheffield VUE auditorium 11. The projector is STILL badly out of alignment, there is no aperture plate for flat, and noticeable shutter ghosting with on-screen text (though this could be because they threaded it out of frame) I brought these problems to their attention the last time I visited; you'd think they would have done something about it by now...  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 10-12-2008 10:50 PM                     Just a reminder, FilmGuard is good stuff, but it's definitely not optimal for spot-removal of heavy adhesive. VM&P naptha, isopropanol, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, etc., are generally better choices... Thomas, maybe it's just me, but I don't think this thread is for ranting about the presentation quality of other people's theatres; it's for complaints about the booth-handling skills of someone else's theatre that affect your doing your own job. (Also, remember that not everyone is in your neck of the woods, so expecting people to know what the "VUE Sheffield" is may be expecting a bit much). --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 10-20-2008 09:08 PM                     Hey you suck to whoever had print #5 of "American Grafitti". All heads and tails attached with blue painter's tape(!) most reels were loose in the can 'cuz that same tape was used to tape down the leaders... And half the reels had the head reference frames cut off!! The scratches on the last reel were a nice touch too..schmucks. It was otherwise a really good print....too bad one jackalope screwed it up.  |  IP: Logged Jeffry L. Johnson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 809 From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 10-25-2008 03:40 PM                        quote: blue painter's tape(!) Genuine 3M Scotch Blue Painter's Tape is kind-to-film. I've tested it by leaving it on prints for longer than a year with no problems. Many masking and white-paper tapes don't last that long. The adhesive doesn't transfer to the film (some tape adhesives stick to film). The adhesive doesn't dry out and turn to dust like many masking tapes do. For taping down reel ends for ship out, it's really only good the first time. Use a fresh piece, don't reuse a previously used piece. Scotch-Blue Painter's Tape for Multi-Surfaces #2090 web page  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 10-25-2008 03:59 PM                     Jeffry..I agree with you that painter's tape is less harmful to the film than masking tape, but it is moot when the tape doesn't hold and you end up with all the reels leader's tangled up...especially in one of those hideous FOX boxes. A roll of artist's (or editors if you prefer) tape is only about $5.00 and if used prudently will last a long time. And it holds better without hurting the film.  |  IP: Logged Galen Murphy-Fahlgren Master Film Handler Posts: 405 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Oct 2007 posted 10-25-2008 05:50 PM                     Has anyone tried gaffer's tape? I've only used it on studio hot lights, but even after a few days on a hot light housing, it came off with little to no adhesive residue left behind. It's sort of a trivial discussion, since nothing but splicing tape should ever touch picture area.  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 10-25-2008 07:06 PM                     Shouldn't this be another thread? Anyhow, 2090 is fine for reel ends, but it is not fine for splicing leaders to the reel proper (duh). Gaffer's tape is rather expensive, especially in convenient widths for taping 35mm film. In my experience its adhesive still dries out after several months. There's no good reason to use it instead of paper tape (or 2090, if you're so-inclined). --jhawk  |  IP: Logged

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