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Author Topic: Wall*e where should i cut the 5th reel ? Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-27-2008 02:12 PM                        Is this another prank by the "let's go digital!" people?  |  IP: Logged Laurie Higgins Film Handler Posts: 45 From: Norcross, GA, USA Registered: Jun 2008 posted 06-27-2008 02:26 PM                        "Maybe I am old fashioned but before I make a cut I use the frame finder (aka footage counter) to verify the frame line I am splicing on and if booth staff did that father than relying on other things there would not be a problem" ---alas, the only frame counter I have are my eyeballs. Cause I could have used one last night.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-27-2008 02:28 PM                     Laurie, please use the quote button next time. The labs need to knock these weird cut marks off. If they want to do a cut here or a last frame of action marking, they should put "CUT HERE" written in large letters inside of a 4 perforation white frame so there can not possibly be any confusion.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-27-2008 03:04 PM                        ...or just print frame lines; why is this so difficult?  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 06-27-2008 03:14 PM                        Frank, I have always wondered why they can't just print visible frame lines on every print and on trailers - especially at the heads and tails. It seems like something so basic to ensuring good presentation. At the same time, I've often wondered why it's sometimes so difficult to get the correct running time and aspect ratio. You would think the studios would make a practice of making this vital information widely available. For Wall•E, I actually had to call my exhibitor relations person to get the correct time.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-27-2008 03:26 PM                        I am sure Mr. Drive-In (of Rodeo Drive-In in Washington) over at the exhibitors_screening_room wouldn't mind me sharing his handy, ingenius and easily constructed solution to a footage counter or synchronizer when you absolutely, positively need a frame-line finder. Justin, it's not for lack of trying. The SMPTE recommended pratices have been in place for years suggesting that all that information -- aspect ratio, title, sound format information should be in both the image area as well as in the soundtrack area. The fact is, the labs don't always follow all these practices fully.  |  IP: Logged Galen Murphy-Fahlgren Master Film Handler Posts: 405 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Oct 2007 posted 06-27-2008 05:01 PM                     For those booths who do not have a frame counter, why? You can probably get one for a few hundred bucks used. Are theater budgets so tight that you can't afford to spend a little money on something that will take all the guesswork out of building, thus saving time and improving presentation, and that will last longer than your booth will be running film? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I use my frame counter religiously and have only had two off splices in my year in projection, one in my first build up (in the trailers for a scope movie) and one in my first flat movie. As a result, I completely ignored the Cut Here marks, because I was so confident in my measurements that I would sooner believe the lab to be wrong. Measure twice, cut once, measure twice more.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-27-2008 05:53 PM                        Of course you are right Galen, any professional booth SHOULD have a footage-counter, although those units really are abit overkill for the function of simply finding frame lines (and a very expensive over-kill at that). And the synchronizers are even more over-the-top. No need for all that "stuff" just to verify frame-lines, although I must say the synchronizers with those big sprocket wheels are very easy to use. The nice thing also about synchronizers is that they have open sprocket wheels so when you slide them over the rewind table view light, it illuminates the film on it. I've always thought someone could make a pretty penny manufacturing a simple frame-line finder without all that expensive gearing which is part of footage counters. It could be easily made out of plastic, even include a built-in light for even better visualizing.  |  IP: Logged Chad M Calpito Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 06-27-2008 05:55 PM                        In my booth, we have two Frame Finders and, of course, I use them religiously. So, Galen, you are soooooo correct on that.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 06-27-2008 07:32 PM                     Just saw the pixar projection website. Absolutely fascinating. This is doing film right, and I'm happy to hear that QC suggestions, it's just what I always say to my projectionist. I thougt I was an alien... Marco  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Bodge Film Handler Posts: 83 From: East Dorset, VT Registered: Nov 2006 posted 06-27-2008 08:11 PM                     Gordon you are old fashioned. And that's OK in my book.  |  IP: Logged Justin Gorka Expert Film Handler Posts: 174 From: High Wycombe, England Registered: Apr 2006 posted 06-27-2008 09:16 PM                     As I'm in the UK and half our prints(from experience sctratched to buggary) are going to come from you lot......your debate over fames does not fill me with glee!  |  IP: Logged Ben Goodman Film Handler Posts: 32 From: Danbury, CT Registered: Apr 2008 posted 06-28-2008 12:21 AM                     That print was not fun to put together. We use something very similar to the picture above in our booths-- basically a screwdriver with an intermittent sprocket on the end. Takes only a few seconds and it's a lot simpler to use than a frame counter from my experience. Either way, I don't understand why they can't put frame lines on the picture. And for that matter, I don't understand why they don't have any sort of marking at the beginning of the head leader-- the head of R5 is totally black too! That actually leads me to a general question, though-- how many theatres screen their prints to an employee before showing them to the public? We screen every single print we build up to make sure there are no mis-splices, incorrect formats, or anything like that.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-28-2008 12:24 AM                        We screened Wall-E because the film arrived on Wednesday, but it's not always possible for us to pre-screen. We receive many prints on opening day, too late in the day to build and then screen before the first showing. I've had situations where I've still been spinning film onto the platter AFTER the first show is supposed to have started!  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 06-28-2008 12:46 AM                        We do a dry run of every thing we can, but during the summer when I'm working open to close a lot of days, there is no way I'm going to stay until 4:00am checking movies when I have to be there at 11:30 the next morning. But since I build the majority of our prints, I don't worry about it. I know how to find frame lines and I almost never have any thing out of frame. I do try to screen 100% of the prints that my assistants build up.  |  IP: Logged

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