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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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"With simple washing after each show (either in water or with "see-saw" of adhesive tape), they can clean millions of feet of film."

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quote:

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"A theatre cleaning 5 shows per day is cleaning about 1.5 million feet of film per month."

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So again, how is it that PTRs are less expensive than a FilmGuard/media cleaning setup? PTRs are far from $20 items. The answer: PTRs are more expensive and have less cleaning effect and no lubricating qualities.

PTRs have their place in laboratories and special venue situations such as IMAX. FilmGuard/media cleaners have their place in the common 35mm projection booth.

We can argue this point every day for the next year, but PTRs simply are not as effective a a FilmGuard/media cleaner combo in a multiplex. If you really want to continue to try and convince people that PTRs are more effective, then let's both of us perform a public "worst case senario" to see which system is more effective. We can head to the next theater under construction and run prints side-by-side with the two systems. I'll even let you stand there and change out and rewash your PTR rollers every 60 seconds on every show if you like while I sit back and watch the media cleaner run fully automated. Beware though, you WILL leave the demo embarassed. I've opened new theaters before with FilmGuard where dust would settle on the print thick enough that you could wipe a clean spot on the edge of the print by the end of the movie and NONE of the prints had a mark on them even with all of that dirt floating around. Try THAT with PTR rollers!

There are many applications where you don't want to, or need to, leave any foreign substance on the film. Proper lubrication of release prints is a legitimate recommendation, and is specified by SMPTE Recommended Practice RP 151.

Regarding your incorrect implications about how PTRs can be removed mid-show, bear in mind that not all PTR cleaner mounts are designed so that they are by-passable in mid show. Also, with a media cleaner (which is apparent that you have never used) the media cloth is constantly turning, presenting a fresh stretch of media.

Finally, I have an extensive collection of old film (basically trailers because I could get two brand new copies of each for comparison purposes) stored in a variety of conditions dating back about 13 years now. In all situations, regardless of how they were stored, and without exception, the FilmGuarded print is in better condition than the identical copy stored dry. The prints not FilmGuarded have dried out, become brittle, warped and cracked. Make sure you are speaking from experience whenever you speak about a product, or make sure you put your own disclaimer in there that "I have not tried this product, but that product works well for me"...or something to that nature.

So please answer the question, have you ever personally used FilmGuard? I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but I want to hear it from you.

And yes I agree with you that Cinemecannica projectors are incredibly gentle on film.

PTR's only CLEAN the film, they are not a FILM TREATMENT intended to change the properties of the film, such as providing lubrication or hiding scratches.

"Different horses for different courses".

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Enough said. No hard feelings but...

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'Regarding your incorrect implications about how PTRs can be removed mid-show, bear in mind that not all PTR cleaner mounts are designed so that they are by-passable in mid show.'

I said ....
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'you can allways stop and swap PTR's mid rehersal.'

Sorted.

It's hard to say how much use my PTRs had on them because I never used them constantly except on a print of Titanic. Also City of Angels and Saving Private Ryan. From then on we'd use them off an on. Somehow the print of Titanic stayed fairly clean. Not spotless, though. It was a used print when we got it (I think the managers ordered a new print to replace our dirty print) so maybe it was a "P5'd" print (It was called 'P5' until we named it 'Filmguard') from one of Brad's test theaters and that's why it didn't shed as much. It did have some blotches in a few reels that obviously occured at the lab and I can see one of Brad's test theaters rejecting the print. But of course it was probably run with P5 until the new print arrived. Hey you never know! But that print did give me a near-steady 0 error rate from our Dolby Digital basement readers. Actually I seem to remember Brad saying that none of his test theaters (besides Northpark) was running Titanic, so maybe the print was coated with a layer of magical power, because it definitely did not shed.

Even after they lost their "sticky" the PTRs did still gather dust and dirt, but not much. You couldn't tell the difference after running PTR's on a print for a day. The "sticky" just wasn't "sticky" enough. PTRs could increase their value if you could peel layers off to get a "like new" roller after the current layer had worn out. PTRs are great for camera negatives and stuff like that. Filmguard for your average movie theater and archival purposes.

Darren Briggs-
I had a print that was very old and broke every single time it was run. I put Filmguard on that and it stopped breaking. Filmguard really relaxes acetate prints. I believe that with my Filmguarding I have extended the overall life of that print considerably. Plus the print looked incredible after a couple of days of Filmguarding. This can also be verified by any one of the projectionists who work at my theater. Sorry if you don't feel that's a good thing.