posted 02-04-2003 02:38 PM                    

• Always make sure that whoever is building prints puts a mark on the edge of the reel (like shown in "building 101" in the tips section) so you know when you are right on the splice. This is more important nowadays since labs like Deluxe Hollywood can have as many as THREE lab splices in one reel of film.
• Once you get the MUT running, go ahead and pull the frame of film on the leader to be spliced on the splicer and have the reel band (or tape) already unraveled and ready to go. The idea here is that you don't want to waste any more time than necessary when the MUT is not running.
• Use the mondo sized center rings for the last show. Breaking down off of these is much easier to control the platter, as it is not spinning as fast. Plus it puts less stress on the film.
• When a reel is rewinding, go ahead and make sure that whoever built the film DID leave the tail leader on the hub of the next reel. Why people ever remove the tail leader from the reel is something that just makes no sense. You just have to wind it right back on anyway, and it wastes a LOT of breakdown time. Also, make sure that the depot did not clip the reel together wrong, such that there is no drive pin hole to use. You will waste a lot of time if you don't have the reel properly re-assembled before it is time to mount the reel on the MUT.
• Run the mut at a good speed. Running slow puts stress on the MUT motor and doesn't produce as good of a wind. This does NOT apply to the "warp speeds" that the Strong MUTs are capable of! Christie MUTs are at an ideal speed between 80-100%.
• Don't slow the mut down until you are 1/2 inch or less from hitting the splice. Done properly, you can brake the platter (never use the "brake button") with your left hand and slow the MUT down with your right hand all in one clean operation. The film should never develop slack and you shouldn't overtension it during the stopping process either. However once you get the feel for a particular platter, you can go from full speed to stop in 10-15 seconds.
• Don't look for splices. In fact, throw out any colored splicing tape and all marking devices. When braking with your left hand against the platter deck, you should be feeling for the splice between a finger and thumb. The "brake" is from the lower palm of your hand. Once you feel it go through your fingers and you are comfortable with a certain model platter and MUT, you can come to a full stop right at the splicer.
• If you are using a Strong MUT, be sure to curse a lot during the breakdown at Strong for being so foolish as to not permit a place to hold the splicer on the MUT itself on breakdown. I don't know why this helps, but it does.

I'm sure there are more little things that I do, but I can't remember them right now.

Disclaimer: people with platters that do not have any sort of breakdown backtension clutch (have to pull the motor away from the platter) are pretty much screwed from saving time on breakdown, as they have to hold the edge of the platter to put manual backtension on during breakdown. If they don't, film damage occurs.

posted 02-04-2003 02:44 PM                   

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Fortunately I don't work for companies that kick everyone out immediately after the show is over

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posted 02-05-2003 03:25 AM                       

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When a reel is rewinding, go ahead and make sure that whoever built the film DID leave the tail leader on the hub of the next reel. Why people ever remove the tail leader from the reel is something that just makes no sense. You just have to wind it right back on anyway, and it wastes a LOT of breakdown time. Also, make sure that the depot did not clip the reel together wrong, such that there is no drive pin hole to use. You will waste a lot of time if you don't have the reel properly re-assembled before it is time to mount the reel on the MUT.

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Amen!

That covers some of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to print break-downs!
Granted, it's rare that I'm breaking down a print that I did not build. Yet without fail, when I'm handling a the break-down of someone else's build, I find tail leaders not on reels, reels clipped together wrong, or both. grrr...

posted 02-05-2003 02:14 PM                    

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NOW PLAYING: The Civil War Gets an Intermission
A twelve-minute break has been added to Gods and Generals.

Here are some points to consider for your presentation of Gods and Generals:

The Intermission is twelve minutes long, making the feature's total running time three hours and forty-nine minutes.
An Intermission card will appear onscreen 339 feet + 2 frames into Reel 8 of the feature.
This card will hold for fifteen seconds before fading out
Following the card, each print will have eight minutes of black slugged in.
Four minutes of gray with music to cue the audience that the film is resuming will follow the eight minutes of black.

PLEASE DO:

Set magnetic cue tape to bring up the house lights and close the curtain when Intermission begins, and to bring the lights back down and open the curtains back up when Intermission ends.
Alert your floor staff to the Intermission, as a large portion of the audience may head for the lobby, bathrooms, and concession stand.

PLEASE DON'T:

Remove ANY black from the film print.
Shut off the projector during Intermission.

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