This is topic Big screw up on Cyrano in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Joe Ritter (Member # 804) on 06-25-2001, 09:09 AM:
Hi folks,
I must hide my head in shame-------I hope the whole forum does not come here to lynch me, but-------
I have a very nice print of "Cyrano de Bergarac" 1950 Jose Ferrer.
The first time I ran it, for some umknown reason the projector peeled off the sprocket holes on about 100 feet of the start. When I noticed this I stopped and took the film out and looked for the problem. I could find nothing except the sprocket side of the film laying in the projector. This is the side opposite the sound track. I still don`t know what I did to this film and it has never happened to me before or since. As this is one of my favorites how do I fix it? It is on reel 1 and starts shortly after the beginning of the film. I don`t suppose a reel one could ever be found and I am not farmilliar with repaair methods. What do I do, other than hide in shame?--------needing help-------Joe Ritter--------
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-25-2001, 09:24 AM:
I assume this is a fairly old triacetate print. Sounds like you may have inadvertently "pinched" the film edge by misthreading, such that a pad roller or sprocket shoe badly creased the perfs of the brittle old film, slicing off the edge.If this is a personal collection print, it is unlikely that you can get a replacement reel. So the only possible alternative would be to use "Perf-Fix" or "Cine-Bug" tape on each side of the film (i.e. sticking to itself to form a new perforated edge). When showing the film, I would segregate the damaged section to a separate reel, as it may be more likely to jump a sprocket and cause more damage to the good film that follows.
BTW, some projectors are fairly "forgiving" of film that has a damaged edge, especially if the soundtrack side (reference edge)of the print is okay. Depending on the model of projector and degree of damage, you may find that the film will run okay even if one set of perfs is damaged or even missing. But definitely run the damaged section as a separate reel, so as not to risk the undamaged rest of the feature.
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Posted by Joe Ritter (Member # 804) on 06-25-2001, 05:08 PM:
Thanks for the reply Mr. Pytlak,
I think you have solved my delima and diagnosed the cause of my problem. It is an old film and I ran it throough a Super Simplex.
Next question---Which is the best, Per-Fix, or Cine-Bug and where do I get it. Is it applied by hand or does it come with some kind of a jig to line up the perfs?-----------Thanks again-----Joe Ritter----
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 06-25-2001, 05:30 PM:
Joe: I feel for you. I've done the same thing, only it was to a not-so-rare title.I ran R2 of "Night Of The Comet" and had the intermittent sprocket pad pinching the film because I had it threaded cockeyed. R2 has pulled sprockets all through the reel.
I loaned another print to a collector (who does not post here) and his Super Simplex gnawed the holes off much like the way you said yours happened.
Again, it was not a print that was too valuable, except to me.
For now, anyway, it is irreplaceable.
Hope you get your print runnable again.
Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 06-25-2001, 06:05 PM:
I have this problem with one reel of a film, although the sprockets are not chewed off, they are just loose or worn. I had a thread going about this a few weeks ago, but bascially what came of it is that the perf-fix tape or cinebug are junk. I have a cinebug with the tape, and it's very hard to use for extended use (long section) and the tape doesnt seem to stick very well either. Basically Brad's method would work best, laying the film flat on a table, take regular splicing tape, lay it on the edge of the film, slice off the excess, and punch the holes with the splicer. And repeat for the other side too. While it may be tedious, I think it will hold up better than perf. fix tape, though I have not had the opportunity to view my work yet (older film).
Posted by John Anastasio (Member # 607) on 06-25-2001, 08:44 PM:
I peeled off about ten feet of "Street Knight" reel 2 one afternoon by misthreading the top sprocket on my Brenkert. It sliced off the sprocket holes just as cleanly as if I'd done it with a razor blade. The film then wrapped itself around the sprocket, just to make the event even more interesting. I fortunately caught it in time to save jamming the gears and losing the breakable link on the drive gear. Since then I have always cranked a couple of feet through by hand. It sounds like I'd better be super careful with my Super Simplex.
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 06-25-2001, 11:53 PM:
I've used a CineBug, & struggled with it a bit. The foam rollers are getting flat & deformed, & I wonder what to use to replace them.The Perf-Fix machines I've seen look much better as far as design & operation are concerned. I watched a guy patch up several stretches with one & it was a good-looking breeze compared to me operating the CineBug.
I believe perf repair & edge repair tapes are viable, long-lived repairs. I've run a number of older prints with perf repair tape applied to them decades back, & still functioning well. My peeve with edge repair tape is more likely to be when I get an old print with edge damage that has been scrupulously repaired by someone in the past, but the perf repair tape & tape splices are half dissolved & scraped off by machines cleaning the film in the meantime. So you have to do the same job, again, that someone actually did a good job of before ...