Crazy, just an odd thing I found.
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Brent Arnold
Oh yeah, those annoyances that I (almost) always file under 't'.
They're never intact when I get them in the first place.
As for paper bands I use them if they're there. There must be an entire category of idiots out there who cut the strings. But why prints come from TES with cut strings I don't know. I used to not re-apply these, figuring if you have to tape it anyway might as well just tape the film down. (I wouldn't toss them--just return them in the can.) Over the last year or so I came to the conclusion that a taped down string-less band is still more secure than film taped to itself (which often lets go in transit) so I'll use them even if sans string.
It's amazing how much lazyness exists in booths. It would seem that standard operating procedure in many/most is that anything that does not absolutely have to be done isn't and especially those things that impact the next person and not the present venue. Thus, leaders hung on with masking tape (or not at all), bands not reused and strings cut.
Here's how my projectionist-in-training dealt with the paper reel bands, when they are even present. He brought our shipping tape dispenser up to the booth -- the one we use in the mail room -- has transparent tape about 2in wide. He pulls the rivet off the end (as pointed out, no string is ever attached to these rivets any more) and wraps a piece of the wide transparent tape around that end and then the same on the other end, lengthwise so that when the band is wrapped around the reel, there will be the plastic tape meeting plastic tape. This provides a strong slick surface so that he can then apply the standard Artist hold-down tape. The hold-down tape will not land on paper -- it will land on the plastic tape. Thus it can be removed and reattached or new tape applied over and over without tearing the paper, as hold-down tape invariably does when it is pulled off.
I looked at that and said, what a great idea, but the distributor should be doing that to protect their print, not us and not on our time. But the kid is really gun-ho and points our that it only takes him an extra minute to do it. I am thinking, I shouldn't discourage him, but at the same time, if I were the accountant running a megaplex and print makeup now take an extra 60 seconds per reel, that's a good chunk of work/hours that I would be paying for. He also would us a fine point felt tip pen to print the title, reel number, image and sound formats and the print & release numbers (he got those from the TES label). When he got done, the print looked like it had come from an old NSS depot twenty years ago.
Since we are not a megaplex, and we are talking only an extra 5 to 10 minutes for the small number of prints we have to deal with, I let him do it.
Frank
As over enthusiastic as he is, it gave me the idea that since strings seem not to be in vogue now -- maybe they could use paper that's impregnated with plastic. Kind of laminated -- this would correspond to my apprentice's wrapping tape in that if the reel bands were plasticized, you could apply hold-down tape to them over and over yet it would easily pull off without destroying the reel band the way it does now.
I've never seen the adhesive bands -- how do they work?
If Technicolor is so worried about protecting their prints from damage, they should nix those stupid paper bands and spend the money on better reels and new cans.
=TMP=
P.S. Sometimes we received TES prints with no bands, but the sticker that was supposed to be on the shipping bands was stuck on the head to hold it down.
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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
But yeah, a laminated sort of badn would be a good idea. In the long run, it should save them money. For the popocrn selling projetionsits, they will at least see "hmm these bands look important maybe I should send them back" and then TES wont have to replace the bands everytime, they can just put their little inspection sticker on it, that can be removed for the next inspection.
When we recieve 16mm it comes with a plastic band aroudn it with a clip on it, that clips to the film, and the inspection sticker is in the center of the reel, like over the center hole. That would really almost work for 35mm...
How come nobody that works for TES posts on this forum you would HOPE they would care what people thought about their films, but obviously they don't.
As far as securing leaders back onto the prints, i admit that i use a small bit of the blue 3M masking tape. Its *supposedly* for masking X's on glass windows during construciton (so workers don't walk through them) and peels cleanly, even when exposed for extended periods to sunlight, or, say holding sheets of paper to 1600W xenon lamphouses. (i've recently spent several hours srubbing 20+ years of cooked masking tape and duct tape residue off of our lamphouses... no fun) Plus, the glue side has a fresh pineapple smell to it! I think this is probably less distructive to the film than re-doing the tape splices when, chances are, that the print will be going to another platter theatre and the splicing tape would just be peeled off or *gasp* cut off. The tape, like i said, leaves no residue.
I would just tape the heads and tails back on but, people dont like that for some reason. I have the same logic that most theatres are building up to platter anyways, not reeel to reel.
-Brent
Try splicing the heads and tails on one side only.
If you do it on both sides the slacker at the next theatre might just cut that additional frame off so he doesnt have to peel the tape.
If you do it on one side only, it lessens this chance.
Some slackers will still cut it off and leave that frame dangling by that single sided splice, but many of them will probably peel it off since it will be super easy.
Even if they leave that splicing tape on the head or tail, its still better than cutting off that frame.
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The excuse that you are making it easier for the next person is just that: an excuse for laziness. A single sided splice is easily removed with a twist and peel back. This of course assumes you are using quality tape.
It's a matter of weighing the risk of a film jam or fold-up if someone does try to put a single-sided splice through the projector, versus the ease in peeling off the leader splices without losing frames and continuity. If we assume a higher level of competence in someone doing changeovers, it is likely they would remake the leader tape splices properly (to double-sided splices) during print inspection before projection.
I agree with you, that only high quality clear splicing tape should be used, with the leaders spliced on in-frame. 
NEVER return a print with the leaders unattached, or just haphazardly taped on. 
Always replace the cardboard bands if you have them.
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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
As for those reel bands. On our print of Deeds, the string was NOT wrapped around the rivets, but was stuck under labels which were pasted directly OVER the rivets. STOOPID! AT least they are using bands with better quality string now.
Also, please send the bands back, even if you have to tape them down. Reason: If TES receives it back with no bands, they will often put NEW bands on....but they won't put any indication of reel number, film title or anything else. So, make things easier for your fellow projectionist down the road...send the bands back.
removing splice tape v. removing the blue masking tape: The splicing tape that i have to use never comes off in one piece, which requires several passes to remove it all, and the excess handling can not be better for that last frame than removing the blue tape. Its not a matter of being lazy by any means (as anyone who has ever worked with me knows full well), but I honestly feel that its the best solution to preserve the film, given what i have to work with. If i had better tape, splicers that cleanly punched out the chads, and permission from the payroll people to spend more time on it, I would. I'm already pushing the clock as far as i can as it is and frequently do things pro bono just because its the right thing to do.
John P. said:
quote:
If we assume a higher level of competence in someone doing changeovers, it is likely they would remake the leader tape splices properly (to double-sided splices) during print inspection before projection.
if the changeover projectionists are going to remake the splice anyway, how is not remaking the leader splice a poor choice? When you consider the fact that platter projctionists would be undoing the splice the former is a cleaner process than the latter. (not saying that removing splicing tape causes damage, but the potential is higher)
Steve K. said
quote:
at least insofar as the most important aspect which is that it is runnable, given that a single sided splice will go through most machines just fine
As a platter projectionist, i would consider a full reel with attatched heads and tails to be not runnable.
Perhaps I've just been mislead in the ratio of platter systems to changeover systems in use. If i'm told that most second run theaters use changeovers, then i'll change my practice tomorrow. I don't need an excuse to be lazy, the booth that i have to run is excuse enough if i wanted an excuse. I use super platters for goodness sake!
-adam
Neumade tape should be mandatory. If you don't have Neumade tape, I would rather see someone lay a piece of white Artist's tape across the splicing block and punch it to make a single sided splice to return. It may sound crazy, but it's no joke. A splice made with Artist's tape works quite wonderfully, and unlike all non-Neumade tape, peels off effortlessly.
Just don't confuse the Artist's tape recommendation to mean that I am saying it is ok to place a strip lengthwise to join the ends. I mean the tape should go ACROSS the film just like splicing tape from a roll wound, and then the perforations punched with a splicer. Single-sided only, of course.
Platter operation requires a single strand. Therefore any print that comes broken into 20 minute reels is by definition unrunnable. And I doubt you'd be too happy if I sent you a print that had no leaders or identification at all.
If you detect a note of resentment on my part regarding what (many) platter people do to prints you'd be correct. The fact is that a considerable part of my work is necessitated by the existance of platters and the lazy people who often operate them.
Movies come on 20 minute reels; I run 20 minute reels. In theory I ought to be able to run shows and never go near a splicer. Hypothetically I shouldn't even need to inspect a print. That's true only when the print hasn't been in the hands of the platter people.
I really have nothing against platters; they are a wonderful labor-saving device. But I wonder why so many of the people who use them--having already saved tons of labor over the course of a run--are so lazy they aren't willing to take a few extra seconds per reel to return the print in the way it was sent to them. Yes, that means with leaders properly attached. I didn't create the world of 20 minute reels; that is simply the way it is. Prints should go back the way they came. With leaders attached and banded if so equipped. Call it the Golden Rule perhaps.
However, as of this comming tuesday night, consider me a single-splicing convert. The twist and peel method of removal never occured to me, and i'd rather take that over the masking tape. I'll see how my tape holds up and will look into getting Neumade tape asap.
-adam
I like Neumade tape as well but I'm currently having good luck with a batch of...hmm...can't recall the brand but it's made in England. Totally-clear only for me of course because from my perspective *all* splices are repair splices.
-Aaron