Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Paso aereo (sorry, I don´t know the english transltn.)

This is topic Paso aereo (sorry, I don´t know the english transltn.) in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Miguel Angel Martorell (Member # 1110) on 09-05-2002, 09:02 PM:

In the days of platters and automations a good colleague of mine (and a good friend)with 42 years handlin´film have been explaining me what it was an usual practice of the old days called here "paso aereo".
In little words is don´t stop the projection with only one projector (no platter or any similar device) and the reels in which comes divided the film.
My english is too bad for explaining the process but basically you built up and built down a film during the projection only with reels of 400 meters or so.
Anybody knows what is the english form for this practice???

Have you ever used it???

Obviously this is not "film done-right" and useless in a modern booth but just for fun...

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 09-05-2002, 09:20 PM:

I've heard of the very poor practice of breaking down a plattered feature by running it onto 2000 foot shipping reels as it comes off the projector. No leaders put back on the print, lots of opportunity for cinches and dirt, and film often cut mid-scene. Film Done WRONG, big time.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
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Posted by Miguel Angel Martorell (Member # 1110) on 09-05-2002, 09:57 PM:

Yes. Breaking down from platter is a practice very used in a few booths I know (I had to admit I used it 1 time when the manager told me to return a copy in the same thrusday that the one screen theather I worked on closed it´s doors forever. I was not in the mood for staying 30 extra and unpayed minutes so...

I´ll never do this again. Film done %hit

In the other hand when I talk of practice the "paso aereo" for fun, I mean not to do it with any movie I show and as a way of saving time. Is more, archeological interest and always using old traylers that are waiting to be destroyed.

Un saludo

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-05-2002, 10:26 PM:

paso aereo = aerial step

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Better Projection Pays!

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 09-06-2002, 02:26 PM:

paseo aereo=[print breakdown] on the fly

I think you refer to the practice John P. described, called in English breaking down a print "on the fly."
I never attempted it myself, but some mentioned it as a mark of their dexterity, since it meant cutting the film at the splice,removing the full reel from the lower magazine, replacing it with the next empty shipping reel, and fixing the cut end to the reel hub, twirling the reel to take up slack, and locking the reel spindle, all while the film is traveling 90 feet per minute! I believe this risky procedure was reserved for emergencies, since the projectionists I worked with were all adequately compensated for breakdown time by contract. Where two or more projectors were in working condition (three per booth were standard in the 42nd St. theatres) there wouldn't be the need for
"on the fly." But if forced to finish the last show on the only workable machine remaining, this method might have some emergency value.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 09-06-2002, 02:41 PM:

On the fly is still practiced in some smaller cinemas in India with only one projector as the film is quickly spliced on a table behind the projector which has the reel arm and the film is pass over the projector......in the 10 to 15 second travel time from top reel to bottom reel gives the operator time to break the fresh splice and load a new takeup reel.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 09-06-2002, 02:55 PM:

Richard Fowler said: "On the fly is still practiced in some smaller cinemas in India with only one projector as the film is quickly spliced on a table behind the projector which has the reel arm and the film is pass over the projector......in the 10 to 15 second travel time from top reel to bottom reel gives the operator time to break the fresh splice and load a new takeup reel."

A test of dexterity for the projectionist, but a print full of dirt and scratches for the audience. And I suspect they cut a few frames from the reel every time they show it.

Posted by Antonio Marcheselli (Member # 373) on 09-06-2002, 04:32 PM:

Paso aereo=smontaggio al volo

Verrrrry poor tecnique! You save just few minutes and you surely scratch and damage the prints.

Antonio

Posted by Miguel Angel Martorell (Member # 1110) on 09-06-2002, 09:01 PM:

Yes, breakdown a copy on the fly

is more a thing of "look what can I do. I´m a very skill projectionist" but is not film done right but this is not what I mean when I say "paso aereo" although is a part of the procedement.
I think Richard is more closer to what I mean but I´m not sure ( I need to practice more my english

)
I´ll try to explain it.

Only one projector, empty reels and the different reels of the film with his leaders off.

When the reel 1 is about to end you splice on the fly the reel 2 so you dont have to stop ´cause the reel 2 is now in projection, put off the empty reel (number 1) and replaced with the full one (number two) in the upper magazine.
Then, you have to breakdow the reel 1 on the fly and replace it with and empty reel on the lower magazine for the reel two.

I saw it today (We used old material, no the prints we are showing ) and looks like a circus number.

Un saludo

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 09-07-2002, 09:17 AM:

From what you are describing, paso aereo sounds like it could be an idiomatic expression that is similar to the English idiom "a high-wire act."

Like a circus performer on a tightrope, the procedure you describe is probably very interesting to watch because it is full of suspense. Similarly, it is so unnatural that few (or none) of us would ever have a practical need to do it. Also, it is so fraught with obvious danger that nobody in their right mind should ever want to actually do it himself.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 09-07-2002, 09:45 AM:

I'm a little unclear on how the clown performing this stunt handles the joining on the fly. Take-up I can understand because the film can dump on the floor indefinitely but where does the buffer come from that is to give the brief respite needed to make the joins? Someone mentioned feeding from an arm mounted on an adjacent table but that alone doesn't do it. So I suppose that as the end approaches the clown-ectionist manually pulls a bunch of film off the reel so there is a pile on the floor to feed the machine while cutting the leader and making the splice. Twin arms mounted in line on that table would probably help.

This could be done properly if one had elevators like they have on processing machines, both before and after the projector. An elevator is something like a roller cabinet with film going up and down many times over many rollers except that the lower rollers are on a frame that can move up or down. On the feed side the end while the film is clamped temporariliy to make the join the film still feeds into the machine and the elevator rises as it supplies the film. When the new roll is attached and the clamp released the elevator drops as film feeds into it faster than the machine is taking it. On the takeup side just the opposite: The elevator is empty as film feeds through it to a take up core but when the end of a unit is reached and this must be changed the elevator drops as it fills with film until the new roll is started.

BTW, I am still waiting to see video of a bi-filar loop in action.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 09-07-2002, 09:48 AM:

Manny: Thanks. Using another idiom, I think you "hit the nail on the head".

Confession: When I worked at the Grandview Drive-In in the late 1960's, at least once per season, Carl and I challenged each other to remove the intermittent and reinstall it (including retiming the shutter) between reels DURING a show! Usually had to be done in less than 15 minutes, including threading the next reel and trimming the carbon lamp. Easily done on the Century Model C projector, but is was a "high wire act" that could have been embarrassing if we were too slow, or made a mistake. (In three seasons, we never missed the next changeover or came back on with travel ghost).

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 09-07-2002, 10:05 AM:

I have seen the Bi-filar transport in action in the late 1970's at the old Xetron facility in New Jersey. It was scary watching the link arm reversing the feed / takeup reels at middle point of show considering this was acetate film vs the mylar stock now in use.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 09-07-2002, 10:49 AM:

Many years ago, two new managers took over where I used to work.

I think they were trying to impress me with how good the staff was at their old theater by explaining how they had spliced the last reel onto to a feature that was running an interlock. Apparently, only the first "three reels" can arrived in time for the show; they put in on the platter and started. The last reels came 30 min later; they put it together on a 6000ft reel and placed the reel on the make-up table. They then pulled off about 100 feet of tail film from the running platter, (letting it drag all over on the floor, I'm sure) spliced it onto the reel and let it run.

The thing I found interesting was: They honestly thought they did the right thing. In fact, they were quite proud of it. To them, the goal was to not stop a show (risking refunds and customer dis-satifaction.) They could not understand why I was not impressed, and thought I was not a "team-player" etc.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-07-2002, 12:03 PM:

In the days before polyester film, a friend who worked at a large city theatre told me that if the film broke upon exiting the bottom of the machine their instructions were to let it run onto the floor, rather than stop the show.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 09-08-2002, 07:41 PM:

<<paso aereo = aerial step>>

Yes, Tim, that's one literal translation, but "paso" also means "pace", and "aereo" in metaphorical usage means "fantastic".
So I think when one boasts of the technique [however foolishly], he's referring to the "fantastic pace", or incredible speed of his projection operation.

Better to be working "paso a paso" = "step by step; slowly".
And with experience, "a buen paso" = "at a good rate",
but hopefully never "Andar en malos pasos", to follow evil paths, [like attempting "paso aereo."]

Gerard

Posted by Miguel Angel Martorell (Member # 1110) on 09-08-2002, 08:08 PM:

I forgot to say that this practice was used on the days of the acetone and that the reels were previously prepaired for when it came the time to do the splice you only had to put acetone and joining the two reels. I think no one could do the "paso aereo" with the transparent film splices

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 09-08-2002, 09:49 PM:

Actually, wet splicing takes MUCH more time than tape, because you have to scrape off the emulsion of one piece and the base of the second piece, apply the acetone-containing splicing fluid, clamp the
films together until they dry, then remove them from the splicer and test the splice by bending it.

Gerard

Posted by Miguel Angel Martorell (Member # 1110) on 09-09-2002, 02:46 PM:

Yes Gerard, you are right but when I wrote "prepair the film" I meant that you previously had scrapped off the emulsion (again my english problems. I didn´t know the correct words for "rascar la emulsion") and obviously you didn´t care about if it is an strong splice or if it´s framed. You only pray for it doesn´t break when it pass trough the projector.

Un saludo.

If any would do me this favour, I´ll send him how to do the "paso aereo" in spanish so he can translate it to english.
I´m gonna make some photos too.

Posted by Jean-Michel Grin (Member # 1360) on 09-10-2002, 05:12 AM:

Hola Miguel,

Para mi este methoda no es la mejor que existe por la razon del peligro de rajar la emulsion a alta velocidad.
Yo prefero acer el montage de los partes en dos bobinas de 2000 metros y transferar todo en el platter despues. Eso me dal la oportunidad de controlar toda la peliculla del inicio al termino.
Pejo quando te falta el tiempo paja el desmontage de la copia es una solucion de emergencia. <

Lo siento pejo mi Español no valle mas que mi Ingles.

Saludo

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Jean-Michel Grin - Europlex Cinemas (Switzerland)

Posted by Miguel Angel Martorell (Member # 1110) on 09-10-2002, 07:06 AM:

Your spanish is excellent if you think if my english Jean -Michel.
Of course, "paso aereo" is a thing of the past (I don´t know any booth in my city that do this even those summer cinemas with a portable 35 mm. projector) and even in the old days, this method was film done sh&%& but when my colleague told me about this, I´ll find it unprofessional but interesting.
In the other hand there is the "breakdown on the fly".This practice is most common in some booths I know. That´s too bad.