Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: what equipment do you own?

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-11-2002, 08:11 AM:

For those who may occasionally run film in places that aren't full-time theatres, what equipment do you have on hand to fill in where existing equipment is either substandard or nonexistant?

I've found the following items to be useful (and often necessary): 35mm Neumade splicer, 16mm Ciro splicer, clear Neumade splicing tape, loop of RP40, Goldberg 2000' house reels, Goldberg 6000' reels, assorted 16mm reels, Neumade 35mm "film measuring machine," Moviola 16mm sync block, 35mm Clint Phare cue marker, VOM meter, artist tape, grease pencils, "Sharpie" pens, good pair of scissors, Christie FC-1 film cleaner and Filmguard, extra platter leader, short films in 16mm and 35mm with known-good picture/sound, 16mm "Jiffy Test" film, junk film in both formats for making focus loops, split reels in both formats, old toothbrushes and rags for cleaning, handcrank rewinds and C-clamps to attach them to a table, spare roundthane take-up belt, extra clear leader and SMPTE countdown leaders, and probably a bunch of other items that I'm forgetting right now.

I don't normally bring typical hand tools (screwdrivers, pliers, allen wrenches, etc.), as these are usually available or can be obtained quickly if needed.

I'd like to get my hands on a trailer flange, more 6000' floating-hub reels, a 16mm Clint Phare (or the jhawk equivalent), and a buzz-track loop. I wouldn't mind having a Goldberg platter reel, either; I've never seen one in person, but it sounds like a great time-saver.

What tools/equipment have others found useful to own? (Note that I'm referring to those who work as projectionists; techs will obviously have a much larger assortment of test films and equipment.)

Posted by Joe Beres (Member # 678) on 12-11-2002, 09:07 AM:

Scott, that's quite the list! Do you drive around with a trailer containing all of your gear? [Smile]

I can't say that I work in too many other theaters, but there are a few items that I find useful for inspection: a pair of good hand rewinds (I know you mentioned this. My preference is neumades, with a brake on the left rewind), a portable light table, and a desk lamp with a magnifying lens.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 12-11-2002, 01:02 PM:

Scott, you must be a pack rat. I had so much junk laying around that I was overwelmed with it. I finally got rid of most of it, but at least it didn't wind up in the landfill. Most of the stuff found a happy home. [Smile]

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 12-11-2002, 01:17 PM:

Scott doesn't drive around with a trailer full of gear but he does have a Volvo station wagon that seemed pretty full of stuff. [Big Grin]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-11-2002, 04:19 PM:

Yes, Ian had trouble fitting into my car when he visited, but I think that would have been the case even if it hadn't been filled with junk. [Smile]

Perhaps I should rephrase the original query, which wasn't supposed to be "look at what a major packrat I am" as much as "what type of equipment do others find useful to own because it can often be lacking completely or of substandard quality in some venues, especially those which do not run film all day, every day?"

Posted by Joe Beres (Member # 678) on 12-11-2002, 04:28 PM:

At least I answered your original post as it was intended. [Smile]

One other handy thing (not equipment, per se) that Frank Angel tuned me on to is Letraset "cue dots." They are little dots (printed on clear adhesive tape) that come in a handy little dispenser. They are quite handy to put semi-discrete cue dots ona print that you don't want to use a Clint Phare on. They can be easily removed, and any residual adhisive somes of quite easily with FilmGuard. IMHO, they're much better and cleaner than using a china marker.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 12-11-2002, 04:37 PM:

Here is what I have and is currently being used in my booth:

Media Film Cleaners (4)
Film Cleaner Mounting Brackets (6)
Tape Dispensers (2)
Lame-Ass Digital Wall Clock (1)
Collapsable Trailer Flange (1)
Set of various test loops
Lots o' tools

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 12-12-2002, 01:24 PM:

Here are some of my goodies I have used for festivals and specialty screenings:

16mm Bell & Howell 566T manual-thread MARC300 projector & power supply
16mm 2000' reels
16mm 1600' reel
16mm 1200' reels
16mm 800' reels
Laptop running Spectra Plus RTA
Oscilloscope
Dolby Cat 85C and USL pink noise cards
Dolby EQ card extender
USL MMP-10 mic mux
CFS Laser Alignment tool
Strong weight-and-string alignment kit
Dolby and SMPTE test loops
Dolby 'Jiffy' film (SRD version)
DTS 'Buzz & Bill' film w/ disc
SDDS test film
DTS Empircal Test Disc
DTS Setup Disc
USL Cyan dye track tone loop
LaVezzi aperture file
Miscellaneous hand tools
Makita cordless drill/driver
Several 2000' plastic and house reels
Several 6000' 35mm reels
Several 70mm house reels
35mm split reel
70mm split reel
Clint Phare 35mm cue marker
CIR-knockoff 35mm splicer
NeuTaper 70mm splicer

-Aaron

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 09-12-2003, 01:46 AM:

More camping equipment:

Roll of paper towels (lay a strip across a rewind bench to keep it soft & clean for films during work at rewinds)
Box of baby wipes-type moist hand towels
Mini-flashlight
Naptha (lighter fluid)
Yellow legal pad (surface for film cleaning, rip a page & flip it over, then dispose when both sides are dirty)
Fluorescent trouble light w/long cord & integrated outlet at lamp
Cheap highest magnification reading glasses from Wal-Mart (great for micro-work)
Pair of Motorola Spirit 2-ways (everybody uses these, & you can just set yours to their freq. The 2nd is usually a spare. but I've loaned it)
CD's of generic showtunes, theatre organ, classical, & compilation 80s/punk for midnight movies
Black gaff tape! Masking tape!
WD-40! For where reality meets humidity!
Copies of manuals for equipment onsite
Spiral notebook (for notes when inspecting film)
Lens brush, cleaner & tissues
Q-tips
Toothbrush
Binoculars
Alligator jumpers
Spool of zip cord
Multi-outlet strip
Acetone
Scotch-brite pad
Package of Stim-U-Dent (like big square wooden toothpicks, with a pointy end & a square end)
Emery paper
Measuring tape (always useful!)
Small tool kit with socket set, assorted screwdrivers, pliers & wire cutters, box knife, allen wrenches, & whatnot
Band-aids, antibiotic ointment, gauze pads

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 09-12-2003, 08:13 PM:

I have an Eiki 1510 xenon 16mm machine (modified to take 6000 ft reels) and power supply (that sucker isn't exactly portable), 2 6000 ft reels and rewinds for same, numerous 2000 ft reels, Kodak splicer. I'll be using them in my upcoming project.

Posted by Bill Carter (Member # 156) on 09-13-2003, 08:07 PM:

I've carried most of the things everybody mentioned above before "settling down" into one theater. How much I took in depended on whether I had ever set foot in a particular location or used the gear in question before.

I did find it very important to carry 2,000/ft house reels in both shaft sizes with me. I've run into more than a couple of booths where only one or the other was supported, and "part-time" film venues often don't have any spare reels lying around.

On jobs where I knew the layout in advance (full-time film or not), at the very least I always carried a medium-sized toolbox with my own splicer, clear tape, lens cleaner, cue marker, china markers, leader, a flashlight, pliers and a couple of screwdrivers. The box o' stuff I took with me on rental gigs was MUCH larger.

And yes, Scott, the Goldberg Platter reel will change your life!

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-13-2003, 08:15 PM:

A lot depends on the nature of the gig but basically
in 16 35 and 70mm the following
Clint Phare marker
CIR splicer
35/70 synconizer (single 70 2 35 sprockets)
Split reels
china marker
sharpie
splicing tape (spare)
and the infamous toolbox

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 09-14-2003, 12:56 PM:

Okay somebody wanna tell me (or post a pic) what is a Clint Phare marker?

Posted by Don E. Nelson (Member # 1049) on 09-15-2003, 03:09 PM:

My 3000 foot reels, I can't live without, when I don;t want to do a changeover program. Anyone know where I can find 4000 ft reels?

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 09-16-2003, 12:37 AM:

quote:
Okay somebody wanna tell me (or post a pic) what is a Clint Phare marker?

It's a little doodad for making those little cue dots at the end of the reel. If you run changeovers, get a print that has no cues or cues that are wrong because the end has been cut, you can create new ones the Clint Phare marker.

There was an earlier discussion about Clint Phare markers, which wound up with jhawk machining his own. You can see a picture of one of jhawk's in the thread at

http://www.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=001403#000014

It's very like a Clint Phare marker. Not shown in the photo is the little metal tube-like thing you poke in the holes to actually scribe the cues.

quote:
I don't normally bring typical hand tools (screwdrivers, pliers, allen wrenches, etc.), as these are usually available or can be obtained quickly if needed.

That has worked for Scott, but I tend to bring my own because it seems like everytime you need something as simple as a flat head screwdriver, no one can find one for four blocks.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 11-15-2003, 02:14 PM:

The kit that I carry has to fit in a smallish aluminium case, and be fairly light, as I travel by bus or on foot. I sometimes get called to project at places that I've never seen before, and, from past experience, things tend to get locked away, or hidden where I can't find them, so I do carry things like splicing tape, because at least I know I'll have them if I can't find any at the venue.

I've got some more projection work coming up, so I've just been checking my kit, and this is what's in it at the moment:

White lab coat. Most projectionists seem to have given up wearing them now, but the pockets are useful, and it indicates to staff who don't know me that I'm something Technical, and I'm supposed to be there, so I've started wearing one.

Splicing tape.

Blooping ink.

Isopropanol.

Pump-up aerosol bottle containing 2:1 distilled water and isopropanol with a little wetting agent, mainly for cleaning port glass.

Lint-free, anti-static, non-woven wipes.

Cotton buds.

Orange sticks.

Lens tissue.

Blower brush.

Small sable brushes.

Canned air.

Gaffer tape.

PVC tape.

Artist tape (I think that's what you call it over there).

Film cores.

Razor blades.

Non-magnetic scissors.

BS 1362 Mains fuses 3, 5 and 13A. (British 13A plugs have fuses in them)

Mains socket test plug.

Test meter.

various screwdrivers.

Various tweezers

Long nosed pliers.

Surgical forceps!

Soldering iron and solder.

16mm Jiffy film.

Old trailers with known good picture and sound.

Black, frame lined spacing.

Leaders.

Loupe.

Roll of paper, 35mm wide.

Rubber bands.

Gloves.

Cat 69T.

RP40.

Mini Mag-lite torch with spare bulbs and batteries.

Exciter lamps for the more common projectors.

Cat. 240A. I have had to use this, most places don't seem to carry a spare.

Cat. 249.

Post-it notes.

Writing paper.

Red, blue and Black ball point pens.

Black permanent marker pen.

A few things that don't need to be there:

Perspecta card.

A few pairs of carbons.

I don't normally carry splicers, spools, rewinds etc., unless I'm doing a 16mm show with my own portable machines.

Posted by Dennis M Dow Jr (Member # 1970) on 11-15-2003, 02:58 PM:

Depending on what I type of screening I have depends on what equipment I carry but it usually is:

Spotmeter
SPL meter
Laptop
Oscilloscope
RTA
2 Mux's (1 + a backup)
Extender Card
Pink Noise Generator
Splicer
Loops
Film Clamps w/ Security cables
Splicing tape
Allen Wrenches
Flat and Phillips Screwdrivers
Tweaker
Assorted other Tools