Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Do I send back 16 1000' cores or 8 2000' cores?

This is topic Do I send back 16 1000' cores or 8 2000' cores? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 04-19-2003, 11:19 AM:

I got a print of HERITAGE AFRICA today -- on 1000ft cores. What a pain. Naturally I combined all the A/B reels. Question is, what do you think is the "right" thing to do....break it back down and send it back exactly the way it came, on 1000ft reels or leave it as a standard print makeup? Each reel came in 2000ft shipping cans, so leaving it on 2000fters will not make shipping difficult (just that half the cans will be empty).

Leaving it as a standard print will save the next guy some work and probably less wear to the print, but from the amount of splicing tape at all the joints, it seems this print has been broken down and made up in the 1000ft form quite a number of times.

So the question is, is there any equipment out there that can ONLY take 1000ft reels? Could it be that someone could possibly get this print and need to break it down to 1000fts?

Wahdaya think?

Frank

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 04-19-2003, 12:50 PM:

I would send it back the way I received it. There may have been reasons for it being sent out that way. That way nobody can say why did you leave them connected.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 04-19-2003, 01:53 PM:

I normally follow the "send it back the way you got it, if not better" principle, but the practical side of me says that shipping on 1000' reels is just asking for shows to be run out of order, missed changeovers, lost frames, and other examples of "film done wrong."

I can't believe that even the most masochistic changeover operator would run it on 1000' reels, especially if the leaders had already been cut. Thus, I'd probably send it back in 2000' segments on cores, along with the empty cans, the original "extra" leaders, and a note explaining the situation.

Perhaps this would be worth a phone call to the distributor to see what they would prefer.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-19-2003, 03:22 PM:

I would tend to opt for the 2000 foot rolls in this situation. However, I would put a strip of Artist's tape on the leaders where the title and reel number are identified and clearly write the "title - head - reel 1-2" so the next guy will know what is going on even if the note disappears. It goes without saying that the tail R1 and head R2 would not be used, tail R3 and head R4, etc. so as not to disturb ID frames and audio for changeover houses.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-19-2003, 03:53 PM:

Send it back the way you got it

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-19-2003, 03:56 PM:

I agree, send it back the way you got it, or call the distributor and ask if they would like it back as 2000-foot rolls -- hopefully, they will say yes.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 04-20-2003, 12:11 AM:

I found out today that this print, HERITAGE AFRICA, as well as all the others in this festival are going directly to other art theatres here in the US (none but two of all the titles in the festival have US distributors). So there is no good reason to break it back down which will just cause more handling at the 1000ft joints, not to mention make the next guy curse me for fifteen minutes when he opens the boxes.

The last guy on the US tour, probably another three or four months from now, can break it down to 1000ft if he wants -- all the leaders with ID frames are well marked, but my guess is that no one, not even the owner of the print will want it on 1000 ft reels. Plus, I now realize that since there were no cues on any of the rolls, this means that it had never run (nor probably would) as 1000ft change-over. Probably the only reason it came on 1000ft rolls is that it was sent from the lab in Africa directly to the festival. Usually the distributor's exhange does the 2000ft makeup, but it has none.

Thanks all for the advice.

Frank

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-20-2003, 12:46 PM:

BTW, I forgot to mention if you do this, at the end of each reel splice on the extra leaders. For example your reel 1 should be:

R1 head leader - R1 - R2 - R2 tail leader - R2 head leader - R1 tail leader - a little extra leader (at least 5 feet) with your own label or writing on it explaining the situation. Make them double sided splices as well. That way the full leaders stay with the print until the day Gordon runs them and puts it all back. [Smile]

quote:
still change-over, still carbon arc, still GORGEOUS light and 6 Channel Total Surround MegaSound

Frank, do you have cool bumper stickers that proclaim "MegaSound" on your racks? [Razz]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-20-2003, 01:32 PM:

Often these one off prints will end up playing double system in a different language some where in a festival and 1000' rolls are much easier to get around any sync issues if there is a problem

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 04-20-2003, 09:41 PM:

I would call or email them so there is no question that you're doing the right thing either way.

Posted by Joe Beres (Member # 678) on 04-22-2003, 09:37 AM:

Scott Norwood said:

quote:
I can't believe that even the most masochistic changeover operator would run it on 1000' reels, especially if the leaders had already been cut.

If it was a single screening, I would have run it on 1000' reels. I've done it on occasion, and it is far from impossible. The last time was a terrible 18 reel/153 min. Polish film that was put on a bus right after our screening. It's fun to do on occasion; keeps you on your toes. [Smile]

[ 04-22-2003, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: Joe Beres ]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-22-2003, 11:50 AM:

Been there and done that with the added fun of it being double system mag so it was 18 rolls of film and 18 rolls of mag

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 04-22-2003, 06:49 PM:

Steve said: "I would call or email them so there is no question that you're doing the right thing either way."

I would, Steve, except this festival seems to be a pretty home-spun operation with the prints that had no distribs being trucked around the country by a few women who seemed to know precious little about the technology -- they made no distinction between VHS and 35mm, and were perfectly happy when a Sony LCD video projector with the wrong sized, very short-focus lens showed up and the only way to fit the picture on the screen was to use the 16:9 setting for a 4:3 image. They were quite happy with it.

This 35mm print had no distributor and the filmmaker was somewhere in Africa, so there was no one to call. It went back with all the heads and tails clearly marked. and placed in the empty plastic containers. It should be a piece of cake for any competent projectionist to break it down if he has to, although I think that is somewhat unlikely for the rest of the tour. Besides, if anyone is running 1000ft change-over, you know he's certainly no popcorn popper projectionist!

And no, Brad, I don't have a sticker -- wish I did. I have been looking for years for a WB's graphic of the MegaSound logo. I have a 1-sheet of ALTERED STATES and there is no reference at all on it, and I am SURE that picture was where they promoted that moniker. We've kind of morphed the whole phrase into a bastardized 70mm logo. I'd tell you to see it on the website, but we changed over to fiberoptics yesterday and now nothing works....just like video being streamed to DLP servers [Razz]

.

I do have Brooklyn Center Cinema coffee mugs if you are interested. [Smile]