Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Print Number vs. Reel Copy Numbers

This is topic Print Number vs. Reel Copy Numbers in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Ky Boyd (Member # 23) on 02-17-2004, 07:24 PM:

We got our print of The Dreamers today - brand new - always nice, and I noticed that every reel had a barcoded sticker on it and on that sticker was a copy number for that reel. None of the copy numbers corresponded to the print number and the copy numbers for the reels ranged from 84 to 122 with only one number appearing on more than one reel. So is someone (lab, depot, or other) keeping a master log that print number XXX has reels xy, xys, xz, xcs, xcs, xw, and xu? It seems strange to me that all the reels wouldn't have the same copy number.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 02-17-2004, 08:56 PM:

Deluxe has been doing barcoded stickers with copy numbers for many years. Technicolor started doing it last year.

If you think about it, it makes sense for not all reels to have the same copy number. Imagine the reels come off the contact printer and get sorted into huge bins or stacks. Someone would have to go to careful effort to pull the same copy number for each one. Also, when there's a bad reel 1 that fails QC, there aren't likely to be bad reels 2 through 6 that also fail QC at exactly the same time.

As I understand it, yes, the labs and the depots both keep track of the copy number to print number correspondance. I have my doubts that all the right stuff happens when reels get replaced at the theatre, though.

--jhawk

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 02-18-2004, 02:33 AM:

recently we got 2 used prints of a feature that we only needed one of. turned out they both had some damage and we ended up using 5 reels of one and one reel of the other, of course keeping track of what was what. well, wouldn't you know, a few weeks later we were informed on very short notice that one print would be picked up to open at another theater. they got what they got.

carl

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-18-2004, 08:49 PM:

In most cases those barcoded stickers are put on as the reels come off the processing machine, in sequential order. The labs and exchanges do have tracking systems, that have become increasingly automated and accurate.