Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Film Codes and Labels

This is topic Film Codes and Labels in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Nicky Quitter (Member # 2318) on 04-15-2004, 11:52 PM:

I was building up The Alamo tonight and I noticed that the letters "LFOA" appeared on the frame next to the last frame of film on the tails of reels 2-6. I'm not sure what they mean. I asked my head manager, and he said that he haden't seen them before. My guess is that they are a friendly reminder to "Leave Frame On and Attached". This would make sense to be on the tails, since you match up the frames of the tails with the actual film, but why wouldn't it be on the first reel, but more interestingly, why would the film companies be putting reminders onto the prints? Have they been getting complaints? Are they trying to tell the film showing industry to take more pride in their work and be careful when building up and tearing down prints? Is the industry doing such a grossly bad job that it needs reminding of how to do it right? (I don't think so)

My real question is what does "LFOA" mean? Is it really "Leave Frame On and Attached" or is it something entirely different? Could it be codes that were accidently left on from the lab?

I would also like to know if there are any other codes or labels (that are strange, not the ordinary ones such as the name of the print and the format it's in). I've been a projectionist since January and would like to learn as much as I can so that there are fewer surprises that arise when I work on film. I want to know how do things correctly and properly, and if these codes are telling me something, I want to know what it is.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 04-16-2004, 12:12 AM:

Last Frame of Action? Some people used to refer to picture as "action" as in action & track instead of picture & track.

Posted by Nicky Quitter (Member # 2318) on 04-16-2004, 12:25 AM:

Yes, sorry about the confusing wording, but it appeared on the frame next to the last frame of action. It had the letters on the film and arrows pointing to the frame line between the letters and the last frame of action. I originally thought that I should cut the film there, but I wouldn't have been able to check it later to be sure it was the right tail for the film.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-16-2004, 08:58 AM:

Film Glossary:

Barnes and Noble

quote:
The Last Frame of Action. The LFOA indicates where the leader is to be attached to the final film product. (See leader.)

http://ftv.chapman.edu/reference/glossary/detail.cfm?letter=l

quote:
Last Frame of Action, and basically it is just what it sounds like: the last frame of image and sound on a reel. It is important to the people who mix your film (it should be written on the cue sheet), especially if you need to do Pull Ups.

Posted by Michael Cunningham (Member # 210) on 04-16-2004, 03:06 PM:

It's also very helpful for prints like "Kill Bill : Volume 2" (see other threads for reference) where the tail of the reel is lost in blackness. Generally, you would have to count frames to find your cut point, but with the LFOA tag you know where that point is.

- Mike

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-16-2004, 03:13 PM:

For a changeover house, would it be a good idea to put a piece of black tape over the LFOA or "splice here" frame so that it would not flash on the screen if the changeover were a bit late?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 04-16-2004, 03:14 PM:

I hate the LFOA tag. It also violates some SMPTE standard for tail leader lengths.
Visible framelines would serve the same purpose, and would be far less obtrusive in a changeover house if the operator were to tap the footpedal slightly late. A frame of black isn't too ugly, but a big "LFOA" tag is impossible to miss. It turns "film done wrong" (missed changeovers) into "film done very wrong" (really ugly missed changeovers).

Posted by Nicky Quitter (Member # 2318) on 04-16-2004, 04:03 PM:

Ahh, thanks for clearing it up for me.

I agree with Scott that visible framelines would be better as to not have any annoying LFOA pop up onto the screen. But the LFOA tag seems to be a great idea for those films where it's hard to find the end of the action because of the blackness. But on The Alamo, for at least 2 of the reels, it ended with a bright sunny day and you could easily find the LFOA. Isn't that just pointless to put it on when you don't need it?

Anyways, many thanks to you all. I have learned a great deal reading through some of these threads and will continue to come back.

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 04-16-2004, 05:14 PM:

i don't think i'd mind having to put tape over that lfoa frame, if it meant there was a better chance of the reel having been cut properly when plattered. at least it's just one ugly frame, rather than the whole leader or tail being ugly in some way right up to the start or end of the projected image.

carl

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-16-2004, 08:29 PM:

I don't worry about it just make sure the change over is dead on