Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Last Reel Of Spiderman II - It's too damn dark! I Can't Splice it in Frame!!

This is topic Last Reel Of Spiderman II - It's too damn dark! I Can't Splice it in Frame!! in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 07-02-2004, 04:12 PM:

Anyone else have trouble splicing the last reel of Spiderman II, the opening scene is so dark it's impossible to figure out where the frame line should be. I wound up 1 sprocket hole off but caught it during a pre-screen and fixed it before the midnight show. Makes me wish they'd use white frame lines or at least have frames line marks.
I do clear splices with a yellow edge marker (not tiger tape) to have the best presentation. Then they send out prints with lab splices. Our Spiderman II print has at least 4 lab splices. You can't even tell my reel change splices, the lab splices are right in the middle of the picture and POP in the optical sound.

[ 07-02-2004, 09:48 PM: Message edited by: Joe Redifer ]

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 07-02-2004, 04:15 PM:

I don't recall any problems with the last reel.
Each of our prints had 1 lab splice each, bottom of the picture.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-02-2004, 04:49 PM:

The trick is to hold the film up to a light bulb and look through it. I haven't had a misframe in easily 15 years with this method. Still, if in doubt use a frame counter or lay a piece of frameline leader beside the beginning of the reel on the bench.

Lab splices are as Pytlak put it "an economic necessity". If they really bother you, buy an ultrasonic splicer and you can take them out damn near flawlessly. Any tape splice is visible on screen, no matter how well the splice is made. The biggest tipoff are the 4 horizontal black lines over 2 frames showing the edge of the splicing tape.

***EDWARD - the title of this thread "last reel of Spiderman II" constitutes a teaser title. Your real beef here is "dark changeovers without framelines". Please edit your post to reflect a more suitable subject title.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 07-02-2004, 04:49 PM:

Make sure to use white light, it makes finding framelines much easier. Try the florescent lights from inside standees, they work great.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 07-02-2004, 09:34 PM:

The portable battery-operated fluorescent lamps work well for illuminating the film to find the framelines:

http://www.safetycentral.com/4aadufuflarl.html

http://store.advancedmart.com/pobapoflbola.html

http://www.preparedness.com/duflflwofl.html

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-02-2004, 09:49 PM:

Since Edward is not around, I decided to edit his title.[av=c]

Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 07-02-2004, 10:23 PM:

quote: Joe Redifer
Since Edward is not around, I decided to edit his title.

Sometime ya just gotta help a brotha out. Personally I did not have any issues with the one print of Spiderman I built up and niether did my other full time booth personell on the 2 prints he built up.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-02-2004, 10:36 PM:

Re: subject header
As a general statement, not picking on Edward, people tend to learn if they do it and not watch it done. [Smile]

Posted by Antonio Marcheselli (Member # 373) on 07-03-2004, 04:26 AM:

Edward

Why don't you resplice the lab splice that you found on your prints? I think that a well made splice is less noticeable than a in-frame lab splice...

Bye
A

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 07-03-2004, 11:01 AM:

::shudders:: Ugh...edge marker. Nothing like giving people an extra distraction through 6 joins times hundreds of runs all to save an extra 10 seconds per reel at breakdown.

The properly equipped booth has a synchronizer or "Film Measuring Machine" that can be used to locate framelines.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 07-03-2004, 02:19 PM:

For booths without the budgets for frame counters, an old sprocket, mounted on a 6" handle (available from Home Depot) works fine. File two lines across the top of the sprocket & you've got a frame finder. We've had a couple of those around for 20 years. Even the old drive-in I grew up at had one. Cost about 2 bucks & about a half-hour.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 07-03-2004, 10:43 PM:

Good suggestion. But what kind of sprocket are you filing only two marks on? Or is this for a VistaVision booth? [Confused]

As a last resort one could thread up on a visible frameline and roll into the black and mark it.

BTW, there are some synchronizers on eBay right now starting at $9.99

Posted by Phil Blake (Member # 2012) on 07-04-2004, 06:18 AM:

I agree with Jack , I have used and old sproket with lines on it for 20 years , adopted this method from the drive in as well , works well , just line it up and roll it down the film and mark off where you need to cut.

Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 07-04-2004, 10:35 AM:

Been busy....I did try holding the film up to light and the scene is too long for the strip of "frame line" film I have. What would probably help is a make-up table with a light on top I could lay the film on.
Well, at least I caught it before an actual show.

Posted by David Ingalsbe (Member # 2433) on 07-06-2004, 03:11 PM:

Wow. I go away for 4 days and its a mad house around here. Some like 30 new threads to read. [Big Grin]

I noticed this too that the last frame was dark. I had burnt out my florecent light and had to use the 8900's stupid light and ended up mis-splicing 2 prints. first time in 2 years [Mad]

THe best thing to do is to take ur time and get plenty of light. Yes I found both in previews [Wink]

Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 07-07-2004, 06:35 AM:

quote: Jack Ondracek
For booths without the budgets for frame counters, an old sprocket, mounted on a 6" handle (available from Home Depot) works fine. File two lines across the top of the sprocket & you've got a frame finder.

Can anyone post a picture of one of these?

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 07-07-2004, 02:57 PM:

we have one of those but i don't use it. there's nothing to keep it from jumping a sprocket. i'd prefer to visually compare with another strip of film with clear framelines.

carl