This is topic Marks on film shown in Behind The Scenes ET 20th Anniv Documentary DVD in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 02-25-2005, 11:23 AM:
 
Not sure if this belongs here or in the After Life, but I'm guessing here.

On the ET DVD, there is an extra that is basically a behind the scenes documentary about the 20th Anniversary Screening at the Shrine Auditorium. In that documentary, they show the two projectors set up with the film running on towers. As the film's running, you can see what looks like silver or white marks on the film about every five feet - I believe on the soundtrack side. They kinda look like marks from one of those crappy assed silver paint pens that exploded, but I doubt Spielberg would allow one of those pens near his film.

Anyone else notice it or have any insight into what those marks could be? Or am I seeing things?
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-25-2005, 11:31 AM:
 
I haven't seen the DVD, but they could be "machine edge numbers" which are usually added to workprints in order to make it easier to sync them with 35mm sepmag tracks (which would have identical machine edge numbers).

I can't really imagine why they would be used on a release print, unless perhaps it was a double-system show.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 02-25-2005, 02:39 PM:
 
That's interesting because this was the show that had John Williams conducting a live orchestra to provide the score while the film played. The projection booth only played the dialog and effects stems from the soundtrack. So they would have had to keep John in sync with the action. They also had two projectors running simultaneously in case one died, they could fail over to the other... and they no doubt needed to be kept in sync.

Given the amount of work they put into it, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a double system show on top of everything else.
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 02-25-2005, 04:26 PM:
 

quote: Mark J. Marshall

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those crappy assed silver paint pens that exploded

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Exploding paint pens?
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 02-25-2005, 05:43 PM:
 
Probably edge code numbers made by an Acmade machine; its printing ribbons always reminded me of the correction ribbons used on some typewriters.



Acmade Codemaster


 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 02-25-2005, 09:40 PM:
 

quote: Michael Schaffer

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Exploding paint pens?

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