Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Marking on right side of print?

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Posted by Andy Brodie (Member # 3501) on 06-15-2006, 07:47 PM:

We just got a print in at the Bijou Theater (at the University of Iowa) of DUCK SEASON. It's a Warner Independent film but the print was booked via Swank since we're a non-theatrical venue.

The print began with a (rather annoying) anti-piracy statement warning against recording and indicating the print was made with security measures that could ID any recorded copy.

All through the print, there are speckled, colored markings on the right side of the frame. It's quite noticable during the black between scenes, and less so when any picture is onscreen. Still, it's constant. I haven't seen this before and can't identify it. Might this be a form of embedded security that's not being properly masked or could it be damage to the print? Our projectionist hadn't seen it before either and didn't notice it when putting together the print.

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 06-15-2006, 09:38 PM:

I'm leaning toward print damage. A film lab mistake would only affect one reel, likely.

Posted by Ian Woloschin (Member # 3709) on 06-15-2006, 10:19 PM:

The only stuff like that I've seen is what appears to be a pattern of brown dots on the screen, only a frame, maybe two, long. I haven't bothered searching through the film to find out what it actually was, but I've noticed it on many of our movies over the past year.

Curiously enough, in the booth, I tend to be the only one who sees anything, the other people (yay booth parties) tend to not notice it, leading me to believe it's only a frame long. I blame it on me becoming hyper-sensitive to anything other than a perfect picture on the screen.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-16-2006, 07:32 AM:

Andy:

I agree that the speckled pattern seen in dark areas along the right-hand edge of the print sounds like emulsion damage, likely from a misadjusted pad roller that has abraded the film.

Any CAP code is usually darker colored dots against a lighter background.