Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: White line flashing on screen

This is topic White line flashing on screen in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=009070

Posted by Thomas Pitt (Member # 4322) on 01-16-2008, 06:13 PM:

In most movies I've seen in theaters, a white line flashes up on the screen for one frame in the middle of the movie. Sometimes it occurs a few times during the movie, other times only once. It's as if the middle of the frame has the emulsion scraped off and is just transmitting white light. Most of the time there's little or no missing footage at these points, though the Dolby/SDDS might drop out to analogue for a couple of seconds.

Do you have any idea what these could be? Are these relics of when the film has snapped and had to be spliced back together? Are they cinch marks caused by brain wraps? Are the film handlers cutting frames out of the movie for souvenirs? [Big Grin]

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 01-16-2008, 06:25 PM:

Are you talking about Lab splices?

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 01-17-2008, 12:03 AM:

Sounds like lab splices to me Bill. A smaller aperture plate or moving the masking down should correct the problem.

Posted by Mike Schulz (Member # 4297) on 01-17-2008, 12:11 AM:

Sounds like a lab splice to me as well. You should remove all of them from the print while you are inspecting during build-up [Wink]

Posted by Thomas Pitt (Member # 4322) on 01-17-2008, 12:13 AM:

I don't know what lab splices usually look line, but from reading older topics on Film-tech, it could be lab splices I'm seeing. Does anyone have a picture of what a lab splice looks like?

I doubt a smaller aperture plate or masking adjustment would help; the white lines are right in the middle of the picture area!

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-17-2008, 03:46 AM:

when you pull the reels (or cores) of film out of the shipping box, look for any slight discolouration texture in the winds themselves. Then hand wind the film on a reel to this section and I bet there is a splice - which is a heat joined splice where the labs join rolls of raw film together before the emulsion is layered on prior to development of the positive stock.

To eliminate this 'flash' is to cut out these splices to make anew.

Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 01-17-2008, 04:06 AM:

As Monte said.

Posted by Tim Asten (Member # 4051) on 01-17-2008, 05:57 AM:

Hey Bernard, Is the caption on that frame of film a subliminal message to Thomas? [Wink]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-17-2008, 10:32 AM:

This is where an ultrasonic splicer is really needed in the booth. Cutting out a frame with a tape splicer, no matter how perfect that tape splice is, it will still have "tape edge lines" horizontally across the image and if there is any movement to the image a jump in continuity too.

Posted by Richard P. May (Member # 3598) on 01-17-2008, 01:08 PM:

I would think a properly made tape splice would cover two frames, with the edges on the frame line. Done this way you shouldn't see the tape line on the screen.
Doing either this or with a sonic splicer will lose one frame.

RPM

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 01-17-2008, 01:32 PM:

The ultrasonic splicer is great. You're going to lose the frame either way you cut it and splice it. With the ultrasonic splicer, you don't notice it going through.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 01-17-2008, 02:14 PM:

To the first Richard: You would think they would make splicing tape 8 perfs wide to completely cover two frames, and splicers that use this tape. Unfortunately, they don't. Most tape is about for or five perfs wide, so the edges of the tape will be visible in two frames. Still much less objectionable to a lab splice.

Posted by Eric Robinson (Member # 2966) on 01-17-2008, 02:45 PM:

I always use a sharpie to fix my lab splices.

[beer]

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 01-17-2008, 03:21 PM:

Seems like I remember a movie with that subtitle in it...

Posted by Brian Guckian (Member # 1678) on 01-17-2008, 03:45 PM:

quote: Ken Lackner
To the first Richard: You would think they would make splicing tape 8 perfs wide to completely cover two frames, and splicers that use this tape. Unfortunately, they don't.

Fear not - they do! CIR make 8-perforation 35mm splicers, and suitable tape is made by several manufacturers.

(FWIW is the Neumade splicer also available in 8-perforation format?)

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-18-2008, 12:11 AM:

... an obvious case of two rolls of raw stock spliced together with a lab splice at the join...