Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Projecting 65mm film.

This is topic Projecting 65mm film. in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 03-29-2009, 06:51 AM:

The specification for the DP-70 included the ability to project 65mm film (Todd-AO format, not the 1920s version) in addition to 35mm and 70mm, and indeed the one at Bradford did so in the fairly recent past. How much, if at all, was this feature used? Were rushes of early Todd-AO films printed on 65mm stock for example, with 70mm only being used for striped release prints, or were all prints on 70mm?

It's a long time since I've seen a DP-70 close up, and I wasn't aware of this feature at the time, so I didn't look for it. How is 65mm film accommodated on these machines. Were 65mm spools made for it, or were 70mm ones used, or adjustable ones? Did the rollers have a step in them for 65mm; if they did then 70mm film would have been supported on only 2.5mm on each edge, which doesn't sound enough. Were special gate runners needed for 65mm? Standard 70mm sprockets should be ok for 65mm. Were any other 70mm projectors also designed to handle 65mm as well?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-29-2009, 09:44 AM:

Stephen,

We actually have some brand new 35/65 sprockets in our stock for the DP-70. They ran many of the very first engagemants of Oklahoma using 65mm release prints and 6 track dubbers until the 70mm mag on film system was ready... perhaps for a year or so after Oklahoma opened.

Also to this day all Simplex 35/70 heads are actually a 35/65 head... not a 35/70. I'm pretty sure that the Simplex 35/65mm heads were originally built for Panavision's Camera 65 process.

Both brands of machine run either 65 or 70mm just fine with no other mods needing to be done to them.

Mark

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-29-2009, 10:04 AM:

lateral guides in the film trap will have to be adjusted for the narrower film

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-29-2009, 12:36 PM:

In the case of the DP70, a narrower runner plate would be needed.

As to the Simplex 35/70...it needs a wider runner plate (and intermittent shoe)...it has very poor lateral stability trying to control 70mm film...the film curls over the skinny runners.

Steve