Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Center Droping?

This is topic Center Droping? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by John B. Keathley (Member # 5205) on 04-09-2009, 03:51 AM:

What does everyone think about center droping a print? I had to rebuild the first two reels of "Fast and Furious" becasue a manager misthreaded a projector and scratched the first two reels. I had to rebuild trailers and ADs. It was my first center drop. Everything went well (Thank Goodness!). [thumbsup]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-09-2009, 11:14 AM:

I do it all the time. Well, not ALL the time, but when the power goes out for an extended period of time, for example, and I have to drop the first half of the movie back into the middle. I try to not make any new cuts/splices when I do this so when the power comes back on I will motor to the next splice if I have time.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-09-2009, 01:14 PM:

Center dropping is a platter operator's little side talent: We've all done it from time to time.

Doing a two-reel drop can be a little risky since that is a bit of weight that one has to muster with around the rollers and the platter tower since thinking of a ring popping out spells disaster.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-09-2009, 02:13 PM:

Oh, by the way... never allow an inward bulge. Outward bulge for the win!

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 04-09-2009, 02:58 PM:

In the case of a power outage/etc nothing wrong with a center drop if you do it right. I gotta say though if I had to rebuild the middle of a movie I would pull the last few reels off onto a large reel and then just rebuild the movie.

Posted by John B. Keathley (Member # 5205) on 04-09-2009, 03:09 PM:

Thankz for all of the input! [Big Grin]

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 04-12-2009, 12:15 AM:

Can someone explain to me exactly what "Centre Dropping" is? Sounds like, for what ever reason, your pulling the film off the take-up platter and, without cutting the film, are dropping it back in to the centre of the print on the pay-out platter? Sounds like it may be rather difficult.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-12-2009, 01:58 AM:

Most people do cut the film when they do this, but it can be done without cutting it. Others wind to the next reel change splice to break it apart.

It is actually extremely easy to do. I've changed out trailers (and occasionally a defective reel 1 or 2) like this for 20 years without mishap. The trick is knowing how to handle the film so you don't damage it.

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 04-12-2009, 03:52 AM:

Cheers for that Brad!

We change out trailers with a "spinner" that slots in the middle of the platter deck. We then wind the film on to a plastic core allowing us to change out trailers/ads etc. Changing out a reel, however, sounds like a challenge seeing as I've never had to do it before...

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-12-2009, 03:58 AM:

What I do if I have to do a center drop is to unthread the machine first, then take the rewind ring off the deck and follow it through the rollers and wind the film on the ring as I go.

Then, I lay the ring on the film roll where it needs to go and unlace the brain, roll that bit of film on the ring, then lay the ring over the opening of the filmroll, pull the ring and lay that small roll of film back inside that opening on a slant since I know that it will never go back inside that filmroll completely.

Relace the brain and projector and start the program all over again.

And keep an eye on that slanted roll so the film paying out won't flop out of the brain.

Quite easy to do .. .just gotta be careful when doing this trick.

I don't think that I ever had to do any cutting...

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 04-12-2009, 05:59 AM:

Thanks Monte!

Good info to know as we had a less experienced projectionist thread the wrong show the other day and cause an awful mess...

Might have to try this method next time, it sounds very easy and practical... More practical than ending up with a heap of the film on the floor anyway. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-12-2009, 10:52 AM:

I haven't done a center drop bigger than a trailer pack for a long time (and it is the only way I change trailers), but I remember when I had to do twelve of them the day Independence Day (the movie) premiered with three prints. It was to "premiere" for the public that night and we had a power outage was during the day the set before. The power stayed off for about an hour or a bit more and starting three huge sellout shows late was not an option. I think I cut the first few films I dropped but others I remember flipping the center around a few times to untwist it so I wouldn't have to cut it. I never removed the ring. I unthreaded the projector and just took up the slack by hand so the platter was threaded directly from payout to take up. You can definitely do this without anything touching the floor, even if your platter is 3 miles from your projector.

The most recent time I did a center drop outside of changing trailers was when I accidentally started the wrong movie my first day at my current job (talk about embarrassing) . But again, that was a very small drop, less than a trailer pack and I had the correct movie on screen in about 2 or 3 minutes after I realized what I had done and no one was the wiser except for the audience which had to sit through about a minute or so of nothing between trailers while I threaded. No cuts. Fun times!

Speaking of which this week they switched the schedule on me so that a house with two prints suddenly played at different intervals but the same times than it has been at for the last 4 or 5 weeks, so I threaded the one I usually do for a certain time. Right before I started it, I noticed the change. So rather than unthread, I just swapped the leaders and dropped the other leader into the print that didn't run. I think they were trying to trick me with that evil schedule!

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 04-13-2009, 08:02 AM:

Cheers Joe!

I've had similar problems with programming, luckily I've always noticed the change prior to threading the show...

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-13-2009, 08:12 AM:

Nah...just hit stop...select the desired show and hit play...film is already obsolete, you know. What is all this "center drop" business? You all are too funny.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-13-2009, 08:38 AM:

Hey! For once Steve is 100% correct [Smile]

!!!

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-13-2009, 10:32 AM:

Just for you Mark [beer]

Posted by Ed Alvarado (Member # 2760) on 04-17-2009, 04:04 PM:

ha a center that's for noobs. [beer]

Posted by John B. Keathley (Member # 5205) on 04-18-2009, 06:09 AM:

In my theatre, they make changes and do not tell the projectionist until it's too late. Non-gossip does not travel upstairs.