Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: how many house reels?

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-18-2010, 01:16 PM:

Is there a standard number of Goldberg house reels that would typically be provided for a multi-use venue that occasionally shows films? This will be a 35mm changeover house, 2000' reels only, probably doing an occasional classics series and the odd special event.

Obviously, this depends on the programming, but is there a starting point?

I'm inclined to think that the number should be 15-20, plus two split reels, a trailer flange, and a Neumade reel cabinet. Shafts will be 5/16", so they could run off of shipping reels if necessary. Obviously, they will need fewer reels than if they were a commercial theatre or one which regularly runs festivals.

This is a smallish community theatre; there is a budget, but it is not unlimited.

Oh, and is anyone else annoyed by Neumade lens cabinets? A venue like this would typically have eight lenses (four formats), but the cabinet only holds four, unless you trust the little shelf things, which I don't. Thus, you either end up with two lens cabinets and two empty slots (for lenses in the projectors), or one lens cabinet and two lenses with no home.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 05-18-2010, 01:31 PM:

Scott, there is no "standard" number, but I can tell you that 12 house reels will do for all but the most epic length films. I have 3 reserved for takeup, (one on each machine and one to immediately re-thread with) which leaves nine reels for your feature. 12 is also the ideal number if you have a film cabinet as 12 reels is the most common size.

12 reels will also do if you have more than one feature and can run one feature off of the shipping reels if they are in good condition.

I also keep my personal collection of the plastic shipping reels (the older ones that are one piece like Plio-magic or HFC) as a backup. I actually use them when a feature comes in on cores as I have 8 in different colors. I use the green one for reel one and the red one for the last reel, with odd number reels being colors and even number reels being black, grey or blue. [Big Grin]

2 splits and one flange are a great idea.

Make sure you get a Clint Phare cue maker and a footage counter! They are a MUST for any changeover booth!

I agree with the lens cabinet...but remember it is targeted to first-run houses where flat and scope are the only lenses needed. I set the extra lenses on the bottom of the cabinet and relocate the shelves for the other stuff.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-18-2010, 03:27 PM:

For "shorted" lenses, you could add a shelf half way up the lens cabinet, thereby doubling the lens starage capacity. (Scope lenses are longer.) Louis

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 05-18-2010, 03:34 PM:

Why not have two lens cabinets and place one beside each projector?

I don't mind the empty slot as it means the lens can be safely returned before you pull out the next one you need.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-19-2010, 11:47 PM:

12 is about the minimum I would supply with 18-24 being more common. There are places like the AFI/Silver where even 100 reels would not suffice some situations (I think they are up to 78-80 reels now and they have all been filled at the same time).

Remember to take into account three reels just for the booth (one on each take up and one on the rewinder) so a 12 reel supply really only gets you 9 reels for the movie. If you bump it up to 18 reels you can normally hold two features.

As for lens cabinets...you must be buying the wrong ones...the LC2 by Neumade are my favorite. You can hold MANY lenses as well as format change parts in one of them. I have a picture of one in the AFI/Silver photos here on Film-Tech http://www.film-tech.com/warehouse/picview.php?id=4781&category=1

As for split reels...If the machines can take up onto split reels (Kinoton Electronic Friction, Simplex) then I would want 4 splits, plus a Goldberg trailer flange.

Steve

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 05-24-2010, 11:28 AM:

I have a total of 78 house reels, 36 are the typical cast aluminum house reels, the rest are evenly split between metal and plastic shipping reels. The plastic reels are the older ones that have metal inserts in the shaft holes. The shipping reels are used only after all the aluminum reels are used and store in plastic bags. I've run out of reels 3 times during the French Film Festival.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 05-24-2010, 12:35 PM:

Steve and Bill, nothing wrong with your recommendations, but did you see this:

quote: Scott Norwood
This is a smallish community theatre; there is a budget, but it is not unlimited.

Most smallish community theatres are not going to be involved in a large scale film festival so having more than a few dozen reels would be total atomic overkill. [Big Grin]

Steve's suggestion of 12 minimum, with 18-24 being ideal, is a good idea. A mix of cast Goldberg reels and (good) plastic reels would be doable under even the tightest of budgets.

If Scott's theatre is a non-profit, perhaps those of us with extra reels (I don't have any anymore..five years ago I had many) could donate them for a tax write-off.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-24-2010, 12:49 PM:

I specified twelve reels and two 6-reel Neumade cabinets. This will be used equipment and it won't set the owner back by much. I will dig up some plastic reels to donate as well. If by some chance they end up doing a major festival, they can buy more or I can borrow some from another theatre.

This one is not a non-profit (well, the owner hopes so, at least), but it is a small operation with film use being fairly limited.

Thanks for the suggestions.