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Author
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Topic: Lab splices
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 07-02-1999 02:16 AM
Here's something positive. (I hope I'm not jinksing it here.) During the 80s, finding a lab splice was incredibly rare. Around the early 90s I started seeing every print with a couple of lab splices. As recent as last year I noticed a 6 reel feature would commonly have 4-5 splices. It got to where the only way you could get a splice free print was a "show" print or one on Fuji stock. It's been about 3-4 months since I've found a lab splice! Anyone have any idea who "woke up" at the labs? Are they now discarding the ends of the rolls instead of splicing them together? What about everyone else's prints? Are they splice free?
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Christopher Seo
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 530
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 07-02-1999 05:25 PM
I also noticed a lab splice in "Wild Wild West", and probably a couple other movies. These are the ones that escaped detection during buildups; the others were removed.Speaking of which, is removing lab splices a common practice? Lab splices look bad, but then again tape splices with visible edges in the frame are annoying as well. Tape splices in Kodak prints sometimes have dust stuck on to every edge of the tape, including around the sprocket holes, and should probably be replaced before each new run. Are lab splices ultrasonic splices? If so, are they stronger or more permanent than tape splices? At any rate, it escapes me why the labs can't create a simple sprocket hole counting device to make sure splices are at frame lines.... although they would still show up in Scope pictures. Oh well.
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 07-02-1999 09:06 PM
Ok, I apparently played the odds with Murphy when I started this thread and lost. I just went through a print of American Pie and found 8 lab splices! The film is only 5 reels long.But on another note, there was 5 brand new "white" Technicolor reels that held together! Fortunately, I bought an ultrasonic splicer a few months back! Now I can remove those things and it is 100% transparent on the screen. To answer Christopher's question, I'm not sure exactly what the labs are using. What I can tell you is the ultrasonic splicer I bought is fantastic! It is from Metric Splicer and I have a link to them on the "Movie related links" page. The splices on this unit are so perfect that breaking down is virtually impossible! (And the theater across the street will probably get this print on one 8000 foot reel...  ). I've made test splices and let ushers try a tug-of-war with it and the film stretched all to crap, but the ultrasonic splice stayed! Personally, I always prefered to leave the lab splices intact. That way there is no jump (a slight jump almost always accompanies a tape splice). Also, anyone projection oriented would know the difference of the "lab's fault" vs. the theater having a break or some reason they had to cut the film.
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