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Whether it is Technicolor or ETS it makes little difference. For the most part, both of them just slap a label on the can and sent the print back out again without so much as looking at the film. And the next fellow get stuck with the problem!

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I agree. Returning a badly damaged print without noting the damage is very unfair to your fellow projectionists. How would you like receiving a badly burned or mangled print from another theatre, and not be able to get a replacement in time for a busy weekend? Let's have some professional pride here!

Brad and Travis are correct that you can dispute (or at least negotiate) being charged for damage if the print is old enough to be scrapped anyway, or if the damage isn't due to gross negligence or carelessness.

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That was exactly my point! If you know that you damaged a print, it is your responsibility to report the damage. Not doing so is UNPROFESSIONAL, and just hurts any fellow projectionists who may get the print you return. But,it is also your right to dispute any charges for the damage, and negotiate a fair settlement.

I have also been thinking of ways to evaluate whether a projector is likely to cause heat damage. One idea for a TEST would be to temporarily remove the shutter, effectively doubling the amount of energy on the film (assuming a typical 2-blade 90-degree shutter). Run a loop of a trailer through the shutterless projector at full power for 100 passes. Take the lens out to prevent possible damage to the lens from the increased heat of the shutterless projector. After projecting it, evaluate the trailer for heat damage by looking carefully at the film itself (warping, embossing, buckling, opalescence) and projected on the screen (blisters, colored spots, "snowflakes", fading, dye migration, etc.). If you see damage, you are at risk for damaging a print with excessive radiant energy, and should be sure your heat filtration, lamphouse focus and alignment, etc. are correct. You may need to defocus the lamp to avoid a "hot spot", or reduce lamp size or current.

Note that black-and-white (silver image) films and color features that deliberately leave silver in the image by non-standard processing, are more prone to heat damage because they absorb more infrared energy. So if you are showing any of these, run a test with similar film.

BTW, don't forget to replace and retime the shutter after you run the test.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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In situations like yours, do all you can do to help others understand the importance of good presentation, and hope it makes a difference. As I said in another thread: "Being cheap or lazy are poor excuses for bad presentation. Making an honest mistake and learning from it is acceptable."

Severely damaging a print and sending it on to "the next guy" without reporting it hurts everyone: Your fellow projectionist, who has to scramble to fix or replace the print and may be forced to show a bad print. The audience, who paid to see a good print, and get cheated. The filmmakers, whose art is trashed. The distributor, who will have to replace the print, and may lose a booking. Your theatre, who is likely to get "caught" anyway if the print has to be replaced. And you, for sacrificing your integrity and professionalism.

Sometimes, doing the right thing is tough.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

There's one venue a little way north of London which regularly sends us prints on crossover. I have repeatedly received films which have deep, multiple emulsion tramlines right the way round them, several sections of crushed polyester from a platter wrap, edge damage from uneven rewinding and more besides.

Every time this happens I ring the distributor and tell them that (i) the print's buggered, and (ii) this is the place wot done it (six incidents this year - too many for a coincidence).

What makes it especially bad is that the customers who come to see these films (e.g. the re-release of Rear Window on dye transfer, a number of recent French films, re-release of 'Get Carter' and so on) are film buffs who know what they're talking about and complain, complain, complain if the print is knackered. Several have said they won't be coming back.