I receive "Me, myself and Irene" in bad condition. I had to replace parts # 1,2,3 since they were scratched on the base side: thousand of little black lines...

Parts #4,5,6 seems ok but after two weeks of projection the print is full of black spots like the film was showed for 6 months...

I usually clean the print once a week with a soft cloth. I didn't have any problems with other prints projected for 2.5 months.

I inspected carefully the print and I realized that these spots are now part of the print, I cannot remove them.

Someone knows what happened to that print?
What should be do next time to avoid these kind of problem (don't tell me to use film-guard!!)?

The black spots are most likely ground-in dirt or polyester dust...

The 'thousands of little black scratches' could have many causes, One of the biggest culprits in some of the places I have serviced is projectionists that fail to set the 1/4" gap on a Dolby Cat 700 reader, allowing the film to scratch against itself in opposite directions on the base side. After explaining the proper way to tension a Cat 700 to the staff, practically all of the base-side scratching vanished from subsequent prints shown in those houses.

Aaron

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Actually it probably would solve your problem, but I agree with Aaron that dirt is probably well embedded into the print. Any way to find out who played that print before you? Clearly the last person who had it had at least one misthread and probably some abrasive areas of the projector, causing the shedding.

This is the problem: When I projected the film for the first time I'm sure that was clean.
The problem come out gradually in two weeks.
I'm pretty sure that my projector is ok since trailers and adv are ok.
Is it possible that this film was printed badly and the print itself collect more dust that usual?

Brad: I would like to try your film-guard but, unfurtunately, the theater is not mine and the managers don't want to try a cleaning system...

Is the print on Kodak film? Look at the magenta-colored edge identification, printed approximately once per metre along the edge of the film. The improved Kodak VISION Color Print Film (2383 or 2393) is quite resistant to projector abrasion and flaking, but some other manufacturers films may still be prone to flaking. Kodak VISION Color Print Film also has a transparent conductive anti-static backing, so it will NOT attract and hold dirt with static attraction, even if you deliberately try to put a static charge on the film.

Are you finding a buildup of dust in your projector? Any areas in particular (e.g., in the gate and around the intermittent sprocket)? Check to see if the alignment is good, and there is no buildup or rough spots on the film-contacting surfaces.

Here is an article I wrote about projector abrasion and dusting several years ago (before FilmGuard, which many here have found useful for cleaning and lubricating prints when used properly):
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newsletters/reel/summer98/pointer.shtml

As the article notes, using a film cleaner helps remove the loose dirt, and properly lubricating the prints will significantly reduce projector abrasion.

------------------
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

The original parts seems to be Kodak (I will check better). The replacement (first three reels) are Fuji.

I asked to the distributor and seems that entire Italy is claiming about "Me, Myself and IRene" because was printed during summer and, you know, labs would like to be in vacation...

Yes, I have a little problem to my second projector since few months and I'm unable to fix it.
Once I found a little and *continue* scratch on DD soundtrack. After few weeks that print was unable to play in DD.
Our *professional* Cinemeccanica's tech were unable to understand the problem. I've partially resolved it few weeks later. The continuosly scratch stops but now I have a little "cut" every 4-8-16 perf directly on DD! Obiously the problem stays in a sproket, I'vce checked each one carefully but with no results.
The strange thing is that now the film stays perfect also after weeks of projection. So I thought to have resolved the problem. No. I saw that little "cut" on adv, at the end of film. Is it possilble that ADV are "softer" rather than film?

However I don't have singificantly amount of dust on that projector. But reels 4,5,6 are in bad condition...
Is it possible that a wrong print procedure can make the print more "fragile"???

From your description, it does sound like your second projector is abrading the Dolby Digital track area. Try to find the cause, most likely a worn or rough spot on the gate or intermittent sprocket shoe. Is the "cut" on the base or emulsion side of the film?

As I noted, proper lubrication of the prints will significantly reduce abrasion by the projector. Very high humidity can make the gelatin emulsion softer, and easier to scratch and build up as a hard deposit. Keep the humidity in your projection room less than 60% RH. Freshly processed "green" prints also have a higher moisture content, and "harden" with use. Really hot, humid summer weather may make it more difficult for the labs to dry the prints completely to the recommended 50% RH equilibration:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/processing/h249/h2409_02.shtml#132073

It would be very unusual for reels to be a mix of different film stocks, so I suspect all the reels are Fuji film.

------------------
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

Could you explain the 1/4" gap setting that you mentioned. This is the first I've heard of it. I get very little scratching from the two houses that I use the Cat 700 in so they must be properly adjusted but teach me something anyway

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You didn't understand. The replace reels I've received are Fuji, the original ones are Kodak (i think, I have to check bettere the number).
The little scratch (made by my projector) is on the emulsion side. However is very little and every a multiple of 4 perf.
Scott. I am the operator! I'm sure that all that "thousand of little black scratches" were not made by my projector!

But what is strange is that now the film is full of black spots on the entire frame. I noted that that spots are not damage on the print but little pieces of dust embedded in the print itself. I don't think that is my projector because:

1. Trailer and ADV are right.
2. The previous film was right.
3. I don't have any buildup of dust.

John, can a print not properly dried collect more dust than usual?

What are the complete batch numbers printed along the edges of the reels in magenta-colored letters? It's unusual to mix different stocks in the same release.

------------------
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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