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Topic: Masking Tape Aperature Plate

Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 11-27-2000 11:04 PM

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I love to smoke I smoke seventhousand packs a day and I'm never F*&ing quittin!-- Denis Leary

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-27-2000 11:21 PM

Don't you know that the photons comming out of the lamphouse wear away the edges of the aperture plate, causing the hole to get bigger?

Happens all the time!

That's why they had to mask off the window. The aperture plate needs replacing because the hole's too big!

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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 11-27-2000 11:39 PM

Oh geez how could I forget! DAMN cheap aperature plates! why dont they make those things out of metal?

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I love to smoke I smoke seventhousand packs a day and I'm never F*&ing quittin!-- Denis Leary

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 11-27-2000 11:58 PM

The only time I've ever seen this was during one of those rush opening jobs. It was just during the "pre-opening" screenings (Thursday). They had the plates cut in time for opening day (Friday).

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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 11-28-2000 12:03 AM

its wierd though it looked fine on screen

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I love to smoke I smoke seventhousand packs a day and I'm never F*&ing quittin!-- Denis Leary

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Jerry Chase
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1068
From: Margate, FL, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 11-28-2000 12:27 AM

IIRC, when some of the 1970s 3-D came out, we had to go full heat shield opening and use construction paper and tape to mask the edges on the port glass. Those were the instructions from the installers of the time. Of course it was the 70s, their clothes did smell of wacky 'backy, and they had an aversion to bright light.

I've seen lots of masking tape cardboard shields in theatres where the architect designed a picture window port and a flourescent ceiling fixture light in the booth. A lot of these ended up with a tiny beam hole for the projector and a slit worthy of an armored car port for the projectionist. (Which reminds me, CPI makes a pretty darned good two piece port, but some theatres are neglecting to install the caulking or sound insulation to keep the projector noise from leaking through the joint. Ever attended a movie when the projectionist didn't know he could be heard in the auditorium? Oops!)

Sometimes the masking tape might have been better than the mis-filed or swapped plates in some theatres. I remember walking into one theatre (which shall remain nameless) where the manager/projectionist had installed a new factory plate and couldn't understand why the picture didn't fill the screen... At least that was fixable. I've seen massively overfiled plates as well, that looked like the rats had nibbled the edges.

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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 11-28-2000 12:33 AM

I too have had to do taped aperture masking in 'emergency' situations where I have corrected the screen dimensions and changed lenses (in most cases to the CORRECT aspect ratios, many were WAY off) and either had no undercut apertures on hand, or the powers-that-be wanted a show on screen 'like right NOW!' and I was unable to have a plate cut in time for the show. When doing the glass-masking, I preferred to use cardboard or heavy paper and small amounts of masking tape. Next choice would be to use carefully placed duct tape. Of course soon as I was able to do so, a new set of correctly cut aperture plates were done for all these booths.

Aaron

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 11-28-2000 06:48 AM

Must be interesting when they change between "scope" and "flat" --- do they have automated tape changers?

Not using an aperture plate in the projector also throws alot of additional "stray" light into the lens, killing contrast. There is nothing really wrong with using opaque (black) tape or black cardboard to control stray light, and keep it from hitting the screen, but it should not be used to replace properly sized aperture plates. Non-opaque masking tape is probably throwing alot of stray light into the theatre as well.

For more on "contrast killers":
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newsletters/reel/december99/pytlak.shtml

My next article in Kodak's "Cinema Notes", "Caring About Composition", discusses the need to maintain proper image size and masking.

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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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Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 11-28-2000 07:59 AM

It would be safe to "assume" that the Gloucester Cinema 1-2-3 in NOT a THX approved house??

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Bruce McGee
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1776
From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular.
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 11-28-2000 09:21 AM

The now defunct Columbia Theatre on Peachtree Street in Atlanta used to have a cardboard aperture in front of the glorious Cinemeccanica V8. I never thought anything of it. The on-screen image was glorious.

The cardboard plate was cut to prevent any stray light from hitting the masking around the screen, or from bouncing off the ceiling. When watching something like Oklahoma! in 70mm 30fps I could see a very slight overlap on the mask at the sides. A dab of black duct tape and it was perfect. By the way, the image was mirror-like. I miss 70mm and that theatre!

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 11-28-2000 09:35 AM

I remember running a couple of Norelcos (don't remember the model, the big gold ones) that had plates that were fastened in and couldn't be changed without unthreading the projector. To do a lens change, we put the scope plate in the projector and a cardboard cutout in the port and the flat lens in the projector. Then close the dowser, remove the cutout and change the lens for the scope feature.

Of course, this was back when we actually had curtains that we could close while the masking was moving and a film tag that said something like "Our feature presentation is in the widescreen format. Our projectionist will now making these adjustments." Then the curtains closed and reopened with a wider scope screen.

Gee, I miss those projectors. Too bad the parts are so expensive now that theatres are pulling them out and putting in cheaper projectors.

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Jim Bedford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 597
From: Telluride, CO, USA (733 mi. WNW of Rockwall, TX but it seems much, much longer)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-28-2000 10:04 AM

They should have at least used paper tape. Everybody knows that masking tape and film don't mix!

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 11-28-2000 10:46 AM

Yeah, I've seen and used tape on the window, too. You have to give those people in Mass. a little credit; I've also seen places that didn't bother to mask the image at *all*

Maybe, someone could be nice and send them a used aperture plate they don't need that is already too open. While it wouldn't trim off the screen, it would at least prevent the light from shinning all over the inside of the booth - better than nothing!

Personally, I like to use black electrical tape, as it sticks well and comes off cleanly (unlike the "remove within 24 hours" cheap stuff.)

When we first installed DTS, we quickly found which apertures were filed to far, and had to use tape to clean it up until new plates could be ordered and installed.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 11-28-2000 11:08 AM

I've seen some theater owners who were so cheap they didn't have ANY aperture plates! They thought it was better just to buy a roll of masking tape.

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Rory Burke
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 181
From: Burbank, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 11-28-2000 01:07 PM

I guess I would rather have a masking tape MacGiver type slap it together job that reflects the proper aspect ratio than a poorly cut aperature plate with a piece of lint hanging off it.

Rory

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