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Topic: squiggly lines

Carl King
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 199
From: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 02-14-2001 09:40 AM

John Pytlak will probably be best able to answer this question but it is for anyone who may have an answer.

I notice on some prints/trailers a dark line that moves in a squiggly pattern ( you know, like a snake). I assume that this is done in printing but what is it?

It usually appears for only a second or two.

John Pytlak
Film God

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

posted 02-14-2001 10:10 AM

Sorry, I need a more detailed description. Is the line narrow or wide? Horizontal or vertical? Neutral or colored? Does it tend to be along the left side (analog soundtrack) of the image?

First guess is that you may be seeing silver from the soundtrack developer splashing into the picture area, leaving a "squiggly pattern" of dark silver in the picture. (An example of why silver soundtracks are problematic).

Another possibility is that the unprocessed film got severely creased during transport in the printer or processing machine, which sometimes causes an irregular line pattern.

------------------
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 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-15-2001 05:10 PM

John, I've seen this from time to time on trailers, as one my aperature plates is filed just a tad too much on the soundtrack side. Your description of the soundtrack developer getting over a little too far into the picture area is exactly what I've seen.

John Pytlak
Film God

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

posted 02-15-2001 05:25 PM

Silverless cyan dye analog soundtracks are good for the environment because they eliminate one of the most caustic solutions in the print process, conserve water, and help keep silver out of landfills. But there are other reasons they are a good idea whose time has come, enabled by the new technology of red LED readers. Eliminating silver stains caused by sound developer bleeding and splashes is only one of them.

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