Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Ali is a bi*ch

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Topic: Ali is a bi*ch

Michael Wohlford
Film Handler

Posts: 17
From: Round Rock, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 01-05-2002 01:39 AM

Is Ali printed on a new kind of film? Every single fricken showing we have of it, a small bump forms and loads of static come into play. Our booth's humidity is at a normal level because all other prints are fine. Every showing, basically, a brainwrap occurs. We had to get a replacment print because the other one was soo bad with static. When we got our 2nd one in, it was fine, until a few days ago. We flip our prints, we mist anti-static on the platter, our platters are grounded properly, we cleaned the print with film cleaner (no film-guard), we clean our platters. What gives? Anyone have this problem?

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 01-05-2002 01:48 AM

Out of curiosity, what kind of platter? Are you running Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings in your complex?

(I've heard of no problems with prints of Ali locally, but everyone in town that I know uses FilmGuard.)

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Michael Wohlford
Film Handler

Posts: 17
From: Round Rock, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 01-05-2002 02:05 AM

We have CFS super platters. We do have H.P. and L.O.R. I failed to mention that Ali has been through 3 different projectors, all having static.

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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 01-05-2002 03:03 AM

Time for question #2: Is the film winding tightly on the platter ring? or is it 'spongy' if you press inwards from the edge? If it is spongy, you have something in the film path (likely a too-tight pad roller or hooked sprocket, or someone misthreaded a show, it only takes once in most cases) that is stretching the film on the edges or the perfs causing very static-looking results.

-Aaron

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James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 01-05-2002 03:52 AM

These problems were also reported among our theatres in the Houston area.
I dont know if all our theatres had this problem, but apparently we were all shipped new prints.
My theatre had NO static problems (thank you, FILMGUARD) so when they came back for it, we just gave them the unused print.

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Michael Wohlford
Film Handler

Posts: 17
From: Round Rock, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 01-05-2002 12:38 PM

Aaron,

I don't beleive that anything could be in the way. Like I said, the print has been through 3 projectors. Our platters are pretty well timed and stuff. At this time of year with the static season, sometimes when we pull out the ring, a small bump forms, but nothing really happens. We shouldn't have the print for long, because we are asking our booker to get rid of it. Its a pain to babysit the print every show.

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Neil Hunter
Film Handler

Posts: 74
From: Salisbury, NC, USA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 01-05-2002 01:23 PM

Michael,

my theater is having a similar problem with LOTR, HP, and our two prints of Ali both threw simultaneously the night they were previewed. We have the all Christie package. We have constant brain wrap problems with one of our LOTR's, but the other runs perfect every show. It is hard to get those AW3's to work properly.

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Michael Wohlford
Film Handler

Posts: 17
From: Round Rock, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 01-05-2002 01:35 PM

I am just wondering if they are printed on a new kind of film. If so, I hope that all future prints will not be printed on this.

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Andy Muirhead
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Galashiels, Scotland
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 01-05-2002 06:00 PM

Michael, we run CFS platters, and i know very well the bump you are describing, as well as the static problems, etc, that this 'bump' causes. Our solution, in the end, was very simple - get some Filmguard if you dont already have some. Spray some on a cloth, then wipe onto the film, as per the instructions (in an emergency you can do this while it's running). Since adopting this we have never had any problems with static or brainwraps. Trust me this is the answer to your problem! Order a bottle, and keep an eye on your platters til it arrives, once it comes, treat the print once and watch as your problem magically disappears!

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 01-05-2002 09:11 PM

Neil, on your AW3 platters, if you open up the side panel and look at the led card, are there 3 (or 5) small trimpots, or just resistors soldered onto the board?

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 01-05-2002 09:54 PM

So Neil, do you work at the Tinseltown 14.

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Neil Hunter
Film Handler

Posts: 74
From: Salisbury, NC, USA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 01-05-2002 09:55 PM

Brad, they have trim pots. We just upgraded our platters to have LED'sif I remember correctly. The problem, is when there is static, the platter stops spinning completely for a second or two, then the film gets pulled through the brain and jerks the feed arm back and thus jerks the platter very quickly, and the print gets moved around. If it weren't for the trailer cores we tape around the prints they would throw almost every show.

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Neil Hunter
Film Handler

Posts: 74
From: Salisbury, NC, USA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 01-05-2002 10:01 PM

Darryl,

Yes I do.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 01-05-2002 10:18 PM

Cool, How is Don M, doing? He ever yak about me...

On those platters Do you have the same problem on both platter decks or just one.....and do you try to run with the soundtrack down.....sometimes this helps with static....

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Paul Harnden
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 107
From: Chandler, AZ, USA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 01-06-2002 12:06 AM

I've had this same problems, but with other prints. Filmguard is a big help and rewinding with the soundtrack down helps also, just wanted to confirm and offer a second opinion.

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