my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Film Handling Question

Author Topic: Film Handling Question Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-08-2002 06:33 PM                    OK, riddle me this: What sort of film handling scheme results in a print going back in the shipping cases with leaders hung on with masking tape yet *tails* out? Masking taped-on leaders is, of course, the hallmark of the lazy platter (or possibly big reel) operator. But breaking down from a platter leaves the reels heads out as would winding off of a big reel take-up. I've seen this a few times now and in the present example the print came straight from a theatre so that lets out any sort of inspection winding them out. Could be that someone had it on a big reed and rewound it back to heads before realizing it needed to be broken down. But what I fear is that this is some bozo breaking down as it's running. This seems likely since this would have been a single screening. What say you?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-08-2002 06:41 PM                     I think bozo is a understatement as this SOB probably just didn't give a */*&  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-08-2002 09:05 PM                     Back when NFS was the only depot around I know they specifically requested prints to be returned to them "tails out" so they could do their rewind/inspection and they would ship back out to theaters "heads up". Ever since TES and ETS came along (as well as the invention of the "clip together/human torture device" reel) the request is to return the prints "heads up" since there is no inspection, just fake "integrity inspected" stickers. My guess is your print came from an old timer who broke the print down off of a platter onto two large reels, and then did the "break down" on the bench. I do know of a couple of guys who still break down film this way and I hate it. The film ends up not being wound smoothly and there is perforation damage on the laps of film that stick out from the roll. Of course the use of masking tape tells us whoever this was doesn't belong in a booth. Anyway, that's my guess.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-08-2002 10:17 PM                     Well in a reel to reel house I get very annoyed when the film arrives heads up as it has to be rewound twice once to get it tails up and once to revise  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 02-08-2002 11:53 PM                     I can think of one possible reason for receiving a taped on, yet tails out print, but it ain't pretty. A theater we owned had single projector/platter, but the projector was equipped with feed and take-up reel arms in case someone wanted to run just a reel. On the last show before shipping out, the "operator" would feed the film onto a reel until the first splice. When the splice came, he would just rip it, switch to an empty reel (while the film payed onto the floor) and keep going. He had the heads already on the reels and used tape to get them to stick together quickly. Presto! No breakdown time (although he would put in for it anyway.) Was the film wound correctly for take-up, with tape holding the head leader placed on the base side? If yes, then maybe that's the explantion.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 02-09-2002 12:44 AM                     Tape, of any kind, masking, paper, splicing, chances are its only been on a day or two and no damage is done. Be glad the last guy attached head and tails at all. At least with a frame attached you can identify the reel. I run reel to reel and would prefer to get reels tail out, but rewinding after build up isn't a major issue. Everything I send out however, is head out with head & tail attached one side with splicing tape, I assume the next place will be removing them anyway, and if not can just add tape to the other side. Tape from my splice is always removed.  |  IP: Logged Bob Healey Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Milford, CT Registered: Sep 2001 posted 02-09-2002 02:38 AM                     Recently, we sent a print tails out. There was a show scheduled, that for some reason got cancled. Since the 6000' reels were already to show, the projectionist to save time broke it down tails out.  |  IP: Logged Barry Hans Film Handler Posts: 92 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-09-2002 10:21 AM                        John Walsh brought up breaking down on the fly. When I was at a UA theatre in the mid 80's it was policy to run shows onto hour reels the last show. So on Thursday nights the late show audience would always be in for a treat. The staff would always tell you the film had stopped as you are right there swapping reels. Thankfully the booth walls were paper thin and you could say loud enough for the audience to hear " company policy ". UA did'nt want to pay operators extra to do it right.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-09-2002 12:08 PM                        I knew a guy once who used to MAKE UP film on the fly...if you can believe it. His first-show audience was treated to five or six intermissions while he spliced the next reel on. The most amazing thing is...he's still in business! Don't know if he still does this, though.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.