After loading reel 1, i noticed that the tail was secured using a single sided splice with no ID frame left on the tail.
I counted the frames from the last changeover cue.
24 EXACTLY!!!

I thought to myself "This print looks like it was biult by someone who read BIULDING 101."

At the end of reel 2, I noticed it was originally biult with an Ultrasonic splicer.
It was also at this moment that I realized that this print had FILMGUARD on it.

"Could this be....?" I thought to myself.
"No way!" I thought again.

I made a call.
I found out that the print came from none other than the UA GALAXY in Dallas!
I was told that the print played there for two months and then sat in the depot till it came to me.

I had never seen a print in such excellent condition and was very pleased at the guys (and possible gals?) at the GALAXY for taking good care of this print.

I did not screen this print myself, but did peek at a few seconds of it and it looked great.
The person who screened the print asked me beforehand if it was used and at first rolled his eyes, but I told him the excellent condition it came in and he was relieved.

I asked him how the print looked afterwards and he said it looked really good.

Thanks to you guys for taking such good care of this film.

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I'm glad you got a good, COMPLETE print, James. I hope you and your guys keep it that way.

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http://www.autoramadrivein.com

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Where things will match is that the track extending 20 frames or so out onto the head leader is identical to the last 20 frames of track on the prior reel due to the sound pull-up. (This pull-up on the end of the reel is what plays when the splice has passed the gate but hasn't yet hit the soundhead--otherwise you'd have about a second of silence.) Of course if it's silent or the modulation is hard to distinguish it may be hard to tell.

If a print is originally assembled with an ultrasonic splice, that splice can be cut using a normal tape splicer with NO frame loss. Now since the great majority of the world is fearful of not leaving an ID frame, if they choose they can just leave that first frame attached to the leaders as the print comes to them and cut one frame over when they re-build the print, thus their presentation would be like the "original" presentation where 2 frames were lost at the reel change and they have an ID frame on each leader. When we break down prints, we do not break them down using an ultrasonic splicer. We cut right down the center of that splice and then lay a single sided tape splice across the joint. If the next theater who is going to play the film is going to preserve the frames, they can simply rejoin them together and lay tape down. Since I know of no other theater that has an ultrasonic splicer in their booth for 35mm film splicing, the odds of a print that I play going to a theater that intends to assemble it with an ultrasonic splicer are basically zero. Thus, there IS NO FRAME LOSS! It works fine and dandy like this. Note James' comment above "Also, I did not chop off those frames and the splices I made to join the reels were just as good as any "cut" splice", so again, stop your whining Gordon.

I would also like to add that there are actually a LOT of people, and I do mean a LOT of people who care enough to not leave an ID frame on the leaders. This is not just me with this practice. If everyone recalls, I came up with the idea of posting ID frames on this website well before TES stole the idea from me and offered it on their own. I tried, but the studios were too worried about copyright infringement from those frames.

To the other ID frame whiners here, take a look at the joined heads/tails to the reel of film. Every and I do mean EVERY single reel of film is just a little bit different. Look at the SDDS track. Look at the SRD track. Glancing at these two will very obviously show whether the correct leaders are on the correct reel. Anyone who has ever had 2 prints of the same title in the complex and accidentally broken down a print with leaders from the "other" can knows the colors do not match up. If that still isn't enough for Gordon and other whiners out there, look at the analog track. It should be very obvious that the leaders match up. For anyone still whining, look at the edgecode. Those are like a serial number and can further be used as verification that the print was broken down correctly. ID frames are not necessary. If anything, they at least ensure that someone with minimal brain power is working in that next booth who gets the print. (And we all know that is something we need more of!)

Anyone who thinks I am incorrect, feel free to bring me down a print with it's leaders on randomly and watch as I build it perfectly on the first shot without any more than 5 minutes extra time being spent on the film makeup process. And that is even assuming you have managed to put EVERY single leader on a WRONG reel. This isn't rocket science here guys. If you are smart enough to tell the difference between the base side of the film vs. the emulsion side of the film, then you are MORE than smart enough to match up leaders.

A year or so ago someone recommended leaving an ID frame ONLY on the "heads" of the reels. That was an interesting compromise and one that I had hoped people in general would have listened to. However, there is nothing anyone on this forum can say will get me to change my practice of preserving EVERY frame on the print, so you guys can knock your whining off right now.

I'm just thankful that the print went to a theater that cares enough to take care of it! Those Moulin Rouge prints that I had were incredible and I know they both shipped out in much better condition than when I got them. It is nice to know that James it taking care of it instead of some bozo. James, perhaps you could post that print number? Also, did each reel come to you sealed in plastic liners, or did ETS remove them?

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To remake the splice with another ultrasonic splice, you must lose 2 frames. But again, find me a dollar house that has an ultrasonic splicer and I'll give it 1/2 of a second of consideration.

Chris, when you visited, did you sit through a reel change and notice how perfect and flawless the changeover was with the ultrasonic splices? That reason alone is why I spent the $3200 on the unit, and the improvements it makes in the presentation was worth every dollar.

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Its ONE frame. I do hate when people cut off multiple frames, which are left hanging to the head with serveral one-sided splices in a chain...but ONE frame is not something for the non-extremely-anal-perfectionist person to worry about

Even the BEST changeover projectionist will miss a frame or two on changeover...either that or a half-second or so of black. I'd rather overrun the changeover a few frames than miss it and have any black.

On another note, aren't reels always cut so that a changeovers occur where a few lost frames won't be a problem (ie scene changes)...at least most of the time?????