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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Lab splices for the inexperienced
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Mark Maxwell
Film Handler
Posts: 55
From: Tyler, TX, USA
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 07-19-2002 11:56 PM
In the past I have dealt with lab splices, but at most that I ever noticed it was one for every five shows. I'm sure I'm wrong about that, but theres no telling how many times I might have blinked or been reaching for a drink and one popped up. I know that sounds bad, but you can't see every frame when you've been up for 15 hours. I have a different career now, but I still do projection at a theater on Saturday nights. Just passing along one projector I saw 3 lab splices that cut along the center of the frame. At the end of the showing someone came out and wanted a refund because as he said the mivie was scratched all through it vertically. I know it wasn't like that constantly, but enough that he wanted a refund, and I saw it at random parts of the movie. I don't do any of the building up there, but I was wondering if there were any tips on catching a lab splice if you have to build up quik, and if only one person ever complained about a movie that had alot of them, is it worth the time to look and cut them out. I know presentation is important, and just because someone doesn't complain doesn't mean a lab splice doesn't bother them. Just give me facts and opinions and I'll put them to use.
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Michael Rourke
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 159
From: San Luis Obispo, Central Coast of CA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 07-20-2002 01:19 AM
Sometimes people are out for freebies, and if they notice something they can complain about they figure they might as well try to get a refund (or at least a re-admit) after the movie lets out.In a perfect world you would take the time to inspect every frame of film you run through a projector, but there just isn't time. I Have broken a print down 3 reels to remake a lab splice because it was at a most inopportune moment, but sometimes you get lucky and they accidentially make the lab splice in frame and there is nothing to worry about. I have had 2 lab splices break during a show and I have had a lab slice that not only was in view, but the frame was only 3 sprocket holes long. The maximum number of lab splices allowed for a 2000ft roll of film is three, but you seldom see that many. I'll have to go back through my preview logs and see which movie was the spliciest since I've been here. I have had movies that have at least one lab splice per reel, it's just something you have to deal with and most of the time they don't detract from your presentation, but when you see one that's really bad..makes a real loud pop and is at the worst possible moment, then by all means cut it out.
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 07-20-2002 11:24 AM
But if a lab were printing, say, an 1800' reel, wouldn't it be easier to do something like this:- start with 2000' roll of print stock
- print first 1800' reel (no splices), leaving 200' of print stock
- splice remaining 200' of stock onto next 2000' roll of print stock
- print second 1800' reel (one splice), leaving 400' of print stock
- splice remaining 400' of stock onto next 2000' roll of print stock
- print third 1800' reel (one splice), leaving 600' of print stock
- etc. This way, no reel would ever have more than one lab splice and there would be no wasted stock. This would make much more sense to me than printing a bunch of splice-free 1800' reels, then splicing together 10 200' short ends and making one reel with 9 lab splices. (Yes, I know that labs that make large quantities of release prints use continuous printers that don't stop between reels. I'm trying to illustrate why no reel should ever have multiple lab splices, not explain how prints are made in great detail.)
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Frank Angel
Film God
Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 07-20-2002 01:29 PM
Man, you guys are so spoiled!  Try running retrospective -- 3 splices per reel max? My face laughs at you. We consider a print with only 3 splices, lab or otherwise, to be MINT!! We are used to seeing dozens of splices per reel in an older print....even those so-called "vault" or "studio" prints. Besides, I thought lab splices were supposed to be the Cadillac of splices -- ultrasonic splices and all that high tech stuff. Do they really come apart as easily as you are saying? And do they make them in the MIDDLE of a frame? What's THAT all about? As for people wanting their money back -- that's a scam. We have a sign that says, "The prints we show at Brookly Center Cinema are the best prints available from the distributor. However the prints of the classic films shown here may be many years old and will show the normal physical wear and tear of their age. Our obligation is to present these prints using the current state-of-the-art technology to give you the best sound and picture that is on the print. We cannot improve on what the studio sends us." "Your understanding of the limitations of these older prints and that they many not look or sound like a film that was released last week, is appreciated. " We ALWAYS post: "We appologize: the studio has sent a MONO print of this title. No Stereo prints are available." on films that were originally stereo but where we didn't get an original mag print or an optical stereo re-release print. In other words, don't even think about trying to scam a refund out of us because you've been forewarned and all we'll do is point to the sign!
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Kenneth Wuepper
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1026
From: Saginaw, MI, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 07-20-2002 09:16 PM
Lapped Cement SplicesBecause the emulsion is removed from the base where the welded joint will be made, machines are set to remove slightly more emulsion than required for the joint. This assures that the edge of the splice will not peel in the projector. Since 1952, when opaque waterproof acetate black drafting ink became available, all of the operators in Local #35 IATSE have covered the bare film base and created a "bloop" in the soundtrack to minimize the effects of those (and our own) chemical splices. Recently, we have added a single layer of clear splicing tape on the base side across these patches. This technique renders the image less offensive since a black line for one frame is less noticeable than a clear one. The analog sound track does not produce the characteristic "crack!" associated with a full amplitude pulse in both channels. We have repaired some prints that had torn sprocket holes the entire length of a reel. In CLASSIC film repetory, we lament the loss of even a single frame of film. The technique used for these repairs is called "Perf-Fix" which won an Academy Award for innovative film product. Film Done Right requires more than making good patches between reels and seeing how fast the MUT can load a feature. KEN
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