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Author Topic: Why white leader at the end of film? Antonio Marcheselli Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1260 From: Florence, Italy Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-13-2003 04:33 PM                        Hi everyone I saw a photo on pictures section (I do not remember where... WB?) where there is a platter with the tail leader on it. It is a white leader. Why put a white leader at the and of film? Cannot the film leader itself can make the job? Bye! Antonio  |  IP: Logged David Favel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 764 From: Ashburton, New Zealand Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-13-2003 04:55 PM                     Would it be a length of leader wrapped round the film to prevent tail movement?  |  IP: Logged Antonio Marcheselli Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1260 From: Florence, Italy Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-13-2003 05:05 PM                        No, check eighth photo at "Warner Village Cinemas 30 screen" in pictures section. Bye Antonio  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 02-13-2003 05:18 PM                     It's fairly common to add a length of coloured film to the footer of the last reel of a film. Not sure why. Better ask a platter person.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-13-2003 05:19 PM                     Antonio, that may just be a "drag-strip." Some projectionists use extra tail leader to run through the projector after the final cue (dowser closed, non-sync audio, etc) and so instead of dragging the tail of the print on the ground, the drag-strip takes all the abuse. It doesn't actually get projected. As Michael pointed out, this is a solution to a platter issue.  |  IP: Logged Antonio Marcheselli Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1260 From: Florence, Italy Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-13-2003 05:21 PM                        Thanks... Wow, this is far forward my idea of "make film right"... Bye Antonio  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 02-13-2003 05:36 PM                        It could also be for interlock. If the end of the film leaves the first projector while the second is still playing, it could trigger the failsafe and stop both projectors before No. 2 has finished the show.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-13-2003 05:38 PM                     It looks too short for an interlock tail.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-13-2003 05:43 PM                     "Drag strip" is the real reason, although I've never heard of that term, I do find it suitable. ANY time a film is plattered, there should always be AT LEAST an extra 10-20 feet of tail leader added to protect the end of the film. Few people care enough to do it though.  |  IP: Logged Antonio Marcheselli Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1260 From: Florence, Italy Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-13-2003 06:07 PM                        Our system (Cinemeccanica's Vector 1000) will not shut down the other projector once the dowser is closed. So the print can run up to the end without the need of extra leader. Brad, If the white tail leader is spliced directly at the end of film, I fully agree with you. But why don't leave the film tail leader? Usually it is long enought to protect the extarnal side of the film. The white leader is just out of the platter core. Otherwise I could think at a leader with cues on it, to avoid the need to put the cue at the end of film calculating every time the correct distance. Bye Antonio  |  IP: Logged Lee Davies Film Handler Posts: 28 From: Bolton, England Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-13-2003 06:09 PM                     I work for another Warner Village cinema in the UK. At my site we use different coloured polyester on the tail of the last reel to indicate the certificate/rating of the film. Green for "U" certificate, yellow for "PG", blue for "12A", white for "15" and finally red for "18". This gives us easy identification of films if for example you had a "U" cert kids film on one platter, and a adult "15" or "18" film on another platter. Whenever I assemble a print I *always* wrap coloured poly around the print 2 and a half times and enough for a decent tuck under. Plus it serves the purpose Brad mentioned to protect the tail end of the credits which are sometimes printed very close to run off frames.  |  IP: Logged Antonio Marcheselli Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1260 From: Florence, Italy Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-13-2003 06:16 PM                        Lee This is a good idea, it would be unappropriate to project the wrong title in that case!! About credit close to the end of the print... Sometimes I cut away part of the tail since it is so long I have to start again the projector and wait too long to reach the end of the print! But if the tail is short, I agree with all of you that a protection is needed. Bye Antonio  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-13-2003 06:17 PM                    It's not just about platters. Show prints often have white painted leaders attached in front of and arrears of the regular leaders. And on workprints sometimes they will add a couple feet of clear outboard of the painted leader to protect it yet still leave the labels readable. It's all about protection.  |  IP: Logged Lee Davies Film Handler Posts: 28 From: Bolton, England Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-13-2003 06:23 PM                     Antonio, That's the reason we introduced it! If you have a print with a green or yellow tail, and a print with a white or red tail if you are rushing or busy, it just makes you think "wait is this the right film ?" when you start to thread. Therefore avoiding unhappy customers!  |  IP: Logged David Favel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 764 From: Ashburton, New Zealand Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-13-2003 07:11 PM                     This works even better, You know the name, format & anything else required. Wrap a length of old trailer round the entire film & viola. P.S. thanks to whomever thought of this.  |  IP: Logged

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