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Author Topic: Why is my movie scratched? Matthew Stevens Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Colorado Springs, Co Registered: Jan 2004 posted 03-05-2004 02:59 PM                        I took a day off last week and had one of the managers cover for me in the projection booth. When I came back, one of my movies has a long scratch running down the mid left side of the movie at the last twenty minutes of the movie. It's only at the end of the movie, but I can't figure out what the manager did to scratch the movie? Anyone have an idea? [ 03-06-2004, 09:58 PM: Message edited by: Matthew Stevens ]  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 03-05-2004 03:12 PM                        Hey!! No teaser titles!! (just practicing for when Brad asks me to be a moderator. )  |  IP: Logged David Favel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 764 From: Ashburton, New Zealand Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-05-2004 03:14 PM                     Need details on equipment used, however badly.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-05-2004 03:23 PM                        'Last twenty minutes' suggests last reel. Is this a changeover show? If yes, the answer is almost certainly that the last reel was misthreaded. Can't be a projector fault because if it was, several previous alternating reels would have also been scratched. If you're a platter, tower or 6,000 foot spool show, then what variable could affect just the last 20 minutes? A bit of abrasive crap which lodged itself in a nasty place could answer that question, but as David F says, we really need some more info to help you on this one.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-05-2004 03:40 PM                        Probably a bad splice (assuming you're running off platters -- although you're running a twin theatre, so who knows). Please edit the subject title to something that identifies the topic a little better.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 03-05-2004 04:16 PM                        I agree, if it's a changeover situation, and only one reel got scratched, it was likely a misthread. Are you using old-style magazines with the three-roller "fire rollers"? (they were notorious for picking up debris that could scratch, or developing flats on the rollers that could scratch film). In a platter situation, abrasive debris could have built up somewhere in the film path. Does the scratch start at a splice? Do you see a buildup of skivings or debris anywhere in the film path? (A deep scratch usually generates quite a bit of debris at the site of the thing causing the scratch).  |  IP: Logged Matthew Stevens Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Colorado Springs, Co Registered: Jan 2004 posted 03-05-2004 04:42 PM                        I would have thought that orginally that is was a bad splice, however, when I watched it on thrusday night it was perfect. No problems. I took Saturday off and the last reel is scratched. Equipment- Century C projector; Sound- Simplex IRC with BACP RSTR 2000 LED's; Christie Lamphouse with CXL- 20 xenon bulb; TA-10 Theatre Automation; Strong Platter System- model: 35-AP3; Smart Tower with Smart MOD 2 B cimema Stero Processor, Smart MN580 Active Booth Monitor and 2 Smart TA425 Cinmea Amplifiers; and 1 FC-1 Christie Film Cleaner.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-05-2004 05:13 PM                     Matthew -- you really need to change the title of your thread or something bad is going to happen to it. "What the heck is going on with this movie?" is not very descriptive at all. What does the scratch look like? Is it a black scratch or a greenish/yellowish one? If the scratch is black then you want to seek out the parts of your system that come into contact with the base side of the film. A green/yellow scratch means the emulsion side has been affected. Have more scratches appeared as a result of subsequent showings? If so then you have a real problem that should not be too difficult to track down: Simply follow the entire film path bearing in mind which side of film was affected. If not, this will be a little harder to track down. The problem -- perhaps a bit of accumulated dirt -- could have even cleared itself out of the film path. BTW -- While it doesn't hurt to include the components of your *entire* system, it is nonetheless a safe bet that your sound equipment (processor and amps) are not at fault.  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-05-2004 09:05 PM                     Matthew, My first guess would be the film cleaner. Since it was the end of the film that was scratched, it could be that the cleaning medium ran out, stalled or broke lose from the spool. The cause could be difficult to trace as the rewound cleaner would have the furbish it collected from the damaged print in later passes. What is your standard practice on the cleaner operation? Did the replacement operator know and REMEMBER that little detail? I would be curious to know the condition of that cleaning medium. Hope this helps. KEN  |  IP: Logged Floyd Justin Newton Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 559 From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-05-2004 10:13 PM                     Matthew-- "The solution to ANY problem lies within the problem itself" You = Projectionist Manager = Whatever fjn  |  IP: Logged Brian Michael Weidemann Expert cat molester Posts: 944 From: Costa Mesa, CA United States Registered: Feb 2004 posted 03-06-2004 05:32 AM                        We had an episode early in the run of Matrix Revolutions: The IMAX Experience where a misthread caused the entire print to be scratched. However, it was a very light scratch, emulsion side, and did not appear visible on screen except for a couple random reels. (Keep in mind, this print was 38 reels, as IMAX reels are 3.5 minutes long.) And when the scratch did appear, it was black (except for the one reel, in which it turned green for a horrifying 10 seconds). If a misthread takes the film over a scratch-threatening surface, it's possible that it won't scratch the print, but every splice that passes by will adjust the position just slightly, likely just enough to start scratching; as this is what happened with Matrix. Most of the film didn't show the scratch at all, but it was there! I had to order and replace reels #21 and #36 ... that was a fun night!  |  IP: Logged Matthew Stevens Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Colorado Springs, Co Registered: Jan 2004 posted 03-06-2004 02:26 PM                        Well, I found out what happened. I took a closer look at the entire movie. Since alot of the movie is dark. It looked like it was just at the end of the movie. However I looked at the first trailer (touching the void) and it was scratched as well. I ask both managers what happened and who was threading that show. They told me they don't remember (LIARS). One quit three days after and another is no longing working here. The one who quit told me that the other manager misthreaded and ran the ENTIRE MOVIE (not once checking on it) and messed it all up. BTW- I'm sorry if I put to much information out there about my system, I just wanted to help  |  IP: Logged Chris Byrne Expert Film Handler Posts: 102 From: Kirwan, Australia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 03-06-2004 06:04 PM                     Matthew, My guess is the misthread was in the projector. Something fixed like the sound head cowling is most likely to be at fault. Study the film path for any build up of emulsion dust. It would probably be wiped clean by now, however someone must have noticed.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 03-06-2004 06:51 PM                    quote: BTW -- While it doesn't hurt to include the components of your *entire* system, it is nonetheless a safe bet that your sound equipment (processor and amps) are not at fault. Manny, Manny, Manny, if you only knew how many prints the USL CM35 has destroyed over the years.  |  IP: Logged Matthew Stevens Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Colorado Springs, Co Registered: Jan 2004 posted 03-06-2004 10:08 PM                        Chris- how can dust from a movie, scratch a movie?  |  IP: Logged

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