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

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Question about reel orientation

Author Topic: Question about reel orientation Chris Brown Expert Film Handler Posts: 105 From: Fairport, NY, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-25-2004 01:54 AM                        I've always wondered this and figured one of you guys here might have an answer for me. Why is it that with many prints you receive, you open up the can/box and find (for example) reels 1, 3, and 4 heads up, and 2, 5, and 6 tails up? Is there a good reason why reels are wound so randomly like this? Obviously if they are all heads up or all tails up, assembling the print is much easier. But I hate having to go through and rewind reels just to get their orientation right. And yes, I know, it doesnt take much time to rewind a reel, but that's beside the point. Anyone know how this happens?  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 12-25-2004 01:59 AM                     Is ths wth new prints? If so, probably because they were priinted on a bi-drectional prnter, so that some reels were printed head to tail, and others tail to head.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-25-2004 02:17 AM                       Prints assembled from the odd excursions of bi-directional printers, maybe? Either that, or they're just QC-ing every other reel.  |  IP: Logged Chris Brown Expert Film Handler Posts: 105 From: Fairport, NY, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-25-2004 02:28 PM                        Yes it is with new prints. I'd never heard of a bi-directional printer, but it sounds like that would explain it. Thanks Stephen!  |  IP: Logged Chase Hanson Expert Film Handler Posts: 172 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Oct 2004 posted 12-26-2004 02:48 PM                     I have a hypothesis and it follows the same logic as film psuedo names. If a print has mismatched reels ends, this causes a degree of frustration to persons who might benefit from cans that got "held over at the depot".  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 12-27-2004 01:51 PM                        With unidirectional and "loop" type printers, release prints are usually printed heads-to-tails. After processing, the reels are oriented heads out. If a print is inspected off-line without rewinding, the orientation of the inspected prints will change. With a bi-directional panel printer, prints are made both heads-to-tails, or tails-to-heads. So reels will vary in orientation.  |  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.