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Author Topic: ELF platters Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 06-08-2005 03:12 AM                        Just saw those nice photos from York Theatre and wondering: how tough is the ELF on the prints... I've only seen an ELF in use once - at The MOMI in London, running "Seven Brides" - totally scratched into pieces - it was more black scratches than picture. -How many shows per print do You consider normal on ELF versus traditional platter run ? Per  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 06-08-2005 05:44 AM                        At MOMI the prints were Vacumated, and even then they only lasted 6-8 weeks if I remember correctly (I'll be meeting my former boss and technical manager there next month, and will ask him). Those endless loop platters were hideous, film-destroying things: whoever invented them should be taken to a cellar and introduced to The Gimp.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 06-08-2005 06:44 AM                     A few years ago I was at the Projected Picture Trust display at Bletchley Park. I picked up an odd reel of film to demonstrate a projector to a group of visitors, and recognised it as having come from the 'documentary' section at MOMI. The odd thing was that it was printed on colour stock, with a nasty dark green cast. I commented on this to Charles Beddow who was in the room at the time, Leo will know who he is, but for anyone who doesn't, he was the original chief at the National Film Theatre, until he retired a few years previously. He told me that they had problems running black and white stock on the endless loop platters at the museum, and that the prints were therefore made on colour stock. I don't know what the problem was. Leo, were those prints triacetate or polyester?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-08-2005 07:25 AM                     There is already a thread about the elf on ground level forum... some mooderator will be salong to combine one with the other soonner or later.... Mark  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 06-08-2005 08:52 AM                        If I remember correctly the prints were acetate (this was early '90s when polyester release prints were very rare), but even so humidifiers were needed in each projection box to prevent film jams. I hsad to walk round the museum with a bucket each morning, filling them up!  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 06-08-2005 03:39 PM                     Here is that other thread Mark pointed out, linked for reference only. Continuing discussion of ELF platters should be kept in this thread.  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 06-08-2005 04:00 PM                        quote: Mark Gulbrandsen the elf on ground level forum After what You all tell, it seems logic to place the ELF on ground floor - as far away from film prints as possible...  |  IP: Logged Floyd Justin Newton Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 559 From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 06-08-2005 07:25 PM                     B I N G O ! You got it correct there, Per.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-08-2005 07:29 PM                     Actually, I understand the Classic guys have very little to no problems whatsoever with the loop platters. No scratching, static, jams, etc. Maybe one of the Classic guys can pop in and give us some stats. If there were routine problems with them, I don't think they would still be using them.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 06-08-2005 07:29 PM                        That ELF contraption just looks very very wrong. Not that I would know though.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-08-2005 07:38 PM                        If the ELF platters are so great, then why aren't they using them on every screen? I just don't see the point of using ELF platters. If you want a reliable operator-less booth, get the Kinotons that rewind through the film gate (see Steve's post on this). If you recognize that the operator-less booth isn't going to happen, then what's such a big deal about re-threading once per show?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-08-2005 08:26 PM                     quote: Actually, I understand the Classic guys have very little to no problems whatsoever with the loop platters. No scratching, Er,ah no Brad. They do scratch prints. Previous customers of mine received prints from at least two of their locations that used them. One locaction was the now defunct Casino Cinemas. Prints from that location typically had cinch marks on them. Perhaps not so visible on their smallish screens at that location but definately visible on my customers 60 foot screen at that time. They can make all the excuses they want to justify their use but film damage still occurs when film slides on itself. There was another ELF at the MSI in Chicago for the Space Shuttle ride.... same cinch marks there except even worse as they ran the prints way, way too long. Mark  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 06-08-2005 09:15 PM                        That ELF system looks like it's the unfortunate result of a bar bet between 2 Christie engineers. Or maybe Marketing decided they needed one of those in the product lineup, and some poor bastard in Engineering had to make the thing work.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 06-08-2005 09:48 PM                        The ELF system won an Academy Technical Achievement Award in 1997: Academy Award Database 1997 (70th) Technical Achievement Award Projection CLARK F. CRITES for the design and development of the Christie ELF 1-C Endless Loop Film Transport and Storage System  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 06-08-2005 09:53 PM                        It's undoubtedly an impressive engineering achievement. But if it's also inherently hard on film...  |  IP: Logged

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