Might be a stupid question, but is it possible to run a continuous loop on a Christie Autowind 3 platter system? I'm asking because we have to show a trailer this Sunday (18th March) afternoon for an hour continously. We will be getting three copies of the trailer which runs for approximately 1min 50secs and the original idea was to splice these together with 30 seconds of black frame spacing between them. But this idea would mean we would have to re-thread the projector every 7-8 minutes or so which with having 11 others to run would be distracting. So my idea was to just separate the head and tail with black spacing again and run it in a loop for the hour. But I have never come across this before, so is it possible?

Thanks for any help,

Do use an on-line film cleaner, however.

The reason its on for an hour is that they think the kids are going to go nuts and "just have to see the trailer" or something. I dont ask why, I just nod and agree!

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

I presume you’re working for the same company as I am. It would have been nice if the people that have arranged this had checked first if this would be possible, wouldn’t it!!!

Anyway, I should be able to use the Interlock and tension-adding rollers to make this work. If you don’t have these at your disposal, you’re just going to have to run the trailer from the projector and let it gather into a plastic basket (NOT onto the floor!) and loop the start onto the finish, and let the projector do the pulling of the film. If you arrange it strategically enough and, as suggested, USE THE FILM CLEANER!, it will run ok. But warn your Manager that the trailer may suffer severe damage and that there is a possibility of breakage.

This is by no means the kind of treatment I would put a feature through. But, being just a trailer, and the pressure we’re being put under to make this work, it’s all I can think of.

Hmmmm, looks like i'm just going to have to try it and see what happens. I'll give this a try tonight at work when some of the films have finished for the night.

John & Brad: Thanks for the help and dont worry I will use a film cleaner

Darryl: Just how time consuming do you think this is going to be to set up? Hopefully not too long!

Danny: I work for a multiplex chain that uses big eared rabbits with carrots as its "symbol". Can't say the company name as when I have previously I have been sent e-mails saying I shouldn't use the company name to air my personal views!?! From what I can gather most cinemas and multiplex chains are doing this on Sunday so you might work for the same company, but then again you might not.

What to do, eh I'm sure i'll think of something when I give it a go tonight!

Ever take apart the ribbon cartridge of a dot matrix printer? The ribbon is all skrunched up inside the cartridge, yet never jams coming out.

Transfer the idea to film. Cardboard box, deep and narrow (one film width). Film is guided into the top, it flip folds back and forth, then comes out a largish hole in the bottom. Should work with minimal abrasion. The only time the film would be pulled against itself is when it exits the box.

As Brad mentioned earlier that is the Christie 'ELF' platter. Yes, Christie still makes them.

Aaron

Then where is the film taken up? A reel? A Platter ring? Assuming the film would have to be reshown several times over, how much trouble would it be to re-box the film without damaging it? Sometghing to ponder.

I have seen audio tape equipment that did something similar except I think it was the opposite: it spooled the tape off a reeel and after going thru the heads it paid out into a one-tape-width 'bin' at the bottom, using gravity to collect the tape in many little convolutions.

The idea works best for short lengths, like trailers. It accumulates in the box. Thread projector, bump to get a little film through the hole at the bottom of the box, run the rest of the film except the tail into the box, splice the two ends together.

I think a lot of us have run trailers out of a box before. Again, I'm always amazed that the film doesn't kink and bind.