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If the prints weren't covered at night they they would be filthy the next day when you came in.

So how much time does it take to cover the print and uncover it in the morning? Maybe a minute total? Is a minute's time THAT valuable to you that you can't cover the prints at night?

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But, keep the covers clean! Too often, the covers are thrown on the dirty floor, or never cleaned. It does more harm than good to put a cover full of dust and debris onto the print.

In addition to print covers, consider other things that will keep the projection room dust-free. Use HEPA filters (the pleated paper kind) over the heating/air conditioning ducts to trap any dirt that may be airborne. Use a central vacuum system or damp mopping to keep floors and work surfaces clean. (A normal vacuum cleaner or shop vac often doesn't filter out the fine dust particles, and spews them back into the air). Limit traffic through the projection room, and change from dirty outerwear (e.g, muddy boots, raingear) BEFORE entering the projection room.

Here's a quick test of cleanliness: clean a dark smooth surface by wiping it clean with a damp cloth. If enough dust settles and accumulates in a week to clearly write your name in the dust, you need to take measures to reduce the ambient level of dirt. Or do the "white glove" test of wiping your finger on surfaces of the platter and rewind bench to see if there is any dust that the film may contact.

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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

Ideally, the film cover should be neatly folded (bottom side folded inward) and placed in a dust free environment (like a drawer) for daily storage. Even just placing the folded cover on the bottom platter deck is better than setting it on a shelf or the electrical wireway, for at least there is some amount of protection from dust via the middle platter.

The other senario is on the next day when the film ends up on the top platter at the end of the day. Does the roof leak? Cloth platter covers can virtually glue themselves to a print if water gets on them! I much prefer a plastic cover. Even a plain thick drop cloth cut into a square makes for a better platter cover than the cloth ones if you have a roof leak (and it's a lot easier to fold as well! )

Hmmmm, where's my buddy Steve to speak of how he covers his prints?

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Unless a booth is under construction or otherwise unusually dusty, covering the print is something that can cause more problems than it is worth. Even in a worst case scenario, a film can always be wiped off with a lightly dampened rag.

Some circuits have a policy of leaving projectors threaded for at least some of the features, usually to cut "prep" time, but also in case of the not so rare circumstances at the beginning of the day (technicolor <cough> ) that require attention to other matters. (I'll leave that for others to debate, I've seen good points for both points of view on pre-threading in an imperfect world.)

The real question is "Is the booth dusty and dirty enough to require covers?" If it is, it needs new AC filters, better seals, and perhaps a good vacuuming and mopping, along with a thorough cleaning of dusty surfaces. The booth will never be a cleanroom environment, but one smoking projectionist can deposit more crud on a print than leaving it uncovered for days.

Flame away.

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Please, NO!!!

Even a slight amount of water can soften the gelatin of the film emulsion, causing it to either stick in the gate, or stick the layers of the film together causing severe "cling". Better to use a vacuum with a soft brush to pick up the dust. Then, use a clean, lint-free cloth very slightly dampened with FilmGuard or a solvent-based film cleaner.

I do agree with NOT threading/lacing up the night before. As Gordon said, the unthreaded/unlaced projectors should be allowed to run a few minutes to "loosen up". And all that exposed thread-up leader will pick up dirt sitting there overnight.

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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

What's the feeling about doing this in reel-to-reel booths, though? The ones where I've worked have had a custom of leaving the first reel (usually trailers) to be shown threaded up the night before. Is this really such a bad thing? It seems like it would not be a major problem, especially with enclosed reel magazines (so that the entire film path is enclosed and thus protected from dust). Thoughts?

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