Have you ever used it???

In the other hand when I talk of practice the "paso aereo" for fun, I mean not to do it with any movie I show and as a way of saving time. Is more, archeological interest and always using old traylers that are waiting to be destroyed.

I think you refer to the practice John P. described, called in English breaking down a print "on the fly."
I never attempted it myself, but some mentioned it as a mark of their dexterity, since it meant cutting the film at the splice,removing the full reel from the lower magazine, replacing it with the next empty shipping reel, and fixing the cut end to the reel hub, twirling the reel to take up slack, and locking the reel spindle, all while the film is traveling 90 feet per minute! I believe this risky procedure was reserved for emergencies, since the projectionists I worked with were all adequately compensated for breakdown time by contract. Where two or more projectors were in working condition (three per booth were standard in the 42nd St. theatres) there wouldn't be the need for
"on the fly." But if forced to finish the last show on the only workable machine remaining, this method might have some emergency value.

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A test of dexterity for the projectionist, but a print full of dirt and scratches for the audience. And I suspect they cut a few frames from the reel every time they show it.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Verrrrry poor tecnique! You save just few minutes and you surely scratch and damage the prints.

Only one projector, empty reels and the different reels of the film with his leaders off.

When the reel 1 is about to end you splice on the fly the reel 2 so you dont have to stop ´cause the reel 2 is now in projection, put off the empty reel (number 1) and replaced with the full one (number two) in the upper magazine.
Then, you have to breakdow the reel 1 on the fly and replace it with and empty reel on the lower magazine for the reel two.

I saw it today (We used old material, no the prints we are showing ) and looks like a circus number.

Like a circus performer on a tightrope, the procedure you describe is probably very interesting to watch because it is full of suspense. Similarly, it is so unnatural that few (or none) of us would ever have a practical need to do it. Also, it is so fraught with obvious danger that nobody in their right mind should ever want to actually do it himself.

This could be done properly if one had elevators like they have on processing machines, both before and after the projector. An elevator is something like a roller cabinet with film going up and down many times over many rollers except that the lower rollers are on a frame that can move up or down. On the feed side the end while the film is clamped temporariliy to make the join the film still feeds into the machine and the elevator rises as it supplies the film. When the new roll is attached and the clamp released the elevator drops as film feeds into it faster than the machine is taking it. On the takeup side just the opposite: The elevator is empty as film feeds through it to a take up core but when the end of a unit is reached and this must be changed the elevator drops as it fills with film until the new roll is started.

BTW, I am still waiting to see video of a bi-filar loop in action.

Confession: When I worked at the Grandview Drive-In in the late 1960's, at least once per season, Carl and I challenged each other to remove the intermittent and reinstall it (including retiming the shutter) between reels DURING a show! Usually had to be done in less than 15 minutes, including threading the next reel and trimming the carbon lamp. Easily done on the Century Model C projector, but is was a "high wire act" that could have been embarrassing if we were too slow, or made a mistake. (In three seasons, we never missed the next changeover or came back on with travel ghost).

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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I think they were trying to impress me with how good the staff was at their old theater by explaining how they had spliced the last reel onto to a feature that was running an interlock. Apparently, only the first "three reels" can arrived in time for the show; they put in on the platter and started. The last reels came 30 min later; they put it together on a 6000ft reel and placed the reel on the make-up table. They then pulled off about 100 feet of tail film from the running platter, (letting it drag all over on the floor, I'm sure) spliced it onto the reel and let it run.

The thing I found interesting was: They honestly thought they did the right thing. In fact, they were quite proud of it. To them, the goal was to not stop a show (risking refunds and customer dis-satifaction.) They could not understand why I was not impressed, and thought I was not a "team-player" etc.

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