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Author Topic: Please give me a good argument as to why you should tape down head leaders on reels Robert L. Fischer Expert Film Handler Posts: 145 From: Montreal, Quebec Registered: May 2004 posted 07-30-2004 03:05 AM                    A few days ago, one of the guys from DHL came to pick up a print of Shrek 2 from my theater. The print was originally at our theater, then went to our drive-in and came back to the theater for shipping upon break-down. I happened to open up one of the film canisters and noticed that none of the reels were taped down. I was quite embarrassed by this, so I went to get some masking tape (our parent company apparently doesn't know what artist tape is) to tape them down. One of our assistant managers, who happens to be best friends with the guy who tore the movie down, gave me hell for making such a big deal out of this and took the "I don't give a @#%!" approach to the situation. I disagreed with her, and although I know more about film than she does, I didn't quite have a really good argument to make other than it was respectful for the next guy who handles the print. What other potential problems could I use as ammo in my war on careless co-workers?  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 07-30-2004 03:32 AM                        I don't know if you've ever received a print like this, Robert. If you have, you know that left untaped, the ends will progressively unwind in shipping. They'll wrap under other reels and eventually unwind to the point that the reels and container walls will damage the image area that's part of the movie itself. In addition, any dirt that gets into the cans has a far better chance to get into the subject area of the film than would be the case if the reels had remained tightly wound. I'm sure you know that this dirt will eventually cause scratch damage, which will result in a presentation that's less than what YOU got out of the print when it was new. This does nothing more than enhance the digital industry's argument why their equipment can compensate for the alleged fact that we can't manage to do our jobs. By themselves, those are at least two good reasons to make sure the ends are securely tied down. Others here can, no doubt, add good reasons, too. It's not merely a matter of esthetics. Good luck, convincing your inexperienced manager (figures, doesn't it?).  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-30-2004 05:38 AM                        Make the idiot sign a statement saying that she shall absolve and hold you harmless in any and all legal or punitive actions which the distributor might levy due to print damage which is the direct result of her intentionally preventing you from taping down leaders while she ignored proper industry-wide, print handling procedures. It should also state that she shall assume full responsibility for shipping out prints with film loose on the reels. Then refer her to this Forum here where we will happily OUT her sorry ass and where she can read why it would be best for her to quit the movie business altogether and go take up a career at some fast food franchise where she can make a whopping minimum wage and go home at night with her cloths smelling worse than her attitude and her attitude smelling worse than her dog breath. So what exactly do these people actually consider important and serious enough to make "a bid deal" about? Is ANYTHING worthy of their attention? Me thinks these are the types who probably can't even be bothered to wipe themselves.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-30-2004 09:08 AM                        quote: Robert L. Fischer ...so I went to get some masking tape (our parent company apparently doesn't know what artist tape is) to tape them down. Please try to get tape that will not leave a residue or dry out.  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-30-2004 03:16 PM                     Not only will it be a filthy mess then the next theater gets it but you could get in trouble as mentioned before. Though in my experience I havn't heard of any problems like this with wide release prints like that. I could see if it was an older movie or if it was a limited run. Masking tape is purely unacceptable as is zebra tape. The residue is terrible and frames must be sacrificed. I use only clear tape for building and securing leaders. It's also a good idea to peel off the tape when breaking down. If the next theater runs changeovers they'll appreciate a good splice there. I'd say print damage is the biggest reason you can give her. It affects everyone. She wouldn't want to come and watch a filthy ass movie with scratches all over it would she? If she can ignore them she's definitely got no business being in this business. Besides you don't want someone like me to get something like that...I'll call your theater and bitch.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-30-2004 03:56 PM                     People like that are sooooooooooo lucky I don't run a print shipping depot. I would have to have a bigger staff to handle invoicing than in the inspection room.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-30-2004 04:13 PM                       Well, I guess this underscores the need for good quality reel bands, with REAL strings! But, oh, they don't need no stinkin' reel bands anymore! Look how progressive the industry's become during the last 25 years! MPE, where are you?  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 07-30-2004 05:23 PM                    How about big rubber bands?  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-30-2004 06:20 PM                     quote: Dominic Espinosa Masking tape is purely unacceptable Serious question, because this issue comes up all the time and I keep forgetting to ask for opinions on this... Would it be better to use NO TAPE or MASKING TAPE?  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-30-2004 06:55 PM                     Dom, I think they are referring to securing the ENDS of the leaders (in lieu of proper reel bands) and not attaching the leaders back to the print with masking tape. In that case, masking tape should be perfectly fine (though artist's tape is ideal) for that purpose, provided enough is used to allow for proper fastening of the loose end. Of course the leaders should be attached to the print head and tail with clear splicing tape. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-30-2004 07:23 PM                        quote: Steve Kraus How about big rubber bands? Steve, oh how brilliant minds work alike. In fact, we did try large rubber bands -- they fit perfectly on 2000ft reels and they looked like the were designed for it. Seemed like a great idea for storage, but then I discovered that if they are left on the reel for an extended length of time, surprisingly enough, they begin to leave an indentation in the film, right down the center. I don't know how serious this would be over the long hall or how far down that impression would copy, revolution to revolution. It might be that it wouldn't go down far enough to impact the image area (the leader might absorb the pressure), or even if it did reach the image, it wouldn't be as defined as in the layers very near the end of the reel. Even if you could detect some slight deformation in the picture area, it it probably would not adversely effect projection, but the fact that anything I did would phsicial change the film itself is verboten as far as I am concerned. I'll try to get some pics to show you what I am talking about. Funny thing is, the rubber bands are large enough so as not to be particularly tight, I would have never thought they could make any kind of impression on the film itself. It was nearly a perfect solution to reelbands and/tape.  |  IP: Logged Mike Babb Master Film Handler Posts: 250 From: Norwich UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 07-30-2004 07:27 PM                        Be careful, rubber bands decompose over time, I found this out on some of my posters...  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-30-2004 07:31 PM                     The old reels (the ones that didn't clip together) that were glued together would put a crease down the center of the film on the last several wraps due to the seam. So long as there was plenty of tail leader it didn't matter, but still I would assume the pressure from a rubber band could eventually cause a similar problem on the outer wraps.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-30-2004 08:28 PM                     A rubber band of this size would be a bit of a weapon in the wrong hands Steve  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-30-2004 09:37 PM                        Rubber bands may contain sulfur compounds, which will have an adverse effect on the image.  |  IP: Logged

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