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Author Topic: Marks on film shown in Behind The Scenes ET 20th Anniv Documentary DVD Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 02-25-2005 11:23 AM                    Not sure if this belongs here or in the After Life, but I'm guessing here. On the ET DVD, there is an extra that is basically a behind the scenes documentary about the 20th Anniversary Screening at the Shrine Auditorium. In that documentary, they show the two projectors set up with the film running on towers. As the film's running, you can see what looks like silver or white marks on the film about every five feet - I believe on the soundtrack side. They kinda look like marks from one of those crappy assed silver paint pens that exploded, but I doubt Spielberg would allow one of those pens near his film. Anyone else notice it or have any insight into what those marks could be? Or am I seeing things?  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-25-2005 11:31 AM                        I haven't seen the DVD, but they could be "machine edge numbers" which are usually added to workprints in order to make it easier to sync them with 35mm sepmag tracks (which would have identical machine edge numbers). I can't really imagine why they would be used on a release print, unless perhaps it was a double-system show.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 02-25-2005 02:39 PM                    That's interesting because this was the show that had John Williams conducting a live orchestra to provide the score while the film played. The projection booth only played the dialog and effects stems from the soundtrack. So they would have had to keep John in sync with the action. They also had two projectors running simultaneously in case one died, they could fail over to the other... and they no doubt needed to be kept in sync. Given the amount of work they put into it, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a double system show on top of everything else.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 02-25-2005 04:26 PM                        quote: Mark J. Marshall those crappy assed silver paint pens that exploded Exploding paint pens?  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 02-25-2005 05:43 PM                        Probably edge code numbers made by an Acmade machine; its printing ribbons always reminded me of the correction ribbons used on some typewriters. Acmade Codemaster  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 02-25-2005 09:40 PM                    quote: Michael Schaffer Exploding paint pens? Yep.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-27-2005 10:52 AM                     Definately Acmade edge numbers!! They are there in case the film might have to be repaired, rolled back, or started at a certain point....... They may have looked that way because the CCD in the TV camera was too slow to resolve it and turned it into a digital artifact.... Mark  |  IP: Logged Larry Shaw Expert Film Handler Posts: 238 From: Boston, MA, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 05-06-2005 06:12 PM                        BL&S did that show, it had multi mag followers and lock to various video systems, thus the footage numbers as a backup sync restoration aid.  |  IP: Logged

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