Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How do you identify which reel film belongs to?

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Topic: How do you identify which reel film belongs to?

Cody Martin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 214
From: Edinburgh, IN, USA
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 08-21-2005 09:11 PM

Hello,

I am currently cleaning out a lot of film I received and i have a few questions. A few of the films have a small bundle or "bad film" and I was wondering if there is a way to try to figure out what reel this came from. I have the print, but I would like to try to find which reel it came from. Is there a way to use the numbers on the bottom of the Kodak film?

Thanks,
cody

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: Boulder Creek, CA.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 08-22-2005 01:24 PM

quote: John Pytlak
The magenta Kodak edgeprint ID provides another way of positively matching the leader to the proper reel. Each 4000-foot or 6000-foot roll of raw stock Kodak supplies to the labs has a UNIQUE edgeprint identification number, printed about every three feet along the edge of the film (you can see examples in Brad's photos of Reel 3/2 and Reel 4/3 splices). Check the magenta edgeprint of the leader and the reel, and be sure the entire number matches.

Usually, the lab uses only one or two emulsion batches for a release, so the first two sets of numbers will likely remain the same (e.g., 2383 353). But the following numbers refer to the roll, slit and machines used, and will be unique on every roll used by the lab.

Film Handling Done Very Very Right

EDIT: A lot of other film manufacturers use edge printing to some degree as well.
It shouldn't be too bad however, just a little time consuming.
Good luck.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 08-23-2005 08:14 AM

Just an added note that if there is a lab splice, two different rolls of raw stock were used by the lab for that reel, and the numbers will be different on each side of the lab splice.

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