Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Thoughts about fixing a film break (or other situation) with damage to the film

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Topic: Thoughts about fixing a film break (or other situation) with damage to the film

Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-12-2009 11:05 PM

I'm just curious to get input on dealing with various types of film breaks or damage. Most specifically, where you have several feet of pinched or creased film resulting from the film jumping off the MUT rollers or a brain wrap (where wrap detector wasn't present).

In this situation, would you attempt to save any of the damaged frames or frames between the damage? Would you make your cuts at the nearest shot change on either side of the damage?

Mainly I'm just gathering input I can use for training. I may simulate some breaks just so my people can actually see what happens and how to fix it.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-13-2009 12:08 AM

If the film has been creased or pinched I generally don't cut any of it out if it'll run through the machine. Better to have the picture go wacky for a couple of seconds than to lose footage. I guess some projectors are more forgiving of this kind of damage than others. We have a Simplex, it will run just about anything you can throw at it as long as the sprocket holes are OK.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 03-13-2009 12:19 AM

Same here as what Mike has mentioned above - with the same Simplex units.

Yet, I've gone one step farther on some occasions with 'poly' film: If it breaks clean-almost straight across, I just resplice it without cutting out the torn.

But,some theatres/circuits whack out even a slightest crease, or just order new reels.

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Andrew Bangs
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 148
From: Kerrville, Texas, United States
Registered: Sep 2008

posted 03-13-2009 02:33 PM

As long as the sprocket holes are intact I will run the film. Now if it is damaged for less than a seconds worth of film say between 1 to 12 frames I will look at the sound portion and if it looks fairly quiet I will just cut out the damaged section. If the damage is a bit more severe and it is still a short section with allot of sound I will still cut it out. As far as a long crease is concerned, or a long section of any damage for that matter, I will generally play it through but I will have someone, if not myself, be in the theatre for that section and evaluate if it is distracting enough vs what information would be lost if it were to be cut out. Then from that I will determine if we need to mark it and cut it out or not.

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