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Author Topic: Dropping Prints!!!!! Help!!!! Zack Strickland Film Handler Posts: 23 From: Dallas, GA, USA Registered: Nov 2009 posted 03-05-2010 11:06 PM                     My theatre has a problem with dropping prints. No one seems to know the proper procedure for using the clamps. please post replies with clamps procedures and any other solutions you may have for us (ie. small cart for prints)  |  IP: Logged Manny Montes Master Film Handler Posts: 270 From: United States Registered: Feb 2010 posted 03-05-2010 11:28 PM                     Take a clamp, put the long side and push it from the outside of the print to the center, then place the short end (with the knob) in the centerpiece and connect to the other side of the clamp. Kind of confusing I know I've also used a "Print Donut" and cart, where its a little cart with a flat surface about as big as a print, the donut is just a big disc made out of some material thats pretty strong (wood perhaps?), it has holes in the middle so the centerpiece can go on, you simply slide that under the centerpiece for the last show, thread as normal and move. For more stability no matter which way you choose I'd always Z-wrap a print before you move it. For the last show simply thread the elevator (yo-yo, dancer, etc) from the lower guide roller to the top 2 rollers on the elevator (left to right) then to the bottom left roller, then to the bottom right roller on the elevator. So instead of making a "W" shape, the film should make a "Z" shape. This causes the print to wind tighter.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-06-2010 12:02 AM                        Zack, commendations to you for being smart enough to seek help, but, just how many prints have been dropped so far? How is it that a theatre is allowing people to handle prints don't know what they are doing? How come the theatre hasn't been blacklisted by the distributors? How is it still in business?  |  IP: Logged Sally Ann Burgess Expert Film Handler Posts: 120 From: Queenstown, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2008 posted 03-06-2010 12:24 AM                     We use a 'donut' which is made of wood with a handy hole in the centre. The platter ring pins fit into two holes each side of the handy hole, and we use a ratchet tie-down to secure the print on one side. When picking up the print, the ratcheted side is facing the floor, the platter pins are to the left and right, and my arm is securing the top half. No drops in the last 2 years.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 03-06-2010 03:14 AM                     We use a board. Made of 1/4" plywood sheet with the dimensions of 36" long by 32" wide. On the back end of the board is a 2x6x32 with a gradual circular cutout that begins 4inches from each end of the 2x6 and the narrow part of the cutout being only 2 inches from the center edge of the 2x6 .. and attached to the end of this plywood by drywall screws. In the middle of the board is a 3x6 cutout for hand grab. We've had this board for over 15 years, move tonnage of prints with this board, moved prints from one theatre to another theatre amongst neighboring cities, and never dropped a print with this board. We also have a few sets of clamps if needed. Now, if you got a huge print to move and you system has removable brains: just move the entire deck, but be careful that you have helpers lifting and settling down the deck at the same time. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 03-06-2010 05:05 AM                        Monte and Sally, could you post a picture of your boards? I use clamps for moving most prints and a 1/8" particle board with a large space in the middle for sliding around the brain. This works well and prevents print drops.  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 03-06-2010 11:17 AM                     Mabye you need to drop a few employees! If prints are being dropped due to inexperience, then they need to be trained in the right way to move prints. If they're being dropped due to constant carelessness or neglegence, than maybe they should be seeking work elsewhere, if you get my drift. . .  |  IP: Logged Jake Spell Master Film Handler Posts: 294 From: Johns Island SC Registered: May 2009 posted 03-06-2010 12:17 PM                     I always use 4 clamps and get help from someone I can trust. Not dropped prints, and no close calls  |  IP: Logged Michael Voiland Expert Film Handler Posts: 219 From: Naperville, IL US Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-06-2010 03:56 PM                     Get some masking tape if you are cheap. What you need to do is tape the end then get 2 people one on each end of the print. slide it off the platter, the goal is to form an X with your arms almost holding the the inside ring in place. This works well with strong rings. Christie rings I would suggest using clamps. Are your brains removable. Do you have a flight of stairs to go up / down. If so then I would recommend using the clamps in an X pattern then using 2 people to support under the clamps.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 03-06-2010 09:26 PM                     For the interested and curious: Supplies needed for construction: 1-36"x32"x1/4" sheet plywood preferably one side finished (or what's called "sand shop" grade) 1-2x6x32 for the end piece 1.5" drywall screws and optional construction adhesive to glue the piece down and add screws right after the piece is glued down. the 2x6 has to have that circular cutout so the print can have something to lay against and to help keep the print centered on the board. Best wood would be redwood for that end piece since its lighter and easier to cut if you have to use a jig saw instead of a band saw. The open hand grab in the middle is 3 x 6 cutout and about in the middle, but towards a bit to the front nose piece so when you carry it on you side, the end piece isn't hitting the floor. The nose piece of the board needs to be trimmed to a taper so it can scoot under the prints better. Plus, round the front nose corners to help prevent splintering, even though, after many years of use, the nose end will still splinter out some. An optional usage is to adhere duct tape to the sides of the board to prevent side splintering, but if you do a good sanding job on the sides to a good finish, then the splintering will be extremely rare. Some picts of our board we made back in 1992 and still doing great even though it's showing it's age and I might have to build another one down the road: Also, you can make a 3ft square board for those larger prints, esp the ones that hits over 150m and even up to 180 plus minutes. Also, there is a variant to this board design for those who have solid brain platters, and that is to make the board the 3ft square, but cut out from the front edge to a bit past the middle of the board, an opening the same width of the brain so you can still slide the board under the print, and lift up the print over the brain. Thx and good luck all -Monte  |  IP: Logged Zack Strickland Film Handler Posts: 23 From: Dallas, GA, USA Registered: Nov 2009 posted 03-06-2010 10:40 PM                     NICE!!! thanks so much monty...i'm going to home depot tomorrow!  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 03-07-2010 01:55 AM                     Used to move prints all the time with something pretty much just like what Sally described. It was a circular disk of plywood with a rougher bottom-side to allow it to stay fairly stuck to the deck and there was a smaller circle cut out in the middle plus two holes punched for the ring. You could either use it to slide a print onto there or take up the movie onto it. On the ones I used, it was cut to the size of the platter so anything we could play could be moved easily on it which is an advantage over the above (though the disadvantage is you'd probably need a lathe).  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 03-07-2010 03:21 AM                     I can see your point there, Chris and it would be a nice advantage for just the one cinema as an in-house print mover, (to do a circular cut, would be to use a pencil and string to draw the needed circle, and jig saw to cut the circle out of the plywood. Then a belt sander to smooth the edges to make such a device..) but with this design we can move any film from any other make of platter unit - be it STRONG, Christie, ORC, et.al. , since we do tonnage of print circuits from other theatres.. Sure beats the 6k reel transfers. But, once in a while, we have to do the 6k transfers since some theatres are a little gamey on doing board transfers and want their platter equipment to remain on their premises...but that's a rare situation since I've made prior arrangements to show these other theatres the advantages of this method of circuiting prints. -monte  |  IP: Logged Jean-Marc Toussaint Film Handler Posts: 60 From: Paris, France Registered: May 2008 posted 03-07-2010 01:06 PM                        It seems that a few people go the donut way. We have a couple of these that are the flanges of a former cable roll. I removed the core and sanded both "donuts". I've bolted segments of cut broomsticks on what is now the lower part. Monte, I really like what you did.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 03-07-2010 01:53 PM                     quote: Monte L Fullmer but with this design we can move any film from any other make of platter unit - be it STRONG, Christie, ORC, et.al. , since we do tonnage of print circuits from other theatres.. Wouldn't be all that hard to have multiple sets of holes punched for the various ring sizes.  |  IP: Logged

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