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Author Topic: Print arrives wrapped in Saran wrap Fred L West Film Handler Posts: 24 From: Concrete, Wa USA Registered: Jan 2011 posted 03-02-2012 08:07 AM                     Our print for the weekend arrived with reel one on a complete reel with the rest having just the center of a reel and wrapped in Saran wrap. This is a new never shown print with some with tail out and other head out. I had to take apart spare reel and carefully unwrap print and fit into center peace without it falling apart. All went well but just never seen or heard of such a thing? Very new to all this with just 2 years in the booth, is this common. Fred  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 03-02-2012 08:25 AM                     The plastic center is called a "core". This is the way reels come from the lab, and the way archives store prints. If this was a commercial release, you should call the distributor and have them send you reels so that you can break down the print at the end of the run. Many independent/foreign films come on cores. Your theatre should buy a metal 2K split reel, not to be confused with those plastic snap together reel side flanges often misnamed a split reel. The real metal split reels screw together and are designed for easy winding film on and off of cores.  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 03-02-2012 12:55 PM                     I never experienced that in my 25 years in the booth Fred. Mitch gave you some good advise. Thanks again for the tour of your place. Nice to hear from you.  |  IP: Logged David Buckley Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 525 From: Oxford, N. Canterbury, New Zealand Registered: Aug 2004 posted 03-02-2012 04:05 PM                        I've never seen a film arrive on reels, always on cores. Does this mean that in the USA from when the film leaves the lab on cores, to when it arrives at your booth on reels that there is a processing step somewhere where films get transferred from cores to reels?  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 03-02-2012 04:10 PM                        Common practice in the US is to ship release prints on reels instead of cores. I assume the transfer from lab cores to reels is done at the various depots.  |  IP: Logged Bruce Hansen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 847 From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-02-2012 04:20 PM                     The reel "sides" are snapped on to the core at the depots. The "reels" that were just on cores, and rapped with plastic sound like they care new reels from the lab.  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 03-02-2012 04:40 PM                     For many years now in Australia, new prints have been delivered wrapped in heat-shrunk plastic film and on cores in boxes. There is nothing wrong with this method, it saves on shipping and, as the print should never be used unless on house spools, eliminates the issue of 'shipping damaged' spools.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 03-02-2012 04:45 PM                     True, it was pretty standard that most theatres had a 'split reel' for such print arrivals when arrived on cores only...  |  IP: Logged Graham Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2009 posted 03-02-2012 04:55 PM                     In the twelve years of projecting and around 800 films I have only come across a handfull of prints ever arriving on reels. New prints also come in cores and sealed where as others just on the cores. As Ian has said the cost of frieght comes into it as well so a good split reel is a must. Never a problem with them arriving this way....works fine. Graham.  |  IP: Logged Jock Blakley Expert Film Handler Posts: 218 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Oct 2011 posted 03-02-2012 05:07 PM                     Even rep prints in mainstream distribution down under come on cores, stacked in cardboard boxes. Makes shipping easy but I shudder to think of a courier dropping one in a puddle one day because it does expose the films to shipping damage. The plastic wrap disappears after the first screening and the plastic cans that they used to come in went west about 10 years ago except for product that's come from a handful of international labs. And of course you get booth-monkeys who don't put the cardboard separators back between the stacked spools... In fact, excluding the odd 70mm that nobody's remembered to junk, I can only think of three prints circulated on reels in trunks by Deluxe Media Logistics.  |  IP: Logged Graham Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2009 posted 03-02-2012 05:53 PM                     In fact its so unusual to have a film arrive in reels I took a photo of one. Poor old "Lawrence of Arabia" this print had seen better days, however I should add "Doctor Zhivago" arrived soon after this and the print is not "to bad" after screeing Doctor Zhivago we sent it of to Aussie to live. Graham.  |  IP: Logged Jock Blakley Expert Film Handler Posts: 218 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Oct 2011 posted 03-02-2012 06:16 PM                     The Australian print of Lawrence is trashed and gets about in four cardboard boxes. Can't ever forgive Columbia for sending the Australian 70mm print to Korea and letting them subtitle it. A pity doubly because they're the sort of reels we prefer to see By the way, Graham, was Doctor Zhivago the Chapel Distribution print?  |  IP: Logged Victor Liorentas Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: london ontario canada Registered: May 2009 posted 03-02-2012 06:22 PM                     One good thing about getting a new film on cores wrapped in plastic is the film stands a greater chance of being super clean. Often the old film cans are filthy with decades old dust and cardboard debris which jumps all over fresh new film.  |  IP: Logged Brian Guckian Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 594 From: Dublin, Ireland Registered: Apr 2003 posted 03-02-2012 06:59 PM                     quote: Jock Blakley The plastic wrap disappears after the first screening and the plastic cans that they used to come in went west about 10 years ago except for product that's come from a handful of international labs. And of course you get booth-monkeys who don't put the cardboard separators back between the stacked spools... Really sorry to learn of this - getting rid of cans is really poor practice and is guaranteed to dramatically shorten print life. I know prints are often shipped from the Lab to the Distributor shrink-wrapped in plastic with cardboard separators - but that's only because the shrink wrap supports the spooled film rolls, and this method is only supposed to be used for the initial Lab-to-Distributor shipment (I know this because a Print Manager told me). Once the shrink-wrap is removed, the spooled rolls must be transferred to cans for subsequent shipping to theatres. Cardboard separators not only cannot protect the film, but offer very little mechanical support in transit - one shudders to think what condition prints are in where shipped from one theatre to another. By way of contrast, there are the high-quality cans and cases that e.g. Deluxe London use - no reason why you shouldn't receive prints exactly the same way.  |  IP: Logged Graham Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2009 posted 03-02-2012 08:48 PM                     Jock I think the local NZ distributor for the David Lean films was Cinevista however he was tied up with Sony Pictures. We were asked to dispatch "Doctor Zhivago" to Melbourne. I cant remember the address the film went to. The records were at the cinema when we closed down after 20 years for good last November, "make way for more shops" we did run the David Lean films Sept-Oct just before we closed. Of the four David Lean films, Doctor Zhivago although far from being perfect was ok. I did ask why new prints were not made with the film distributor, his reply was that the demand was such it was not financially worth it, which is a pity. Jock that print could be still in Melbourne somewhere and would be worth getting. I last watched this film when I was young back in the 60s and watching again was a real joy....twice I think this is where only the "look" of a film presentation wins out. here is a screen shot taken from the projection room might give you an idea of its condition Graham.  |  IP: Logged

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