American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1955)

Pre-printing Preparation Of 16mm Films Recommendations aimed at standardizing preparation and marking of negatives and work print for better results offered by the Association of Cinema Laboratories, Inc. FIG. 1 — Top and center diagrams illustrate “checkerboard technique” of making splices invisible when preparing 16mm A & B rolls for the laboratory. Bottom diagram shows the recommended method for preparing A & B rolls for dissolves. The association of Cinema Laboratories, Inc., this month began the distribution of three bulletins containing the Association’s recommendations to producers of 16mm motion pictures for the preparation of A & B rolls, the preparation of 16mm printing leaders, and method of marking work prints to indicate effects. It is the first concerted effort by the industry’s leading film laboratories to secure the cooper¬ ation of film makers towards standardizing their methods on pre-print preparation of films. In the preparation of original 16mm A & B rolls, there are ten specific recommendations: Black Leader: It is recommended that only black leader be used between scenes and that such leader be fully opaque. This leader can be made by fully exposing a length of posi¬ tive film and developing it in a positive hath. If black leader is old, it is advisable to check it for shrinkage. Black leader should be used for negative A & B rolls also. Double or Single Perforated Leaders: It is the Associa¬ tion’s recommendation that only double-perforated leader be used when all the original is double-perforated. When some or all of the original is single-perforated, the use of singleperforated black leader is recommended to prevent possible future damage to the original. The perforations in the black leader should, of course, be on the same edge of the film as those in the original. Invisible Splices: In order to make 16mm splices invisible on the screen, it is recommended that the A & B rolls be prepared using the “checker board” technique. (See Fig. 1). This technique is accomplished by alternating the scenes back and forth on the A & B rolls. The splices should be made in a splicer that makes one of the cuts on the frame line and the other cut in the picture area. When splicing the scene to black leader, the scene should be placed in the splicer in such a manner that the scraped portion and visible cut of the splice occur only in the black leader. After splic¬ ing the head of the scene in this manner, in order to cor¬ rectly make the splice at the “tail” of the scene, it will be necessary to turn the scene around in the splicer. It is further recommended, however, that the producer consult his laboratory before preparing A & B rolls because some laboratories request that a number of extra frames be left on the head and tail of each scene in matching. Fades: When a fadeout is followed by a fadein, it is recommended that the fadein scene be carried across to the other roll without any overlap. The procedure is the same as that followed in preparing for “invisible” splices. Instruc¬ tions must be given so that the fades will be printed in at the desired places. ( Continued on Page 544) FIG. 2 — Method and symbols for marking work prints for guidance of laboratory technicians in making special effects. METHOD OF MARKING WORK PRINTS TO INDICATE EFFECTS TAIL PADS //V FADS OUT D/SSOLVF OOUSLB BXPOSUPB U/V/AJTBM770ASAL SBL/CBS HEAD 1 American Cinematographer September, 1955 531