Business screen magazine (1967)

NUMBER TEN IN A SERIES THE MATCHING CAME. After the picture work print and the sound mix have been interlocked and approved by the chent, 'conforming" or ■matching" begins. First dean the cutting tabic thoroughly, for cleanliness is the order of the day! Lintless white gloves should be used. Now, from the cut work print, make a written record of the first and last edge number of each scene. A jeweler's loupe is helpful in reading the numbers. Then start pulling the original scenes, identifying them from your list of edge numbers. Pull the entire scene from camera-stop to camera-stop and put the scenes in sequence by taping the ends together with a small piece of '/V masking tape. Never project or put original through a viewer or moviola. Several sets of rewinds make it easier to pull scenes. Do not put the scenes in a film barrel, for as the scenes are pulled out they will scratch some of the other film in the barrel. If a scene may appear twice in a film, put the entire scene in for the first time it is used without cutting, then for subsequent uses insert a short piece of white leader and write with pencil on the leader the edge numbers that you need. After you have completely sequenced the original, check the synchronizer carefully. Make sure it does not injure perforations or scratch film. Start at the head of the film and place the edge numbers of the original exactly opposite the edge numbers of the work print in the synchronizer. Mark each end of the original scene at the splices in the work print with a scriber. Make two small scribe marks between perforations outside the picture area where each splice will occur. With scissors cut the original, leaving sufficient length beyond the scribe mark for the splice (possibly two frames). If a dissolve is indicated on your work print, always make sure that you leave sufficient footage for the dissolve over-lap. Prepare A & B rolls using the checker-board technique as recommended on page 13 of the ACL handbook, second edition. As the scenes move from roll to roll in the synchronizer, insert double perforated black leader for the exact same length as the scene in the other roll, also marking black leader with scribe marks where the splice will occur. It is recommended that a positive raw stock photographic leader be used that has been completely exposed and developed in a positive bath to a minimum visual density of 3.00. This leader can be ordered from your lat). For dissolves always make sure the two scenes involved are lapped over the correct length. You can never have a fortyeight frame dissolve if the over-lap is only twentyfour frames. It is recommended that the middle of each dissolve be marked on both "A" and "B " rolls by a small "x" on each of the two adjacent frames at the center of the effect. This "x", of course, must be outside of the picture area. Carefully keep all original trims taped together on a roll on another rewind. After matching, file all unused original until the release is completed. After matching, you are ready to splice. Carefully check the splicer for alignment, laterally and longitudinally. Also inspect the scraped area to make sure the over-lap of splice is correct. A negative splicer should be used for original. One edge of the splice should occur in the middle of the perforation at the picture frame line. The other edge, that would normally fall in the picture area, should a/vv<iys fall in the black leader. To accomplish this, it is necessary to always keep the black leader on the same side of the splicer. It is imperative that you splice the black leader in so that it has the same emulsion position as the original film. Use only fresh cement and just enough to do the job. Never wind a wet splice onto the roll of spliced film as it may mark the emulsion of the next layer. If in winding the original onto flanges it appears to be uneven, never tap it against the flange to straighten out the roll. This causes objectionable "cinch" marks that show up as lateral scratches. After "A" and "B" rolls have been spliced, check again against the work print. Prepare lab leaders in accordance with the recommendations on page 17 of the ACL handbook. If the SMPTE Universal leader (described on page 45 of the handbook) is used, place it between the Lab head leader and first scene of the picture. In "A" and "B" preparation put the SMPTE leader in the "B" roll, and the first scene of your picture on the "A" roll. Now identify the head and tail leaders as suggested in the handbook indicating title of the picture, producer's name, footage, roll designation, type of film, and identify if head or tail. Also write in the leader "print-through" data on the same roll that has the SMPTE leader in it. All identification must be done with India ink. Other inks come off in ultrasonic cleaning machine and can be smeared over the original. Crease pencil should never be used on original. If there is any single perforated film in the original footage make sure head and tail leaders are also single perforated. The next step is to prepare the information for the Laboratory. With all rolls in the synchronizer, start at the "printer start" mark in the head leader. Set the synchronizer to read "zero" feet — "zero" frames. This mark is the reference start mark for the cue sheets. Roll film through synchronizer slowly making your final check for matching, and at the same time preparing a cue sheet for fades and dissolves using footage and frame count that the synchronizer now indicates. Many cutters indicate fades and dissolves with small white "KumClean" labels placed around the edge of the film at the appropriate spot, but between the perforations. If black leader adjoins the scene at this spot, it is recommended that the "Kum-Clean" label be placed on the black leader. The largest single problem a Lab has is lack of complete instructions, and in many cases inaccurate information. So, to get the best from your Lab, go overboard and supply all the information you can — and a little bit more. byron 30 BUSINESS SCREE