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Twenty-six
The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
April, 1932
Just How the Butt Patch Is Made
Inventor Describes Manner of Operation by
Which Sound Film May Be Cut Without
Loss of Either Track or Action
By ARTHUR REEVES
THE Butt Patch has been originated since the inception of sound. Of course this procedure of cutting, patching, splicing, etc., is more or less of greater importance to the man who is recording sound-onfilm. The main purpose of Butt Patching is to make a patch in the film without the consequent loss of either sound track or action.
There are many motion picture laboratories that are using racks for the developing of film. These racks will hold only a certain amount of film. Hence when a length of film is wound on one of these racks and its capacity is exhausted without using
scissors are made with a guide and pilot pins so that the film may be cut straight across in the darkness of the developing room.
Now that the film is cut straight across as in Figure 2 it becomes necessary to add another length of film (leader) to the piece on the rack. This is done so that we may have a length of film to fasten the main roll to the rack. This is accomplished by fastening to the back (celluloid side) of the film another short piece having on one end a metal film patch. This metal patch holds the films together by the perforations on either side.
The same process is followed with
Figure 1
up all of the film in that particular roll, then it becomes necessary to break the film in the action and sound track films. The breaking is accomplished in the following manner:
The film is first wound on to the rack until it is full. Then the film is cut with a pair of scissors. These
the other piece to start it on to the rack. So far this is common laboratory practice.
After the film is dry we make a patch in the two lengths of film to join them together in one continuous roll. These two lengths can be butted together with a patch across their
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Describing Process
The procedure of Butt patching is the same with either machine. For the sake of clarity let us call the films by number so that each piece the more easily may be identified and thus simplify the explanation.
The two lengths of film to be patched together will be called Nos. 1 and 2, and the piece of celluloid (leader) used to make the patch on the back will be called No. 3. See Figure 3.
First we place No. 1 emulsion down on the left side of the splicing ma
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Figure 3
Figure b
chine so that it will not be cut off when the blade at the right side is lowered. We now place a piece of clear celluloid (leader) film in the right side of the machine and bring the machine down and cement it on the back of piece No. 1. See Figure 4. We now take this out of the splicing machine (Nos. 1 and 3) and place No. 2 on the right side of the machine, emulsion down as before, so the end does not project beyond the cutting edge. Now place Nos. 1 and 3 in the right side of the machine,