Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (1950-1954)

In the event that a program change requires that a film be moved in the schedule, deleted or substituted, such a change is easily made since splicing equipment is available at the transmitter film room. In fact, it is not uncommon for numerous spots which are used during the Friday program to be removed by the technicians and spliced to the Saturday or Sunday film. Last-minute rearrangement of slides, or any other equipment requirement, has never created serious scheduling problems. Television Film and Splicing Practices The same spots and station identifications are used many times. Since they are customarily spliced by cementing them to another film, they frequently are supplied with opaque leader at both ends. These leaders are initially trimmed to 6 in. and a number of splices can be made before it is necessary to add additional black leader for splicing. Each splice results in the loss of one frame-width of film. Obviously if the splicing was not done on the opaque leader, the film would soon lose either visual or aural content. Operating experience has indicated that splices should not be spaced closer than 3 in., otherwise there is danger of splice breakage. Some spots are supplied with "hen scratches" or writing on the black leader. This must be masked out. Black cellophane adhesive tape has been found to be suitable for such masking. Blooping Sound Tracks. Sometimes it is necessary to "bloop" a sound track to overcome an objectionable noise when a splice passes through the sound head. A triangle of black cellophane tape applied over the sound track has been found very effective. Commercial bloop inks require more time because they must dry and they are most effective if applied with a spray gun and a mask. In practice a good audio man can minimize "bloops" with his fader after a few days' experience. He must, of course, know when they will occur in order to anticipate them. Stop-Down Leader. In many instances it is necessary to insert an appropriate length of opaque leader in the film makeup to provide for the showing of another film or slide while the film projector continues to run without interruption. When it is necessary to stop a projector to show another film on another projector or to utilize another source of program material, approximately 4 ft of opaque leader is spliced in the film makeup to allow for stopping and starting the projector. Such a leader would be "cue" marked in the middle by the punched hole method. Cue Marks. Adequate cue markers for 16mm film have not been generally available. The customary hole punches are large and are objectionable to the viewer. A small cue marker which punches four frames in the upper righthand corner, outside of the television receiver mask area, has been made on a custom basis and an aural cue marker utilizing prerecorded adhesive magnetic tape will soon be available. The aural cue marker will create a signal which only the station personnel can hear and will therefore overcome the objectionable features of the visual cue. Film Splicing Technique. Good cemented film splices are easily made and require only simple techniques which must be thoroughly understood and appreciated. The Griswold R-3 Splicer is very adequate and is used by many television stations. It is essential that the emulsion on the film be carefully scraped clean. This is easily done by clamping the film in the splicer and shearing it, then the end of the film is moistened and scraped with a well-honed scraper. The scraper must be kept sharp and clean or it will not do a good job. Care should be used not to scrape away the film base or the splice will be weak. The splicer should be well illuminated to facilitate inspection of the splice. The film cement should be fresh and 458 October 1953 Journal of the SMPTE Vol. 61