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836
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
I'ehruary 21, 1925
Film Damage?
What's the Real Ca use?
By F. H. RICHARDSON
The I'hotographs accoiiipanyiug this article were supplied by the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. They were made in the studios of that corporation . by Earl Dennison, who wrote the caption.
Mr. Dennison says in regard to Plate Xo. 20; Notched and \’’d film. This is very bad practice, and greatly weakens the perforations. Also causing the film to tear easily.
What Mr. Dennison saj’s is, I think only partly true. I feel obliged to take issue with him to the extent that the film is very much more apt to tear if it is used with the film edge cracked clear through to the sprocket hole and un-notched. I say this because of the fact that under this condition the broken edge is \ery likely to. and as an\ projectionist can testify, does catch on sprocket idlers, causing a more or less bad tear, or even a long split in the film.
If iNlr. Dennison means that all film in which any crack or cracks in the film edge may occur which extend through to the sprocket hole, ought to be removed and replaced by new film, I must again take issue with his conclusion. Always provided a film notching plyer or be used on in some other manner a notch such as is shown at E E E E be made, I cannot see that the film has been in anj way weakened as against the unnotched crack, though such notching as is shown at A, B. C. and D certainly is worse than the original damage it was proposed to benefit. This is especially true at A. and C. Such notching is worse than none at all, and is unsafe for projection.
Theoretically any film in which the film edge is cracked so that the crack extends from outer edge of film to sprocket hole ought to be removed, and new film substituted. In practice, however, this is, in my opinion, neither feasible nor desirable, always provided the crack be carefully notched as per E. E. E. E. My reason for this conclusion is that indfv'idual cracks often occur which may be anywhere from six inches to ten feet apart. To remove this film and make substitution of new film would be what our Quebecian brother would term “Not so good’’ for the following reasons: first, if such cracks occur say one every three or four feet, then if only the frame where the craick occurs is removed, there will be a splice added for each crack, and that is a thing the average man would object to, and with excellent reason. Second, if the film be an old one, and a lot of new sections be put in, the effect would not be very good. Thirdly, and last, carefully notched sprocket holes may, afid probably will run for quite a while. They are far safer than the unnotched hole, and I personally never have known of a single-hole notch, righly made, causing any trouble at all. But even if it should, the tear would certainly not be any worse than would be caused by an un-notched hole.
It is of course understood that my comments and recommendations apply ONLY to one-hole notches, and to notches very carefully made as per E. E. E. E. A notch taking
PLATE NO. 20
Notched and V’d film. This is very bad practice and greatly weakens the perforations. Also causing the film to tear easily. Film should always be spliced.
PLATE NO 21 Results of notching and V’ing.