8mm Forum: "Ghost" Sprocket Marks

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Topic: "Ghost" Sprocket Marks

Stewart McSporran
Master Film Handler

Posts: 272
From: Glasgow, Scotland
Registered: Nov 2003

posted May 09, 2007 05:36 PM

Hi,

I've noticed a strange thing on some cartoons that I picked up recently - ghost sprocket marks.

It looks like a little rectangle superimposed on the picture. The rectangle is exactly like a sprocket hole. This drifts in and out of the picture in a circular motion from the bottom left of the frame, up and in for about 1/5th of the frame width and then out at the top left.

I initially thought it might be some sort of marks from some cleaning solution, but that wouldn't account for the circular motion, nor, indeed, why it's in the picture area.

Has anyone seen this? Does anyone know what it is? Can it be removed?

Stewart

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John Whittle
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 791
From: Northridge, CA USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 11, 2007 12:15 AM

There can be several reasons for this, none of them good.

The most likely is that the print was damaged and "walked" off a sprocket in a projector or some piece of editing equipment that would keep it in enough of the same position frame to frame to explain the motion.

A more steady sprocket image can be seen when a improper printer alignment was used and it's from a pre-print source and printed into the release print. Many times you'll head a 96 hz buzz on the end of some 16mm prints which is from a 35mm leader in the sound track bleeding into the scan area. This usually occurs between reels for 6 frames (the difference between 35mm pull up of 20 frames and 16mm pull up of 26 frames leaves 6 "blank" frames of track if it's reduction printed).

I'm guessing that the image is on the left side of the picture and would therefore be physical damage to the print.

Carefully examine the print over a light book and see if the film is physically damaged. If not then it's probably printed in. You don't mention the title, but this kind of thing was common on PD titles where lab work was poor.

John

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Stewart McSporran
Master Film Handler

Posts: 272
From: Glasgow, Scotland
Registered: Nov 2003

posted May 15, 2007 11:26 AM

John,

The damage is not physical, it looks like a superimposed rectangle over the main picture.

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John Whittle
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 791
From: Northridge, CA USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 16, 2007 08:24 AM

Then the damage was to a pre-print element prior to making your print and is a photographic part of your print.

John

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