8mm Forum: one or two stripes?

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Topic: one or two stripes?

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted June 21, 2012 12:53 PM

I believe I read a series of posts about this years ago, but I haven't heard about it in the longest time.

As we all (mostly) know, super 8 sound was marketed with both one stripe (just mono potential) and the more customary two stripes (main stripe and balance stripe) ...

... but from what I have heard, it is far more beneficial to have super 8 with the two stripe process, even with a mono soundtrack as, from what I understand, a super 8 print with just a main stripe and no balance stripe, may go through the film gate in an awkward manner and therefore not allow for a decent projection?

Your thoughts, folks?

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted June 21, 2012 01:09 PM

I've heard that part of the reason for the balance stripe (besides flatness in the gate) is smooth loading on a film reel.

Basically having the film be thicker on the striped edge than the non-striped means the pileup of film will actually have a "curvature" away from the striped side and will lean on the reel flange on that side instead of resting between both of them. Each succeeding layer will also be at a steeper and steeper angle from level on the reel. The longer the film, the worse this becomes.

I don't think they really expected the balance stripe to be used for stereo, after all at that time most theatrical films were mono anyway. Stereo was kind of a happy side effect.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Ricky Daniels
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 587
From: London & Kent UK
Registered: Jul 2003

posted June 21, 2012 01:30 PM

...more importantly dual stripe keeps the film flatter at the picture head (gate) and results in better side to side focus than a single edge stripe.

Best,
Rick

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007

posted June 21, 2012 01:36 PM

quote:
...more importantly dual stripe keeps the film flatter at the picture head (gate) and results in better side to side focus than a single edge stripe.

I don't know a lot about Super 8 but this is what I've always thought was the purpose of the balance stripe.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted June 21, 2012 01:40 PM

This may be an old wives tale, but I've heard that the limit of a single striper is something like 200 feet.

If that's really the case then flatness through the gate isn't the only reason because the length of the film wouldn't be an issue there.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted June 21, 2012 02:11 PM

The balande stripe is very important on 'SCOPE prints where
sharp focus is paramount.

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Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003

posted June 22, 2012 04:04 AM

Absolutely, Hugh, do you remember when Walton Films started to produce scope prints...so frustrating because they generally produced very sharp prints, but would try and save money by not applying a balance stripe...result...you couldn't get the damn picture sharp all the way across! Grr [Mad]

Although they did change this practice toward the end, but so many of those otherwise really nice prints suffer because of this.

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted June 22, 2012 04:25 AM

Very true Rob, I think it was something like a few pennies it saved
them.Although users of the Elmo and Fumeo projectors,and possibly some more,have a small screw under the lens that allows
focus to be adjusted across the frame that can help in
alleviating this problem.

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Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted June 22, 2012 08:45 AM

My copy of "Kook's Tour" from Niles Film Products came with no balance stripe. I bought a 2nd copy of it off Ebay that actually had it. Hmmmmm! Both run fine, but the copy with the balance stripe definitely runs smoother. Too bad the color on both of them has a rather cranberry timbre (but we won't go there).

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