How long is a piece of leader?

[Daniel Nemenyi]

In general how much leader does everyone add to their films? I know this is purely subjective but imagine people have a a regularish amount they use.

[David Hardy]

Daniel if its for a Super 8mm auto threader projector i splice in around 4 - 6 feet white leader just to be in the safe side .

[Mark Barton]

The general consensus is:

35MM PRINT

• Head 15’
• Your film
• 10’ Black spacing
• Tail 15’ of Tail

16MM PRINT

• Head 10’
• Your film
• 2’ Black spacing
• Tail 10’

SUPER 8

• Head 6' to 8' depending on the rarity of the film
• Your film
• Tail 4' to 6'

Thats what I do, head and tail can be bought spacing, junk film etc, but try to retain the films actual print notes (usually hand written on the film stock) plus countdown clock.

[Osi Osgood]

About 3 feet. Some people put leader on both ends, which I have never done personally. I just have that three extra feet, as it gives me a chance to get into position to see the screen and focus accordingly.

[Steve Klare]

I do a length of white leader sufficient to go all the way through the machine and then wrap around the take up reel: maybe 3 feet. This is kind of a sacrificial offering in case of trouble.

Then comes maybe two feet of black leader to start the machine and light the lamp. I don’t use this at the head because it’s harder to come by and I want to use it sparingly!

(Note: this post comes direct from CineSea via cellphone!)

[Chip Gelmini]

If you are going to place leaders on the tail end of reels, consider buying black color. It helps with changeovers and offers a nice clean ending to the show as you turn off the lamp and turn on room lighting. As for the lengths I agree with the previous suggestions.

If black leader is not an option for you consider cutting a piece of cardboard or thin wood. Simply place it in front of and away from the lens image and this will produce a easy shield to block / unblock the light to the screen. When starting a reel it can stop the countdown from reaching the screen - and at the same time act as an out of focus screen to show that the countdown has cleared and your picture is in the gate.

WORD OF CAUTION

While all of this leader is still available which is great - remember the aging equipment the labs are using. Perforations aren't cut as exact as they should be and neither is the width. This can be confirmed by making a splice. If you are pressing harder to align the sprockets to the splicer pins - and if the cut and trim procedures produces fine hair like waste of the actual leader - then the perfs are too small and the film is too wide.

If you use the suggested cardboard shield then you can use ANYTHING for a good well fit leader. Such as a faded pink optical or magnetic feature print. This thread suggests how long the leader should be - so follow that rule. Optical prints have proper size perfs and width. Just remember to NOT use anything with vinegar syndrome. Old film as leader should be lubricated AFTER the splicing work is done. Lube will make it softer and more flexible through the gate during the auto-load and start-up procedures.

In addition there is no need to splice dark film to white film before the projected image. Avoid multiple splices during start up. This is when the torque required to get things moving is at it's peak. You should not have splices in the sprockets or gate during this time. This is just a speed bump in relation to film claw and perf alignment at a time when it has to be spot on.

Common sense when the reason for it is good auto-load and preventing loop loss!

[Steve Klare]

Wow, Chip!

I've been doing it my way probably 20 years, and have never had a hint of trouble! (-just a very long term false sense of security!)

How long do you think I have left before supply arm-maggedon?

Thanks for your help!

[Chip Gelmini]

Well, perhaps I'm sick and tired of having threading problems with brand new leader from Kodak or a new made products when they were in business perhaps in my projection room I get very frustrated very easily. I don't know. Maybe it's my professional projection is background. I want every show is perfect as I can make it.

[Steve Klare]

Well Chip, they say there is more than one way to skin a cat. (I'm not sure: I've never needed fur that badly!)

-but, I'd say your caution gets more and more appropriate as you get into the larger gauges: a lot more mass and energy going on! Minute per minute, 35 millimeter is more than 16 times as massive as 8mm and moves through the gate more than 4 times as fast! (That's more than 128 times the kinetic energy for all you physics-fans!)

With Super-8, we’re talking less "tractor-trailer" and more "motor-scooter"!

I've seen some funky things with Kodak leader too. I had one with the curl opposite the wind: basically uncurled all over the table when I opened it up!

(I can't imagine how much work it took to package that!)

[Daniel Nemenyi]

Many thanks for all your responses, very helpful. Yes it's for 8mm/super 8, projecting on an auto-threading projector (Eumig S710 D). I picked up white polyester leader from Van Eck. Still not sure I understand the point of leader at the tail though? Black spacing at the end for transitions makes sense, but why would you want to add more than that?

[Steve Klare]

Adding black leader to the tail happens so at the raw end of a film, the screen won’t immediately go blinding white. It gives a few seconds to turn off the lamp and let the transport clear the machine.

Most commercial prints already have this unless a prior owner cut it off to splice to some other film. (Happens a lot!)

On 16mm prints it’s pretty common to see colored leader used at both ends to make it easier to distinguish the head from the tail.

[Dave Bickford]

Late to the thread, but here’s my $0.02. When re-leadering some old home movies, I just used the width of my coffee table as a measurement. That’s about 4 feet. That’s plenty of leader to get through the projector and onto the takeup reel.

Side note: I bought my leader from https://hollywoodfilmsupplies.com/fi...ader+-+Super+8. No problems at all.

[Osi Osgood]

Some of this can depend on the projector as well. One projector will be fine with any leader, where other projectors scream, " You Shall Not Pass!"

[Chip Gelmini]

I use black leader on all of the end of Reels and I usually give it 5 feet. I splice it in after the last projected frame. Keeping in mind, I have a tower based system that requires longer footage to reach where it has to go.

Putting picture on the screen is top priority and allowing 5 feet of Blacktail gives you a few seconds on the new reel In case you have frame focus or loop loss issues (where the black leader is located on the reel that is shutting down, not starting up)

It's all about showmanship and professional presentation. You can achieve all of this with good splices , fresh film, and older film that is fresh lubricated. You should also learn everything about the projector that you can study the science, the mechanical aspects, the nooks and crannies and learn what it can do as well as what it can't do

Here is a good example

With a pair of GS 1200s and using a pair of optional remotes controls, you can actually use the remotes to help you do changeovers and you might not even need black tail at all

Simply start the machine (normally) with the next reel and then with the remote control for the opposite machine that you are shutting down press stop, and the light will go off on the machine that is shutting down

Pay attention to frame and loop issues And when you are ready, return to the projector that has shut down, shut off the lamp switch, and then press play on the piano keyboard to run the tail out

In this method, the remote control running projector 1 is placed over at projector 2 and vice versa

I do not believe there is any other projector that can do that

If you've been doing it the same way for 20 years and you're happy that's all that matters but if you're looking for ways to improve it well here you go.....

and a shout out to Steve Klare To know that my intent was to share helpful information and not be negative in anyway. It's all good, Steve!

[Steve Klare]

No offense taken, Chip!

You are a guy with very high standards! We've come to expect no less.