Splicing your prints onto fewer reels

[Chip Gelmini]

Staying on subject and simply adding to it:

On the subject of purchasing used films that have been made up to big reels then broken down prior to a sale, I can’t tell you how many times the break down procedure had been done incorrectly.

Reels filled to the absolute outer edge. So full in fact that it was dangerous to handle the film print. Example: A feature released from Derann on 6 x 400. But I receive it on 5 x 400.

Missing or incorrect leaders in addition to not being proper length

The way to solve all of that is to match the frames to the proper reels between leaders and tails. Do this when making up to big reels for a better breakdown later.

Making a splice going ON to larger reels can be marked with a white grease pencil. The clear splice is easier to spot coming off the reel for a later break down. The other splices can remain clear that being a permanent repair splice

But most importantly the need to understand the difference between a standard safe full reel and one that is over filled

A Taylor steel or Goldberg reel with footage indicators on the flange will teach you. Note that the footage number (800 / 1200) is underscored or underlined. It is at this point the footage indicator is proper. Fill above this underline – and you are going over the suggested amount.

A good rule of thumb for reels that do not have markings: Stop when the footage is approximately ½ inch below the diameter of the reel. Example: 400 foot reel is 8 inches around. Stop filling at 7.50 inch.

As reels will wobble on shafts and flange to edge of film contact will always happen – assuming take up tension is correct – this safety zone of ½ inch avoids spillage. Always remember print damage such as pinched sprockets, and/or lumpy prints that do not take up evenly round (like a speed bump in a parking lot) will also be a deciding factor.

You can avoid most errors by using a take up reel that is much larger than the footage on the supply reel.

If you have large reels with the footage indicators have yourself a look. You might be surprised what you can learn from it!

[Kim Trampus]

Kim, could you please expand on your "lessons learned' experience?

I listed my Super 8 Marketing Films Full Feature of "Saturday Night Fever" on Ebay with no reserve. I thought that I'd get a least $50 for the (2) Aluminum 1200' reels in cans. I threw away the original (8) 400' reels and leaders for the movie years ago. The film sold for .99 cents plus shipping. So the lesson I learned is that not many people are able to show 1200' reels on their projectors. I have an Elmo ST-1200 that can take the large reels.

[Brian Fretwell]

Yes, that is why Phil at CHC advertises films on large spools can to re-spooled (by him) to the size your projector can handle.

[John Taylor]

A couple of points on this that are only my view,
I dont seriously think films are devalued by joining them onto larger spools, in fact, I dont think films have ever fetched as much money on the second hand market as they do nowadays, some prices are simply through the roof, whatever spools they are doesn't seem to stop the high prices. The only think it may do is reduce the amount of buyers who's projectors only take 60ft reels, but I cant imagine many people who collect films would not have the ability and splicers to put them onto smaller spools if they really wanted it, or in a few cases I know, the sellers often make a note that the films can be placed on smaller spools as CHC do, (as mentioned).
My other point is simply that the value of any film I have bought in the past has never crossed my mind, I buy the films I have because I want them and like them, whatever they are worth later is irrelevant.
I dont have a very large collection of super 8 but what I have got is generally good quality and I do place them on larger reels where I can.
For musicals, if I collected them, Paul Adsetts idea of keeping them on 600s is a good one as these are the sort of films you can watch in single parts if they have your favourite song and dance numbers.
For my 16mm films, I also sometimes watch a favourite part.
The point of valuing/devaluing films shouldn't come into a real collectors mind.

[Chip Gelmini]

Read between the lines here as I write below:

Don't over value your collection or you might face jail time.......lol

[John Taylor]

My films are happily on many spools of varying sizes from 50ft to 1200, ive never even considered how this effect its resale but thats not why i buy, i buy because i like the movie and want to see it on my big screen be it 8 or mostly 16mm. I am aware now of collectors who now seem to want to rip off fellow collectors with extreme pricing but fortunatly they are few and far between, but they lurk in the background here and elsewhere, spooky.

[Tony Kelly]

many good points here,one thing is true though, a film is worth as much as a collector wants to pay, especially on these ebay auctions, ive bought features like way of the dragon 4 x 400 foot and some reels the leaders and even the tails had been removed at some point and nice new purple ones ass ha ha, didnt bovver me one bit and didnt think oh no the film is worth less now coz it isnt, some of these films dont forget are over 30-40 years old too, i enjoy putting features onto larger reels sometimes, never collect films for profit is the way to go.

[John Taylor]

The thing about the value of films is quite something now. A good friend of mine pointed me to the price a 16mm copy of The Texas chainsaw massacre, it recently sold of the bay for over 5000!!! The film only runs for 83 minutes, the buyer could have had a copy made for 1500/2000 and it would have had sound from a digital source and an image totally line free. It makes no sense what so ever to pay this kind of cash for a film. I've seen a film with additional/replacement footage inserted and I couldn't tell the difference, it is that good. When I was shown the film I was challenged to shout out when I thought the new footage was on the screen, I picked out incorrectly.

Back to the point of the thread, I dont think altering reels or even having original boxes makes any difference to what someone is prepared to pay for a film, I bet you this print of Texas chainsaw didn't have all of its original tails/ leaders, being 16mm it wouldn't have had a ponsy pretty box either but the buyer still paid two and a have thousand more than what a newly made print would have cost.

[Kim Trampus]

Read between the lines here as I write below:

Don't over value your collection or you might face jail time.......lol

Trust me, I didn't but I was hoping to get more than .99 cents.