Urgent WorkPrinter Question

[MovieStuff]

Hi, all!

Okay, bowing to popular demand, I am making some design changes in the WorkPrinter to accomodate use as a final transfer unit, instead of its intended purpose as a temp transfer unit.

Here is my current issue, such as it is:

I am widening the gate on the WorkPrinter units so that the entire image area is visible. Using a file, this seems to be no problem. However, because these units do not have sprockets and a formal "loop" to isolate the effect of the take up pulling on the film when its running, the tension on the pressure plate is critical to good registration.

Now, the registration was fine for temp transfers, but I wanted to make it better AND be able to widen the gate to reveal the entire frame. I found that widening the gate removed some of the metal critical to sandwiching the film and holding it in place during dwell time. This really didn't bother me since I recently replaced the original springs on the pressure plate to help compensate for the slight lack of pressure created by removing some of the metal. Also, this increase in pressure helped registration and focus, which was my original goal.

So, what's the problem?

The added pressure of the new springs makes the registration and focus just perfect, but is a bit too tight for some, but not all, tape splices to navigate. On my tests, two sided splices seemed to hang up more often than one sided and beveled cement splices seemed to work perfect every time.

Now, obviously, if you were transferring only 50 foot reels with no splices, then there would be no issue. And, I suppose, if you are transferring your original uncut footage for video editing purposes, then any footage right at the splice would not be considered useable, anyway, so a hang up wouldn't be that critical. You could just turn off the unit and manually slide the film on down the line (one of the nice benefits of no advance sprockets!).

So, the question for all of you considering purchase of the WorkPrinter (or not) is this: Do you see yourself tape splicing your finished film together and transferring on the WorkPrinter as a complete movie? Or do you see yourself just transferring the original 50 foot reels, in which case tape splices would never be an issue?

My goal, at this point, is to create the best image possible. Therefore, I am inclined to go with the better registration and wider gate, since my gut feeling is that most everyone is going to use this for final transfers for video editing, but I wanted to put the question out in front of you all. Obviously, this doesn't mean that tape splices can NEVER be used but that, like the Rank, it sometimes prefers one kind of splice over the other for best operation.

I am open to comments.

Thanks!

Roger Evans http://www.afterimagephoto.tv/workprinter.html

[This message has been edited by MovieStuff (edited October 20, 2001).]

[MovieStuff]

Hmmmmmm....

I also should have pointed out that, at 6fps transfer speed, it takes about 10 minutes to transfer 2.5 minutes worth of film. Even though the unit can handle 400 foot reels, that would be, like, an 80 minute run to transfer 400 feet! I would think that, from a practical standpoint, stopping to clean the gate after each 50 foot reel would be mandatory, so I may have answered my own question, here.

But, still, I am open to comments.

Thanks, again!

Roger

[digvid]

MovieStuff -

I would transfer my film from the original 50' reels.

- digvid

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[Matt Pacini]

Roger, since it's my Workprinter that's being experimented on, AND because I've made it painfully clear in my whining, that I want the widest gate possible, I would like to put in my two cents:

1. I would either just transfer 50ft reels, or if not, I would be using only cement splices, because....

2. I made meticulous splices in Lost Tribes, and still, I lost lots of telecine time, because I had some splices come off!
So because of that, and also because it's cheaper, I only use cement now.

So my vote goes for making the gate wide enough to display the entire image (including the soundtrack area, i.e. UltraSuper8).

Matt Pacini



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[Scott Spears]

I say go for the wider gate. I'd be transfering full 50 ft rushes, not spliced films.

Perhaps you could offer a service to transfer folks spliced films with an old style workprinter.

Scott

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[MovieStuff]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Scott Spears:
I say go for the wider gate. I'd be transfering full 50 ft rushes, not spliced films.

Perhaps you could offer a service to transfer folks spliced films with an old style workprinter.

Scott
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually, I did some tests last night with the new condenser lens I picked up for Matt Pacini and it was just stellar. Really, really sharp.

As a result, I am enclined to also put my transfer service back on the front burner. I have a handful of WorkPrinters to bang out for people and then I'm going to go back to work on my own transfer set up. My system can handle a faster transfer rate and people have emailed me about transferring longer rolls than 400 feet, so I'll base my own set up on a different unit. I'll keep you all informed.

Roger

[Scottness]

Yeah I'd use the unspliced 50 foot reels Roger - and the time delay wouldn't be a problem either

Scot M

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[Alex]

Just come up with different names for different applications.

Call it the "UltraWorkmate Dailies" for the full gate area and raw film transfers.

And make sure Matt gets the prototype and not the perfected version you'll get after you have done a couple of these.




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Alex

[Matt Pacini]

Thanks for being a jerk, as usual Alex.
You can't claim that you didn't start this one...

Matt Pacini

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[Alex]

Matt, just can't connect all the dots now can you.

What arrogance.

In the meantime, there are three or four different workprinter topic posts.

Then you Matt, have to spout off because you came up with an almost identical post on another Workprinter post located much farther down the page (at the time) that I never saw until after I posted to another Workprinter post.

If there had only been one Workprinter post, than it wouldn't have happened Matt.

Instead, you have to put the most negative spin possible. Even after I posted to you on the other Workprinter post that I just saw your post for the first time.


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Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex (edited October 23, 2001).]