Overview: Just some notes on preparing and cleaning film before transferring.

How Should the Film Appear On the Rewinders

When one is standing in front of the rewinders, the film should:

Be mounted on the right rewind post.
The take-up reel (the empty one) should be on the left rewind post (the drive post with the handle)
The sprockets should be on the far side of the film.
The film should be coming off the top of the reel to the top of the take-up reel
The emulsion side (the duller side) of the film should be facing up (we are talking about the black film and not the leader....may need to unwind the film a little to see the actual film)

Basic Rewinder Process

Rewind the film from the “dead” post ot the “active” (on your left).
Clean the film with a lint free cloth with a spot soaked in Solvon.
1. Pinch the cloth around the film as you move the film
2. I pinch the film near the “dead” post for two reasons:
  1. i. The film has a longer period to dry before winding onto the take-up reel
  2. ii. I can brake the “dead” reel easier if I’m near it (needed if you suddenly have to stop)
When the film has been moved and cleaned....
Move the reels from one post to the other keeping the reels in the same orientation
Now thread the film from the bottom of the right reel to the bottom of the take-up reel (the original reel)
1. The film between the reels should be the glossy side up
2. The film on the reels should be the emulsion side up

Situations or Problems:

When cleaning and preparing the film for transferring you can come across a few situations. Here’s a list of them and the solutions:

Upside down and backwards:
- How can you tell. The film will come of the reel with the shiny side (non-emulsion side) facing up.
- Solution:
  - We have the original reel, call it reel A, and the spare take-up reel, call it reel B
  - Mount reel B (spare take-up reel) on the left post
  - Rewind film from the top of the reel A (original reel) to the bottom of the reel B
  - Reel B will now have the dull side (expulsion side) up
  - Remove reel B from the post
    - With the reel oriented such that the sprockets are near you, the film will now be rolling off the right hand side
    - Mount reel B on projector and scan
    - Replace reel B with reel A (the original reel) and rewind the film back onto reel A
Splices Only On One Side
- How can you tell:
  - Examining the film at the splices.
- Problems this can cause:
  - When scanning 8mm film, the film will tend to get stuck in the track and jam causing the film to bunch up and wrinkle!!!
  - For 16mm film this can cause the film to jerk sharply at the top of the film path and this is turn may cause the projector to stop or the film to break or just to jerk during the scan.
- Solution:
  - When winding the film through the rewinder keep and eye out for changes in film where a splice has occurred.
  - Generally the splices are at the end of 50 foot films that have been spliced together
  - You can usually feel the splice when cleaning it
Film On Reel Backwards
- How can you tell:
  - Look at a film frame closely. The top of the frame should be toward the head of the film (or the top of the frame should be toward the leader).
- Problems this can cause:
  - When scanning the film (8mm or 16mm), the film will be scanned upside down and backwards.
- Solution:
  - Rather than winding the film onto the cleaning reel and back onto the original reel before scanning we need to wind the film (while cleaning it) onto a temporary reel.
  - Then mount the temporary reel on the Sniper unit.
  - Scan the film as you normally would.
  - When the film is on the take-up reel, replace the temporary reel wit the original reel and then rewind the film onto the original reel.
  - The film should now be scanned and the original reel should have the film with the head facing out.

Overview: This article is on pointers regarding film cleaning.

Tools:

Rewinder, film cleaning fluid (Edwal bottles have Solvon), cleaning cloth, splices, splicer.

Basics:

The rewinder should be placed on the table with the handles facing the operator. The left rewinder should be the drive or geared rewinder and the right rewinder the slave.
The film should be mounted on the slave.
Film reel orientation:
- for 8mm and 16mm sound, the sprocket holes should be on the far side of the reel
- for 16mm silent, the sprocket holes are on both sides so they cannot help in orientation
- BEWARE 16mm leader can be incorrect....ie. I've seen silent leader on sound film (the film has sprockets only on one side)
- typically the film will come off the top of the reel to the top of the take-up reel
- the film's emulsion side will be facing up
- 16mm film frames are facing heads-up toward the leader. If the frames are heads-down, then the film is on the reel tail out.
  - tail out film needs to be wound onto the take-up reel
  - while winding the film, clean it
  - when done winding, take the take-up reel and mount it on the projector
    - when the reel has been processed to thru the projector....
      - replace the original take-up reel with the original reel
      - rewind the film back onto the original reel
soak some of the cleaning fluid on the cleaning cloth
pinch the cleaning cloth on the film as you wind it onto the take-up reel
then rewind the film back to the original reel
if the film is very dirty and long I will refresh the cleaning cloth with more fluid part way thru the cleaning. I may also clean the film on the return to the original reel

Film Transfers - Cleaning and Preparing

Film Cleaning and Prep Pointers