[AV Media Matters] exercise / film to tape transfers 8mm

[Jim Lindner <jim@vidipax.com>]

I wanted to take part of the blame/credit for the exercise issues. One
of the things that I have seen again and again is that any archive that
was exercising their tapes were using the worst possible machine that
they had to do it. This makes organizational sense - how can you
possibly ask for a new machine to use for exercising - new machines are
used for production - the hand me downs that are in terrible shape are
the ones used for exercising. That being the case - those exercising the
tapes could cause more damage by exercising with an old dirty out of
allignment machine then if they had left it alone.  So the strategy I
recommend is "if it ain't broke don't fix it". If the wind is bad - fix
it, and if it isn't leave it alone because the damage caused by exercise
on a bad machine is far worse then then letting it be. My recollection
is that this was one of the aspects of the discussion at one of the
SMPTE meetings or ANSI meetings where it came up. I still believe that
in the real world that this is the best policy.  If however, I had a
perfect world i would want to retension every now and then, if nothing
else then to check error rates (assuming a digital system).

On a different subject - i cannot express how many times we have seen
film chewed up on an elmo or similar projector "telecine" system - these
machines were never very good at handling film when the film was new -
but when it get's brittle from age and storage and the splices give out
and it shrinks.... - Elmo's are not known for being very good at
handling film gently.  We have a Rank-Cintel do it and Rank has a
special gate for 8mm and super8mm that we rent occassionally for this
purpose - (we would buy a gate but at $20k we do not have enough 8mm
work to justify it). The quality reproduction is very good, and it
handles the film with a capstan quite well. The machines are very very
expensive and a maintennance nightmare - but the picture quality and
film handling are superb - even from 8mm. I once managed a facility that
used an Elmo for 8mm transfers - they were always grainy, blocky,
contrasty, and mediocre quality as compared to the Rank - and that pull
down and sprocket drive is definately not film friendly. Just a word of
warning.

jim