so this is hell...

Annie Wengenroth · June 23, 2008

So I think I just experienced Murphy's Law in full effect.

The lab in town closed two weeks ago and suddenly I was left with two rolls of major old skool stock on daylight spools, generously donated to me by one of the cinematography professors, to use for a registration test.

What to do? With no access to a film winder (I know, the horror), and way too much spare time on a rainy Sunday evening, I opted to bust out the changing tent and begin my journey.

This was all fine and good except suddenly, things began to happen. I had my computer on, running Itunes and AOL Instant Messenger. My phone was on, too. Nobody else in the entire world had any idea that I would soon be in a position where I would be unable to answer the phone or type messages. Or change the Itunes.

"It'll be fun," I thought to myself. "Sort of relaxing, like yoga or something. ...Just get it over with."

At the exact moment that my hands entered the sleeves of my tent, my phone rang. I began questioning my reasons for choosing the Beastie Boys' "Brass Monkey" as my ring tone. And as if that wasn't enough, I became flooded with instant messages.

I kept winding and began to feel that things were getting somewhat sloppy and tedious. It became a test of wills. My phone rang again. And then Belle and Sebastian came on Itunes and refused to stop playing; for some ungodly reason when I put it on loop, Itunes decided to repeat the same few songs over and over. I normally have nothing against Belle and Sebastian but I don't usually listen to "Like Dylan in the Movies" three times in a row.

Suddenly, my nose began to itch. And my cat became unusually interested in what the big black thing was on the coffee table.

"Mommy can't pet you right now, she's busy," I said as she began kneading her paws on my leg and thus digging her claws into my skin.

Eventually, as the rest of the world went on without me, my phone and computer piled up with unanswered messages, and my cat lost interest in my shenanigans, I finished off the roll and stuck the damn thing in a can.

Fun times! Moral of the story, just make the lab do it!

Rory Hanrahan · June 23, 2008

Yo Annie!

Been there. Too many times. Fun it ain't.

So much time & effort (and carpal tunnel?) put into the process, only to discover later that the magazine's spool popped off for daylight loads? yeah.

Your plight reminds me of getting stuck on the camera truck, hands in bag, and trying to bite at the walkie mic to respond to the urgent production call that inevitably happens when you can't deal with it.

Hope Savannah is keeping you entertained!

Jonathan Bowerbank · June 23, 2008

Did it once without a winder, and that was the last time. I was testing out an acquaintance's camera, he didn't understand what I was doing in the bag and was growing ever so impatient with me as there wasn't anyway that I could explain to him the importance of performing a registration test and doing it just right.

So instead of a cat, itunes and cellphone, try doing it with an inexperienced impatient noob yacking away in your ear. It's the only time I've ever raised my voice while in the tent.

Annie Wengenroth · June 24, 2008

The person who just casually suggested that I wind it by hand, has been inhabiting this planet for decades longer than I have. I would venture to guess that he has done this a few more times than me. Next time he suggests that I do this by hand, I'll just hand it over and be like, "Sorry, I'm too new school to do this." :lol:

Although the best part of this is that I told my boss what I had to do, "...since we don't have a film winder" and he said, "Yes we do. It's in the closet."

Things It Would Have Been Nice To Know, Part 1.

Jonathan Bowerbank · June 25, 2008

Yeah, I see winders appear on Craigslist from time to time. I'm tempted to get one and mod it so it'll fit in the tent.

Bob Hayes · June 25, 2008

Next time try blacking out your bathroom and doing it in there. I used to do it by using a camera that took up on cores and ran the camera at a slow frame rate. Then just let it feed out of my hand.

I got a call from the lab asking why the edge code was on the wrong side. Be careful of single perf film where the non perf side will flip.

Annie Wengenroth · June 29, 2008

I cleared out the closet under the stairs in the film building, found the film winder, tightened up the screws in the floor, and am going to Home Depot sometime next week to buy a rubber strip to put on the bottom of the door so that the room is light-tight. So now we'll have a darkroom again!

In regards to film winders, IF my school gets rid of any, I will let you guys know. I saw a few of them down in storage but we might be keeping them for classroom use.

James Steven Beverly · June 30, 2008

DON'T feel too bad, Annie, I just bought 1400 ft of 7217 from Mike Lary which will ALL have to be spooled down to 100 ft daylight loads. FORTUNATELY now that I've read this thread, I do have an old set of Neumade winders and a walk-in closet at my studio I use as a changing room and to store costumes that I can make light tight and use as a dark room until I get the lab set up. I still have to pick up a bunch of 100ft daylight spools and cans but if I've learned nothing else from this thread, I've learned hand winding spools should be left as an absolute last resort! :D

Edited June 30, 2008 by James Steven Beverly

Mark Dunn · June 30, 2008

Thanks for the tips. I was wondering how I was going to get my Steenbeck in a changing bag.

Annie Wengenroth · July 1, 2008

Mark Dunn=win

Bree McCool · July 17, 2008

So I think I just experienced Murphy's Law in full effect.

The lab in town closed two weeks ago and suddenly I was left with two rolls of major old skool stock on daylight spools, generously donated to me by one of the cinematography professors, to use for a registration test.

What to do? With no access to a film winder (I know, the horror), and way too much spare time on a rainy Sunday evening, I opted to bust out the changing tent and begin my journey.

This was all fine and good except suddenly, things began to happen. I had my computer on, running Itunes and AOL Instant Messenger. My phone was on, too. Nobody else in the entire world had any idea that I would soon be in a position where I would be unable to answer the phone or type messages. Or change the Itunes.

"It'll be fun," I thought to myself. "Sort of relaxing, like yoga or something. ...Just get it over with."

At the exact moment that my hands entered the sleeves of my tent, my phone rang. I began questioning my reasons for choosing the Beastie Boys' "Brass Monkey" as my ring tone. And as if that wasn't enough, I became flooded with instant messages.

I kept winding and began to feel that things were getting somewhat sloppy and tedious. It became a test of wills. My phone rang again. And then Belle and Sebastian came on Itunes and refused to stop playing; for some ungodly reason when I put it on loop, Itunes decided to repeat the same few songs over and over. I normally have nothing against Belle and Sebastian but I don't usually listen to "Like Dylan in the Movies" three times in a row.

Suddenly, my nose began to itch. And my cat became unusually interested in what the big black thing was on the coffee table.

"Mommy can't pet you right now, she's busy," I said as she began kneading her paws on my leg and thus digging her claws into my skin.

Eventually, as the rest of the world went on without me, my phone and computer piled up with unanswered messages, and my cat lost interest in my shenanigans, I finished off the roll and stuck the damn thing in a can.

Fun times! Moral of the story, just make the lab do it!

Oh yes...had to do the same thing except the crew had wrapped for the day and I was left to do a spool "just in case" for tomorrow while they ate hot food and kicked back some beers....OH WELL.

They didn't use the spool but hey, I got the practice right?