Loading 435, 2C 200' mags

Satsuki Murashige · October 3, 2009

Hi guys,

So I got a gig loading on a union car commercial tomorrow. We're shooting with two cameras, an Arri 435 and 235, (8) 400' mags and (2) 200' mags. It's been awhile since I've loaded, so if anyone has any tips about loading those mags (esp. the old 2C 200' ones) I'd definitely appreciate it. I've got Jon Fauer's "435 Book" so I'll be re-reading that and brushing up.

Any other loading tips for union shows and staying organized? Most of my loading has been on smaller gigs, so no timecards and such. I'll be in the back of a van most of the day, working out of my tent. Talked to the first and second, established how they like their mags taped, picked up all the camera tape and canned air, and they'll be getting the Fotokem reports. I'll be printing out film inventory reports. Got my pens and stapler pouch. Should bring a little calculator. They'll be driving the neg back to LA, so no shipping. Anything else?

Thanks!

Chris Keth · October 3, 2009

You sound pretty ready to me. Those mags are pretty easy to load. Not the "poke it out, poke it in" simplicity of a panavision or arricam mag, but almost. Don't get in too big a hurry and give the take up a solid 5 or 6 full turns of film to be sure it doesn't slip off.

Ryan Thomas · October 4, 2009

Good luck man! Sounds like your hard work is paying off a bit.

Dan Goulder · October 5, 2009

It generally doesn't hurt to pull the film one extra perf past the mag notch, just to help ensure you've got enough to form two good loops.

Tom Jensen · October 5, 2009

It generally doesn't hurt to pull the film one extra perf past the mag notch, just to help ensure you've got enough to form two good loops.

I was going to say, give it an extra perf but I'm not sure what you mean by two good loops. One loop is all I know.

John Sprung · October 5, 2009

I was going to say, give it an extra perf but I'm not sure what you mean by two good loops. One loop is all I know.

Probably means both above and below the gate. On the IIC and similar Arri's, the little loop above the gate is critical which is why they put the orange plate with the white line there:

This, BTW, is a model I.

-- J.S.

Satsuki Murashige · October 6, 2009

Thank you guys!

The job went well, though the 2nd AC told me to do the opposite of what you guys said - he suggested making the 2C loop a perf short of the notch because the loop would gain a perf when feeding into the throat. Had no complaints from the 1st AC other than my first 435 mag - the loop was too big, so I stopped going to the top of the notch, but butted up against it. Heard no compliants about loops the rest of the day.

Day one neg report was all good. Ended up on the camera truck in the darkroom for most of both days instead of a van, which was very helpful. Had a 435 mag stop feeding in the darkroom, so I had to clean the throat out, which was simple. And I learned that the bottom lip of the 2C mag cover really has to be flush before closing the latch, otherwise there will be a gap for a light leak. One fingernail width is ok, any wider and you know the cover is not flush.

Had a bigger problem staying organized with the paperwork, and held up the guys at the end a bit. So now I know how to stay on top of things better. I was saving all the reports to stick on the cans until the end, should have taped them on as I went, but was worried about being asked to add last minute info and I didn't want to write them in triplicate so I kept them in carbon. Bad idea. Also, had a problem with the film inventory forms - I was writing down the rolls as I loaded them, instead of when I got them back. So since we were leaving loaded mags in the case at the end of day one, it got confusing as to which day's form to put them on during day two when I would get them back.

Looks like I'll have a chance to fix these mistakes on another job next week. "Trauma" is in town, and pushing union film work down to the non-union guys at the moment.