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projector with looping capability


Cordell Thurman

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Any manually threaded projector should be able to play a short loop as is, just splice the loop together and thread it on the projector. For a long loop you could construct a 16mm platter system that works like a commercial theater's 35mm endless loop platter projection system. Go to www.film-tech.com, navigate to film-tech forums, select search, and search for 16mm platter. You'll get a page full of postings on the subject.

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hi,

 

i'm trying to do an installation with a film (8mm or 16mm, doesn't really matter) but i need it to loop. i'm having a hard time finding a projector that is able to do this...if you are selling or know a good place to check please let me know. thank you. cordell

 

 

I did this recently with a eiki 16mm projector and about a 20' loop which was just fed out the back of the projector to a rewind with a reel on it, this is a common way to make a loop of varying lengths, I know of a few people who have done this across a room for a longer loop length....

 

-Rob-

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Back in ancient times, before ADR, looping was done using real loops, which is how it got the name. There were loop racks and loop boxes with lots of rollers to thread. Most of that stuff hit the landfill a couple decades ago, though. A lot of it was custom made by machinists, not a mass produced factory product. You could probably build your own, just using a bunch of rollers from LaVezzi. Most any projector will work, you just need to build the rack for it.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

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  • 2 weeks later...
ok...great! i appreciate the responses...but why do i need manual over automatic? how does that really mess stuff up? thanks...cordell

 

Manual, you can thread the loop intact - automatic, you have to carry the projector around with the loop in it or cut the splice and redo it once you've loaded it again...

 

Once you get a projector it'll all make sense ;)

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I think you can usually thread an automatic projector by hand if you really want to- my Super-8 Elmo you certainly can, it's just a bit fiddly, and you have to be careful not to scratch the film. But if you're buying a projector specially, and old manual might be cheaper anyway.

I would probably put spools on the projector and then lay the film over top of the spools to guide it. If it needs to be quite long, you could run it carefully into a pillowcase in a big waste bin, rather like on an editing table. A fair length of film will behave itself quite well handled in this way. I'd certainly trust, say, 50' of film in a bin. But it really does need to be attended.

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One of these. The ST-600 is a decent projector, by the way; mine is going strong (with a new belt) after 28 years. But for that very reason they can be quite expensive on ebay.

That will show a whole 400' film, 20 minutes or so. Your loop probably isn't going to be that long, so the idea of a bin might suite you better.

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