Best Film Splicer

[Will Montgomery]

Putting this in Telecine because these days there are probably more colorists and telecine guys splicing film than editors.

 

What is the best, most professional, well-built splicer available for 16 & 35mm? (I'll take 8/Super 8 as well).

 

Need something for standard modern negatives so I assume ultra-sonic is out, correct?

 

I've seen a few Hollywood Film Company examples that look very solid. I need something that can standup to daily use and isn't a pain to work with.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Mark Dunn]

Do you mean for neg cutting for printing, or cutting copies/assembly for TK?

If the latter, the CIR tape splicers, undoubtedly. Very quick. I have them in S8 and 16 and wouldn't consider anything else, if ever I cut film again.

[Dirk DeJonghe]

We have been using Hammann film splicers (with film cement for acetate negatives) for many years, both in S16 and 35mm. The splices have almost no perceptible added thickness and pass both the telecine gate, the scanner gate and the optical printer gate with absolute steadiness. Ultrasonic cleaning will not affect the splices (tape splices get elongated at each pass).

If you want the best, this is it.

 

http://www.hammann-filmtechnik.de/html/film-cleaver.html

[Will Montgomery]

We have been using Hammann film splicers (with film cement for acetate negatives) for many years, both in S16 and 35mm. The splices have almost no perceptible added thickness and pass both the telecine gate, the scanner gate and the optical printer gate with absolute steadiness. Ultrasonic cleaning will not affect the splices (tape splices get elongated at each pass).

Thank you very much! I've seen the Hollywood Film Company splicers with the built-in tape roll used quite a bit around here but I'm sure cement would be preferred for long term strength.

[Chris Millar]

Dr Leo Catozzo, CIR.

A few years ago they were going for hundreds on ebay (price fixing some at over a grand), I found one in a sydney junk store for $5, apparently they had pulled if off a wall in an old cinema café, used as nostalgia.

I found a 35mm KEM flatbed at the same joint, bought it (under $100) stuck it in a mates warehouse but couldn't get back to it before he moved out - gumtree (aussie craigslist) found some students who picked it up, wonder if they ever used it ...

[dan kessler]

Tape splicers are intended mainly for cutting and splicing workprints,
while cement splicers are for conforming negative.

Not saying you can't cement splice a print; it just isn't typical.

By the same token, you would probably not want to tape splice a negative.
The tape overlaps into the frame area and would show up in the duplicates.

Also, you need to be careful about running tape splices through
anything other than a projector or a flatbed editor. They could jam
in gates not designed for the added thickness.

And, yeah, the Hollywood and Ciro tape splicers were (are) standards.

The portable cement splicers you usually see have heating elements
to cure the cement and are a little more complicated to use than tape.

[Brian Drysdale]

Cinema projectionists used to use cement splicers, but it takes more skill to make a good splice. In editing rooms the tape splicer is standard for splicing because you don't lose a frame with every join.

[Dirk DeJonghe]

One major item to consider:

 

Most if not all negative (except special order Estar base) is on acetate base, can be spliced with cement, tape or ultrasonic (horrible).

 

All current color print stocks are on polyester base, can only be spliced with tape or ultrasonic, certainly not cement.

 

Splicing acetate to polyester can only be done with tape splices.

 

In an editing situation (flatbed editing or similar) a tape splicer would be preferred. In a negative conforming, cement splices are mandatory. In prepping for TK, cement splices are best but tape is acceptable. In the cinema, tape splices are the norm for assembling the reels.

[Will Montgomery]

Most if not all negative (except special order Estar base) is on acetate base, can be spliced with cement, tape or ultrasonic (horrible).

Thanks, I thought ultrasonic was only for polyester. Why is it horrible by the way? Because they are not very smooth? Looks like it fuses the film together or something.