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Film Editing Equipment

Editors vs. Splicers
I'm just getting started and I want to know more about editors. What is the difference between film editors and splicers? Can I edit with just a splicer? I need help!
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ECN-II skip bleach
I'm shooting a feature and my DP wants to skip bleach in the negative processing. du art, cfi and the giants don't do it.

Know of a reliable one that does?
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Contributed by Glen Berry

I'm looking to buy some 16mm editing equipment as it seems mush cheaper than renting time at an editing house. But, being rather new to this, I'm not sure exactly what I need. I'm assuming I need a splicer, a viewer, a sync block and a rewind. Is this all? You seem to have a wide range of splicers available; what are the differences? I see you also have a Zeiss Moviscope for sale. Is this just a viewer, or does it an all-in-one type thing? Thanks a lot for your help,

In answer to your question, all you really need to cut your own film is a splicer and tape. They usually start with basic models like the Tower splicer for around $20.00. These are typically small splicers that simply hold the film in place so you can cut and apply your clear splicing tape. The better models, such as the griswold, are heavier duty and better made with clamps to hold your film down. The most versatile splicers are the guillotine splicers that have an arm that cuts the film and the sprockets for holding the film in place while you apply your tape. Hot cement splicers are used for permanent splices. If you are sending your workprint out, labs prefer film that has been hotspliced but you should at least have double tape spliced film. The hot splicer is similar to the aforementioned splicers but also has an arm that heats up and when used in combination with a special cement, fuses the film together.

Of course, the job is much easier if you have a viewer. You can put your film up to smoked glass to view the frames or obtain an viewer, Zeiss being one of the better known and higher quality ones.

If you are dealing with much footage, you're going to need rewinds, one for the take up and one for the workprint as well as two split reels. Good ones are usually mounted on an editing bench. You can find small rewinds on all-in-one kits but they are pretty crappy.

If you plan to do sync sound, you will need an extra set of split reels for your mag stock. You will need a sync block to keep the relationship consistent between pix and sound. You will aIso need a squawk box, a small speaker attached to a magnetic head that can read the sound off your magstock.

A footage counter would also make the job much easier if you are dealing with any quantity of footage (more than a few hundred feet of 16mm).

Berry is the founder of the Northwest Film School and the creator of Film Underground, a popular and successful network of Moviemaking web sites that includes Cyber Film School.

A former member of the Whatcom Film Association Board of Directors, he also has twice served as the director of the Northwest Projections Film Festival. An award-winning filmmaker, Berry specializes in post production and is currently employed as an editor and post production supervisor on professional independent productions. Berry has written for “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Filmmaking,” “MovieMaker Magazine,” Cyberfilmschool.com and Filmfestivals.com. He also has served as an expert source for international newspaper and radio media outlets.

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