Page 4 - RD_2024-06
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From Kev Franzi’s Journeys in Time –





              “ That which Kev has joined together…”




        I was appalled - how dare he say that!
                                            trimmed  and  perforated  with  a  single
        I had just spent two years learning the art  lever  action.  Another  boon  for  Editors
        and  craft  of  Film  Editing,  and  my  film  was  that  any  cut  could  be  altered  and
        splices were a joy to behold - even if I do  re-made  without  losing  a  single  frame
        say so myself. Then, I discover this article  simply  by  peeling  the  tape  off.  (Two
        written  by  the  revered  High  Priest  of  frames  were  lost  using  the  old  overlap
        cinema  writers,  Roger  Manvell,  stating  splice.)
        that  “the  physical  cutting,  scraping  and
        sticking together of two pieces of celluloid  (A raft of tape splicers for 8mm and Super
        to edit a film is an archaic and inefficient  8 film appeared during the 1960s and 70s
        procedure”.  How  dare  he  -  after  all  the  but these I would rather not know about.)
        time and effort I had just spent learning
        the craft.                          The complete answer to Roger Manvell’s
                                            vision came of course with the computer
        Of course he was right, but at that time  and computer editing. Today a stream of
        (c.  l952)  I  vigorously  opposed  his  video images can be assembled, cut and
        observation. Roger Manvell did not have  pasted with a touch or two of the mouse.
        the answer to the perceived problem but
        he was certain a more efficient form of  A whole sequence can be edited while the
        editing film would evolve, and evolve it  old  time  editor  fills  his  (or  her)  cement
        did - slowly over the next 30 to 40 years.  bottle and waits for the first splice to dry
                                            - so I’m told. Sadly, my 93 year old brain
        The first breakthrough came with Dr. Leo  is just not geared to work at that speed, so
        Catozzo’s   Construzione   Incollatrici  my mouse won’t wear out quite as fast as
        Rapide or CIR tape splicers. These little  some  of  the  others.  In  spite  of  RM’s
        wonders  reduced  splicing  time  to  about  prediction  I  would  spend  almost  half  a
        half  that  taken  by  the  scrape  and  stick  century using “the inefficient” cut, scrape
        method. Pre-perforated splicing tape had  and glue method (plus a half million tape
        been around since the mid 1950s but its  splices)  before  embracing  the  computer
        use was slow and fiddly compared with  mouse.
        Dr.  Leo’s  wonderful  splicer  that  used
        plain Mylar type tape to join the film with
        a butt splice. This was then neatly

        4     REEL DEALS  March  2024
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