What is it? I usually see a flare of light, think it is yellowish, at the end of scenes, especially if it is raw, unfinished film lacking a soundtrack, etc (dailies, perhaps). It washes out the images on the film usually.
Sir Rhosis
I worked in a photo lab for a few years, not motion picture film but your average point and shoot kind of processing. Based on that experience, I would say the flare is light exposure from changing out the film.
Yes.
I haven’t used 35mm movie cameras, but I have several 16mm ones. 16mm cameras use an internal load, or they use an external magazine. Many, such as the venerable Arriflex 16S or some Bolex H16s can use either. Film comes in ‘daylight spools’ or ‘core loads’. Daylight spools hold 100 or 200 feet of film, and are made of black-painted metal. The metal flanges on the spools keep the light from getting to most of the film, except the leader when you’re loading and the trailer when you’re unloading. (Note that even though they are called ‘daylight’ spools, you should load the camera in the shade.)
To load the camera, put the full spool on the spindle and pull off a couple of feet of film. Obviously, this film will be exposed. Thread the film through the mechanism and put it onto the take-up spool. Close the camera. It’s good practice, expecially with older cameras, to put camera tape all around the door edges in case of light leaks. When you have shot the film, remove the take-up spool and put it back in its can. When you remove the spool, a few feet of the end will be ‘fogged’ (exposed) and will be useless.
A film magazine is loaded in a changing bag or changing tent, a lightproof enclosure. (You can’t see what you’re doing, so you have to do it ‘by feel’.) You can use 100’ or 200’ daylight spools in magazines, but most people use 400’ core loads. A core load has a 2" core with the unprotected film wound around it. This is why you need a changing bag. Put the magazine in the bag/tent (I like the Harrison tent better than a bag). Remove the tape from the edges of the film canister and put the canister in the bag. Zip up the bag and put your arms in the sleeve. Remove the loading side of the magazine (or just the side, if you’re not using a coaxial mag). Take the film out of the canister, and take it out of its lightproof plastic bag. Load the magazine by feel according to the procedure for that camera. Replace the magazine cover, making sure the bag fabric, plastic film bag, tape, etc. is not caught in it. Remove the magazine and put camera tape around the edges. Put the little piece of tape from the end of the film, and the plastic bag back in the film can.
After shooting, reverse the process. Put the magazine in the bag, remove the film, put it back in its plastic bag, put the bag in the can, put the lid on the can, remove the film, and tape it up with the identifying information on it.
When you use a changing bag/tent the film is never exposed to light, so there should be no ‘yellowish flare’ at the end.
Johnny is right on the mark, but I wish to clarify a few things.
If you have a film camera magaine that has any kind of loop that is exposed, and that loop is what is threaded into the gate, then that loop will be “flashed”.
You can shoot, pull the mag, shoot, pull the mag. You could have a half-dozen flashed moments of say, 40 frames or so.
It is therefore typical, after shooting the shot before you pull the mag, to “bump” the camera a few seconds- shoot extra junk footage to clear the important end of the shot into the safety of the magazine.
Cartooniverse
[QUOTE=CartooniverseIf you have a film camera magaine that has any kind of loop that is exposed, and that loop is what is threaded into the gate, then that loop will be “flashed”.[/QUOTE]
I forgot about removing the mag before all of the film is shot. This is one of the handiest things about coaxial magazines. (Displacement mags have a big loop that you need to thread and unthread when you take the magazine off with a partial load.) I’ve never needed to remove a magazine before it was empty, as we were using the same stock in both mags. Instead of saving the short ends, we’d try to get one… last… shot… before roll-out.
Another handy thing about coaxial mags is that you only need to load the ‘supply side’ in the tent. Once you have the unexposed film safely buttoned up, you can form the loop and thread the take-up side in daylight.
Some people remember super-8 film, which came in plastic cartidges. You’ll see the ‘yellow flash’ at the end of the film on those too. This is because the film is not pulled all the way through; its tail is attached, and a few frames of film remains in the opening.
Regular 8mm film seems to be the format that had a code perforated into the tail. I’ve never found out if that was something the manufacturer did to identify the type and lot, or if it was an artifact from the processor. I suspect the former.
Erratum: When I mentioned the sleeve on the changing bag, I of course meant sleeves; one for each arm.
:eek: Yeah, I’m thinkin’ damn, boy…ONE-ARMED MAG CHANGING??? Who’s the mack daddy of a.c.'s???