Guidelines for screening prints

It is our policy to encourage correct presentation of Archive prints both to maximise the audience's appreciation and to minimise wear and tear. The Archival Bookings staff will give as much information as possible about the condition of prints.

Archival viewing copies may have been made from source materials which have some defects. We will advise if this is the case and you should ensure that this is explained to the audience either in the programme notes or verbally where the screening is being introduced.

Silent film should be run at the correct speed. Some projectors have infinitely variable projector speeds, others have a few pre-set speeds. In the latter case the nearest of the pre-set speeds would be acceptable, say 18 frames per second for a film shot at 16 frames per second. Bookings staff are happy to advise on correct running speeds.

Film should be shown in the correct ratio and with the right aperture plates, particularly for silent film. Silent ratios vary but are commonly 1.33:1. Virtually all sound films until 1953 are 'academy' or 1.37:1, which is slightly wider than it is tall. Widescreen formats are very variable but the most common would be 1.66:1, 1.85:1 and 2.2:1. Today, most films are shot and shown in a ratio of 1.85:1.

In the case of accidental damage to a print, projectionists should not attempt to repair the print and in no circumstances remove any frames. A report should be sent from the projectionist to the Archival Bookings Officer so a correct assessment of damage can be made. All cinemas should be adequately insured to cover damage to prints.

Please note many of our prints are from the Conservation Centre. We require that these Archive prints are projected in separate reels and they are not to be run on towers, platters or 'cakestands'. Joining up of reels frequently leads to lost frames, additional wear and mutilated cues. Ideally, twin projectors should be used.

Distribution Bookings Tel: 020 7957 8938 or 8925/8935/4755

Archival Bookings Tel: 020 7957 8951 or 4709

Fax: 020 7580 5830

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