GB1579843A - Editing of cine film carrying a magnetic sound track - Google Patents

Description

(54) EDITING OF CINE FILM CARRYING A MAGNETIC SOUND TRACK (71) I, JEREMY WILLIAM HODGSON, of 21 Wainbody Avenue, Green Lane, Coventry, a British Subject, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to the editing of cine film carrying a magnetic sound track.

Such cine film has recently become available to amateur cine photographers in the form of so-called "Single System" 8mm sound film in which the sound is recorded three inches or eighteen frames ahead of the corresponding image.

Whereas silent film may be edited merely by cutting out the unwanted section of film and re-joining the cut ends of the film with a tape or cement splice, a problem arises with the "Single System" film due to the spacing between the sound and its corresponding image.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of editing a cine film carrying a magnetic sound-track on which sound is recorded at a given spacing along the film ahead of the corresponding image wherein prior to removing an unwanted section of film of length not greater than said given spacing, a length of film soundtrack corresponding to said given spacing and finishing at the end of said unwanted section is recorded onto an intermediate medium and recorded therefrom back onto the film finishing at the beginning of said unwanted section in a continuous operation, and the unwanted section of film is thereafter removed and the film to be retained is spliced together.

The invention also provides a method of editing a cine film where the sound is recorded at a given spacing behind the corresponding image, in which event the required length of sound track is displaced in the opposite direction to that described above.

The intermediate recording medium is preferably a magnetic tape driven synchronously with the film, and the tape is conveniently in the form of an endless loop.

The invention also provides a device for editing a cine film carrying a magnetic sound track on which sound is recorded at a given spacing along the film either ahead of or behind the corresponding image, the device comprising means for synchronously driving the film and a magnetic recording tape past respective play-back, erase and recording heads and means electrically linking said heads for recording sound from an unwanted section of the film onto said tape and back from said tape onto the film to be retained, in a continuous operation.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates a device according to the invention for editing film, and Figure 2 illustrates the location of the various sections of the film to be edited.

The illustrated device comprises a drive roller D co-operating with two idle rollers Il, I2 engaging respectively a film F and a magnetic tape T. The magnetic tape is in the form of an endless loop and is carried by a further idle roller 12.

Record, erase and play-back heads Rl, E1 and P1 respectively are provided for the film F at the positions illustrated in the drawing, and similarly heads R2, E2 and P2 are provided for the Tape T. The position of the play-back head P2 is adjustable over a range 10 of 3 inches in discrete positions marked 0 frame to 18 frames.

Contact sets Cl, C2 and Cm are arranged in the path of the film F. The contact set C is arranged three inches away from play back head P1; the contact set C2 is arranged three inches away from erase head El and the contact set C2 is arranged three inches away from recording head Rl. Heads E and Rl are 15mm apart. The distance between heads P1 and Rl is equal to 3 inches plus the distance between heads P1 and R2, which is conveniently 25mm.

The illustrated device can deal with unwanted film sections of 1 to 18 frames in length, but not more. Any unwanted film in excess of this length may be removed and the film simply re-spliced leaving the last 18 frames to be removed. All the sound recorded on the length removed in this way is unwanted sound, so that there is no sound loss.

In the example illustrated at the foot of the drawing, 11 frames are to be removed from the film. The unwanted film section is indicated between lines 12 and 13, and the corresponding section of unwanted sound is indicated at 14. In order to successfully edit the film and maintain the continuity of the sound track, the sound track section 15 must be displaced to position 16. In order to do this, the film is notched at 12 at the beginning of the unwanted film section, and cut at the end 13. The playback head P2 is adusted to the position corresponding to 11 frames, and the film is fed through the device from right to left in the drawing, the film being driven synchronously with the tape by the drive roller D.

As the cut end of the film passes contact set C1, the contacts are closed and playback head P1 reads the sound starting 18 frames forward from the film end, this sound being recorded via recording head R2 onto the tape. When the notch in the film passes contact set Cl the erase head E commences to erase sound from the film 18 frames ahead of the notch. When the notch subsequently passes contact set Cl, the sound recorded on the tape is read by playback head P2 and rerecorded back onto the film via recording head Rl starting 18 frames ahead of the notch in the correct position for the splice. The erase head El thereafter erases the sound from the tape.

After the film has thus passed through the device, the unwanted film section may be cut off at the notch, and the two film ends spliced together in the normal manner.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A method of editing a cine film carrying a magnetic sound-track on which sound is recorded at a given spacing along the film ahead of the corresponding image, wherein prior to removing an unwanted section of film of length not greater than said given spacing, a length of film soundtrack corresponding to said given spacing and finishing at the end of said unwanted section is recorded onto an intermediate recording medium and recorded therefrom back onto the film finishing at the beginning of said unwanted section in a continuous operation, and the unwanted section of film is thereafter removed and the film to be retained is spliced together.

2. A method of editing a cine film carrying a magnetic sound-track on which sound is recorded at a given spacing along the film behind the corresponding image, wherein prior to removing an unwanted section of film of length not greater than said given spacing, a length of film sound track corresponding to said given spacing and starting at the beginning of said unwanted section is recorded onto an intermediate recording medium and recorded therefrom back onto the film starting at the end of said unwanted section in a continuous operation, and the unwanted section of film is thereafter removed and the film to be retained is spliced together.

3. A method as claimed in claim I or claim 2, wherein the intermediate recording medium is a magnetic tape driven synchronously with the film and in the form of an endless loop.

4. A device for editing a cine film carrying a magnetic sound track on which sound is recorded at a given spacing along the film either ahead of or behind the corresponding image, the device comprising means for synchronously driving the film and a magnetic recording tape past respective playback, erase and recording heads and means electrically linking said heads for recording sound from an unwanted section of the film onto said tape and back from said tape onto the film to be retained, in a continuous operation.

5. A device for editing a cine film, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

6. A method of editing a cine film, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. back head P1; the contact set C2 is arranged three inches away from erase head El and the contact set C2 is arranged three inches away from recording head Rl. Heads E and Rl are 15mm apart. The distance between heads P1 and Rl is equal to 3 inches plus the distance between heads P1 and R2, which is conveniently 25mm. The illustrated device can deal with unwanted film sections of 1 to 18 frames in length, but not more. Any unwanted film in excess of this length may be removed and the film simply re-spliced leaving the last 18 frames to be removed. All the sound recorded on the length removed in this way is unwanted sound, so that there is no sound loss. In the example illustrated at the foot of the drawing, 11 frames are to be removed from the film. The unwanted film section is indicated between lines 12 and 13, and the corresponding section of unwanted sound is indicated at 14. In order to successfully edit the film and maintain the continuity of the sound track, the sound track section 15 must be displaced to position 16. In order to do this, the film is notched at 12 at the beginning of the unwanted film section, and cut at the end 13. The playback head P2 is adusted to the position corresponding to 11 frames, and the film is fed through the device from right to left in the drawing, the film being driven synchronously with the tape by the drive roller D. As the cut end of the film passes contact set C1, the contacts are closed and playback head P1 reads the sound starting 18 frames forward from the film end, this sound being recorded via recording head R2 onto the tape. When the notch in the film passes contact set Cl the erase head E commences to erase sound from the film 18 frames ahead of the notch. When the notch subsequently passes contact set Cl, the sound recorded on the tape is read by playback head P2 and rerecorded back onto the film via recording head Rl starting 18 frames ahead of the notch in the correct position for the splice. The erase head El thereafter erases the sound from the tape. After the film has thus passed through the device, the unwanted film section may be cut off at the notch, and the two film ends spliced together in the normal manner. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A method of editing a cine film carrying a magnetic sound-track on which sound is recorded at a given spacing along the film ahead of the corresponding image, wherein prior to removing an unwanted section of film of length not greater than said given spacing, a length of film soundtrack corresponding to said given spacing and finishing at the end of said unwanted section is recorded onto an intermediate recording medium and recorded therefrom back onto the film finishing at the beginning of said unwanted section in a continuous operation, and the unwanted section of film is thereafter removed and the film to be retained is spliced together.

2. A method of editing a cine film carrying a magnetic sound-track on which sound is recorded at a given spacing along the film behind the corresponding image, wherein prior to removing an unwanted section of film of length not greater than said given spacing, a length of film sound track corresponding to said given spacing and starting at the beginning of said unwanted section is recorded onto an intermediate recording medium and recorded therefrom back onto the film starting at the end of said unwanted section in a continuous operation, and the unwanted section of film is thereafter removed and the film to be retained is spliced together.

3. A method as claimed in claim I or claim 2, wherein the intermediate recording medium is a magnetic tape driven synchronously with the film and in the form of an endless loop.

4. A device for editing a cine film carrying a magnetic sound track on which sound is recorded at a given spacing along the film either ahead of or behind the corresponding image, the device comprising means for synchronously driving the film and a magnetic recording tape past respective playback, erase and recording heads and means electrically linking said heads for recording sound from an unwanted section of the film onto said tape and back from said tape onto the film to be retained, in a continuous operation.

5. A device for editing a cine film, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

6. A method of editing a cine film, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.