Hello,
I imagine there may have been earlier film splicers that the one Kodak patented, but someone more informed than I may answer that. I feel fairly confident though that the razor blade iconography shared by many software programs is a hold over from razor blades being used to edit videotape. When I worked broadcast in the early 80’s and we still used AMPEX 2” tape machines, we edited with razor blades and the machines had jigs that held the tape in place with guides on 45 degrees to cut the tape. Fun fact… prior to plastic video tape, what was the first video recording material? Spools of stainless steel blank material intended for double edged razor blades. Incredibly dangerous, as one can imagine what would happen if a couple of thousand feet of spring stainless steel came off the spool and started flying around the room. The prototype machines which used this material were enclosed in safe room to prevent this type of potential harm. Casey Herbert Chief Pixel Wrangler Flying Foto Factory, Inc. <http://www.flyingfoto.com> www.flyingfoto.com 919.682.3411 From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 20, 2020 4:33 AM To: Experimental Film Discussion List <[email protected]> Subject: [Frameworks] when was the film splicer invented? Hi. First of all i’m sending love from the UK in these strange times. I have some questions about tools used for cutting film - and the invention of the film splicer. i’ve just found a patent online from Kodak dated 1923-6 for a film splicer, does anyone know anymore about the introduction of splicers to cutting rooms/film editing? I know that scissors were used before splicers were invented and continue to be used in some cases - In Man with a Movie Camera Elizaveta Svilova is shown cutting film using scissors, and more recently in Fragments of Kubelka Peter Kubelka is shown cutting film with scissors. But were razor blades ever used? Computer editing programmes often use the razor blade as the ‘cut’ icon but is this actually inaccurate? I’m interested to know people’s preferred cutting tools and experience/knowledge of anything used other than a splicer. All best, Mary
_______________________________________________ FrameWorks mailing list [email protected] https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
