ABSTRACT
Now we can get on with the first assembly. At the start of your work print you will need a film leader. You will use two different kinds of leader in the course of cutting. Blank leader, consisting of a coated or uncoated base and academy leaders, containing a descending series of numbers, usually starting at eleven or ten and running in descending order down to three. There are then two feet of blank film before the point at which you should join the starter by the sound or picture. Blank leader film is frequently used for spacing and to protect the beginnings and ends of film. It is widely used when preparing separate sound tracks as we shall see later. Academy leaders are designed to go at the start of every reel of film. They serve a dual purpose. They ensure that there is always enough film to thread through a projector and they are long enough to ensure that the machine projecting the film is up to running speed before the first picture is reached. When films are being cut with separate magnetic tracks they also provide a common synchronism point for sound and picture.
