The PFR Strikes Again!


Results of a 120-Hr Film Run!


In 1985, to print a scene to film, we used the Foonly F-1 to calculate the image, and it would be sent to a Triple-I PFR-80 film recorder, ("the Piffer" as we called it.) Triple I had mounted an old Acme pin-registered camera to the system, but had done a poor job of dealing with the supply and takeup motor logic. Since we didn't have enought disk storage to save the film frames, the F1 would calculate a frame, send it to the PFR to be printed one color at a time, taking a couple of minutes for all three colors. Meanwhile, the F1 would go on and calculate the next frame. It could take days to make a few seconds of film. If the image above was what you saw when you opened the camera box, (and it was far too often!), you ran screaming from the room, and were often never seen or heard of again. (No, that's not why I left Hollywood, but its why I have a few more grey hairs!)


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