Split Reel

A Relic of the Analog Age

In the era of celluloid filmmaking, a ‘split reel’ was an indispensable piece of equipment found in every cutting room and projection booth. Unlike a standard reel, where the two sides (flanges) are permanently fixed, a split reel is designed to be taken apart. It consists of two separate flanges and a central hub, which are screwed together. This simple but ingenious design served a critical purpose: handling film that was not already on a reel.

Function and Usage

Motion picture film stock from a laboratory was typically delivered wound onto a solid plastic cylinder called a ‘core.’ This ‘core load’ was compact for shipping and storage, but it couldn’t be used on a projector, flatbed editor, or rewinds. The split reel was the solution. An editor or projectionist would unscrew the split reel, place one flange down, put the film core on the hub, place the second flange on top, and screw it all together. The core load of film was now securely mounted on a functional reel, ready to be worked with.

This process was also essential for film handling and storage. For example, an editor might build up a reel of selected takes and then transfer it back onto a core for negative cutting or long-term storage, using the split reel as the intermediary tool. They were robust, made of heavy gauge aluminum or tough plastic, and came in various sizes to accommodate different lengths of film, from small 400-foot reels to massive 2000-foot platters.

With the near-total transition to digital acquisition and post-production, the split reel has become a historical artifact for most filmmakers. However, for film archivists, preservationists, and the few who still shoot and edit on physical film, it remains a vital and necessary tool of the trade.