Re: Preservation guide for filmmakers

From: amanda christie (email suppressed)
Date: Wed Jan 11 2006 - 17:13:05 PST


wow! i think this is a great initiative!

in addition to addressing vinegar syndrome, i think it
would be good to include a diagnosis section for other
forms of fungus and decay as well.

and how to prevent cross contamination... for instance
if you really want to optically print some film that
has some beautiful fungus on it... how do you clean
the optical printer so that it doesn't contaminate
other films... etc.

and some good d.i.y. tips as well... for instance...
for those of us who don't have access to vaults...
what sort of things are easy to do at home... modified
coolers, etc. etc.

i'm not sure if you wanted us to answer your questions
on or off list... but since i'm typing this now, i'll
breifly answer on list.

> What are your most pressing questions about
> preserving your work?

how can i build or access a vault or storage area
where i can control temerature and humidity?
is it possible to build/rig some sort of moveable
vault for nomadic filmmakers?

> Have you even thought about this?

all the time. in fact, my last film involved
optically printing beautiful snowflake like fungus
patterns from decaying film. anytime i pick up a reel
of film, i automatically smell it before running it
through a projector or any other peice of equipment.

> If you have thought about it but haven't done
> anything,
> what's holding you back?

i do as much as i can, but proper humidity and
temperature controlled vaults are not cheap.
i move a lot and live in small apartments on a
starving artist budget.

> Where are your films? This includes originals,
> tracks, prints
> and printing masters? Do you even know?

yes.

negatives: refridgerator. i keep very little food
there, and a box of baking soda to make sure there
aren't any dangerous vapours.

prints: on a shelf next to my editing table. (my
current apartment gets way too hot though (up to 28
degrees celsius, so i worry about the prints... and
that's why the negs are in the refridgerator... not
ideal, but better than a hot humid apt.).

super8: reversal prints: on the shelf with the other
films.

optical tracks: refridgerator with the negs.

mag stock: on the shelf with the prints.

that's about it i think.
keep us posted about progress on this work.
i want a copy and i want to promote it to my students.

thanks!

amanda dawn christie
vancouver, b.c.

        

        
                
__________________________________________________________
Find your next car at http://autos.yahoo.ca

__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.