From: ben d (email suppressed)
Date: Thu Jan 12 2006 - 02:34:51 PST
to add more extreme notes to Amanda's....
we'd all like to preserve our work under optimum conditions but many folks
who work in experimental contexts don't have the resources (nor want to give
our negs up to archives).
instead we live in squates and ware/houses without heat, fighting to keep
things dry in a small area (closet under the stairs where all the filmakers
and photographers in the house store their negs with the paper from the
bookmakers). Archival intent is a beautiful thing but it falls far outside
of many marginal artists lives, me for one. i've long given up teaching
archival processing, instead i teach fast and dirty unless students want to
stay on film to finish (almost never, yet).
if anyone knows key archival tempertatures and how important consistancy is
it'll help us all, but we all know that the reality is far removed from the
theory. i just hope we can make the theory referance the real (shit, we
can't even brew beer in our space as we can't get the heat past 12C (during
the day) let alone the 20C we need).......
as always, what are DIY (and cheap) soultions to these issues.
ben donoghue
>From: amanda christie <email suppressed>
>Reply-To: Experimental Film Discussion List <email suppressed>
>To: email suppressed
>Subject: Re: Preservation guide for filmmakers
>Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:13:05 -0500
>
>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>.
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.