From: marco poloni (email suppressed)
Date: Sun Mar 29 2009 - 10:45:28 PDT
Hello Ken,
The whole point is being very friendly and reassuring these guys that they are doing their job right. I generally ask for a mass spectrometry to avoid the X-Ray tunnel, a device most modern airports have, and most times there's no problem. If they resist the idea I just show them the device, which is generally located in a corner behind the x-ray gates line-up, and politely say “– there, please”.
For national or small airports in “southern” countries, those who have old x-ray tunnels and no spectrometers, I put my films in plastic bags and add stickers I made myself, with an indication “pushed to 1600 ISO" on a Kodak yellow background. This gives them no leverage to argue since this is the threshold condition for accepting films in X-ray gates, and I get by with a hand check.
I heard that when worse comes to worst, like arguing with a tough guy and having lots of cans of precious 16mm film, you can ask for the arbitration of the pilot, who has the last voice about what boards his plane and what not. This is in Europe, in uncrowded airports, and it's an inverified claim..
Marco
-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Toscano <email suppressed>
>Sent: Mar 29, 2009 1:25 PM
>To: email suppressed
>Subject: Re: Airport X-Rays
>
>Hi Ken,
>
>Had no problems there myself recently.
>
>Ever since someone here suggested it a while ago, I've been flying with my film in a bag also containing a printout from the TSA website which says you have the right to request a hand check of film. Haven't had to brandish it yet, but it seems a good bet to me. And in general, when I've told security folks it's motion picture film, they seem OK with the hand check. One time, the guy still persisted and asked me what ASA, but I just told him something about motion picture film being differently sensitive or something like that, and he was OK about it.
>
>A week and a half ago I flew out of Burbank, and had the amusing experience of a few of the security guys being all into 16mm and asking to see my Bolex. One of the guys even teaches part-time at the Art Center in Pasadena. Only in LA, I'm sure.
>
>mark t
>
>
>--- On Sat, 3/28/09, Ken Paul Rosenthal <email suppressed> wrote:
>
>> From: Ken Paul Rosenthal <email suppressed>
>> Subject: [FRAMEWORKS] Airport X-Rays
>> To: email suppressed
>> Date: Saturday, March 28, 2009, 3:03 PM
>>
>>
>>
>> #yiv724568344 .hmmessage P
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>>
>>
>> While the issue of taking film thru airport x-rays has been
>> addressed extensively in this forum (I've contributed
>> much of my own experience/knowledge), it's been some
>> time since I've traveled with unexposed/exposed film.
>>
>> As I'll be flying to New York City next week to shoot a
>> number of abandoned mental asylums for my current doc
>> project, I'd like to check in to see if anyone can share
>> their recent experiences with JFK. In the past, I've
>> found their checkers to be the most vigilant and
>> uncompromising.
>>
>> All my stock is super 8, and ranges from PX reversal b/w to
>> 500T color negative. I'm cool with a hand check that
>> involves opening up the boxes as well as the wrappers on
>> each cartridge. But feel strongly about any of the stock,
>> particularly the 500T color neg going thru the x-ray
>> machine, despite what they say.
>>
>> Additionally, am I right to presume that shipping with Fed
>> Ex receives less x-rays than an airport scanner? Fed Ex has
>> assured me in the past (last inquired a year ago) that they
>> will not x-ray at all if they put a 'Exposed film. Do
>> not x-ray' sticker on it. I mention this because one
>> possibility is shipping my film from NYC back to SF, rather
>> than flying with it.
>>
>>
>> Advice? Recent experiences to share, particularly with
>> JFK?
>>
>> Thanks, Ken
>> http://www.kenpaulrosenthal.com
>>
>> http://www.crookedbeauty.com
>>
>>
>> Express your personality in color! Preview and
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>>
>> __________________________________________________________________
>> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
>> <email suppressed>.
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>__________________________________________________________________
>For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
------------------------------------------------
Marco Poloni, Korsörer Strasse 1, D-10437 Berlin
gsm +41.78.6322028, skype marcopoloni
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.