From: Madison Brookshire (email suppressed)
Date: Sun Apr 05 2009 - 06:49:19 PDT
Motion Picture film is defined as "specialty film" by the TSA and
therefore gets a hand-check no matter what the ASA. As Mark suggests,
it doesn't hurt to carry around this section of the rules in a
printout. I think I only had use it once and they were happy to oblige
once they saw that all motion picture film is considered to be the
same as 35mm still film over 800 ASA.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1035.shtm
It's no one's fault for not knowing, of course, since this is
basically an esoteric realm of travel-security knowledge. That's why I
keep the print-out with me with the relevant section highlighted. The
key, of course, is to remain polite and patient.
Madison Brookshire,
Los Angeles
On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 10:09 AM, Bill Basquin
<email suppressed> wrote:
> Hello all.
>
> I was once told by an airport security person that the cabling that goes
> through the overhead bins in the airplane emits more radiation than the
> x-ray machines in the airport; he was very sympathetic to my request for a
> hand-check of my film, and recommended that I always keep the film in my
> luggage under the seat in front of me, rather than in the overhead bin.
>
> I often have to be very patient and repeat that I would like my film to be
> inspected manually, even though it is of a slow ASA, and I have never been
> flat out refused; this is for travel within the U.S., between the U.S. and
> New Zealand, and between the U.S. and London. Oddly, when asking for a hand
> check, I have encountered the most resistance in Los Angeles.
>
> --Bill Basquin
> San Francisco, CA
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: DOMINIC ANGERAME
> Sent: Mar 29, 2009 3:11 PM
> To: email suppressed
> Subject: Re: Airport X-Rays
>
> My experiences flying to Korea, Mexico, Cuba, etc with unexposed and exposed
> 16mm film has not been a great experience....when I asked for a hand
> inspection it often took a lot of time to find someone who could understand
> English and better hope you are not trying to connect to another
> flight....you will miss it guaranteed......NYC is very paranoid and the
> situation really varies greatly from place to place and person to
> person.....(you can try and tell them in the US that the asa is 2000 they
> will probably never know........just do not pack your film in the checked
> luggage....it will be fogged gaurantee.....my .02 worth....
>
>
> Dominic
>
> --- On Sun, 3/29/09, Mark Toscano <email suppressed> wrote:
>
> From: Mark Toscano <email suppressed>
> Subject: Re: Airport X-Rays
> To: email suppressed
> Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009, 10:25 AM
>
> 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
>> {
>> margin:0px;padding:0px;}
>> #yiv724568344 {
>> font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;}
>>
>>
>>
>> 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
>> select themes for HotmailŪ. See
>> how.
>>
>> __________________________________________________________________
>> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
>> <email suppressed>.
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
> <email suppressed>.
>
> __________________________________________________________________ For info
> on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
>
> Bill Basquin
> Artist-in-Residence, San Francisco Recycling and Disposal
> (c) 415.317.7611
> http//www.sfrecycling.com/AIR
> Next art show is Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 with Bill Basquin and
> Jane Kim .
>
> __________________________________________________________________ For info
> on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.