Idiot’s guide to film preservation (for absolute beginners)
May 28, 2007 | filmpres | trackback
4. What kind of films should be preserved?
F: I have no idea how many feature films have been made so far. Must be a huge number. Each film has several rolls and if they are stacked all over, isn’t that a bit chaotic?
P: Yes, and films are not only features.
F: Speaking of which, I often see the old footage such as wartime life on TV news.
P: Newsreels were made by a lot of different companies, and there are also PR films of for-profit organizations, and educational films used at schools, scientific documentaries, ethnic films etc. There are a lot more than feature films, you know.
F: I think that kind of footage is very effective in the TV news, and it always makes me feel like watching the whole film.
P: Those kinds of film are very interesting to watch after so many years in a different way from the features. Nostalgic, or fresh… it’s very exciting.
F: It was great watching people in those days actually moving. This is possible only because the films were kept.
P: Surely. But those films don’t have the chance to be screened so often. Ignored for a long time. That makes them difficult to store properly.
F: Well, I can imagine.
P: If it’s a feature film, the film company might spend a lot of money on preservation. Especially when it comes to the popular classics, the project is very intense, and the restored version will make a profit through DVD sales and TV broadcasting.
F: In that way, it can be a business.
P: But films which are not that popular cannot find a sponsor to take care of the preservation, and even if they are shown, you can’t expect to get so much money. Sometimes the copyright holder is unknown, if the production company is gone. That makes the preservation process so slow. We call these films “Orphan Films”.
F: That’s a pity…I hope some scientific university or museums are trying to save them near the future.
P: Yes, if it’s regional films, they should be saved by the region, etc. etc. I expect home movies shot by somebody in the region should be saved by the people who live in the region. _
5. Home Movies are not personal?
F:Home movies? I don’t understand why.
P: You don’t?
F: Cause newsreels and PR films were made by professionals, right? So I can sit back and relax when I watch them. it’s public. For example, if it’s specialized in some way, for academics in the field, the films were a really important reference, I suppose. But home movies! They are just a series of family trips or things like that. It’s a very personal matter. Probably good for the person who shot the film and the family, or friends, but I don’t think others can enjoy watching that.
P: That’s not really true. It’s true that they were shot for families or friends at first. But after years and years the scenery you see in 8mm can be shared by anyone. You don’t just feel nostalgic but you can get evidence about society and culture in those days.
F: I don’t quite..
P: Home movies are shot from a really everyday point of view, so they sometimes capture the things that feature films never show, and this becomes a charm. For example, your kids playing in the park nearby, and home movies show the atmosphere of the park, the scenery of the town, clothes, hairstyle, friendship, how to play and with what; a variety of different things.
F: I see. it’s like you cannot really get the stories old people talk about, but if you can see the old days in a motion picture, it’s easier to get the real atmosphere. For local people, films can be heritage just the same as written documents.
P: And the people who shot the films are trying to think how to shoot, and edit the title and credit, sometimes attempting an artistic composition and editing, etc. Seeing these trial efforts later, we can get the esthetics and a kind of grammar in those days about how to shoot home movies. That is very interesting in terms of film history.
F: Wow, I’m finally beginning to understand how important home movies are.
P: That makes me very happy.
F: But are home movies stored OK? I’m afraid they are easily thrown away.
P: Even if you keep them, if you leave them in the attic for a long time, films can become deteriorated. There’s always the possibility that you cannot project them anymore.
F: What a pity.
P: That’s why we need a system to consider films as cultural/historical heritage, and preserve them. Related site Home Movie Day
6.How to preserve films?
F: To go back to the previous topic, how should we store films?
P: It depends on the film condition and base material, but the main thing is low humidity and low temperature.
F: If you store films in the opposite conditions?
P: They might get moldy, or start to smell strange(S1), or shrink or fade in the case of color films.
F: Gee. it’s like a living thing. Must be hard in the Japanese rainy season and summertime.
P: That’s right. In any house there are some humid places and sunlight coming through which can accelerate the deterioration.
F: Once film gets deteriorated, is there any remedy?
P: I’m afraid not. it’s possible to slow down the deterioration, though. For that reason, in the film archives there are knowledgeable film archivists and film vaults with climate control.
F: Professionals of film preservation… I’ve been a film fan and seen a lot of films but never thought about their preservation and restoration.
P: That’s natural. Usually you never think that far when you are in the cinema.
F: Well of course, but is there anything I can do? I’ve never touched a film projector; I don’t know anything about film processing, or how to handle films.
P: it’s true that there are some complicated matters, but there are a lot easier things you can try.
F: For example, what?
P: If you want to work a projector, you can apply for the 16mm film projection workshop(S2), which is held by local government. For about two or three days, you can learn how to operate a 16mm film projector and get a certificate. With the certificate, you can rent films from public libraries and show them for people.
F: Wow, I never heard of it!
P: There must be some educational films you might have seen at school, or regional films.
F: Sounds interesting. Those films should be made good use of, not thrown away.
P: And, you can preserve films at home.. F: At home? Related page Why not take part in a 16mm Film Projection Workshop?
memo
S1: Flammable nitrate Film base was changed to safety film from the 50s. However, safety film is acetate and it was revealed later that it deteriorates faster than nitrate films. This phenomenon is called vinegar syndrome as it smells like vinegar. Nowadays positive film’s base is polyester.
S2:“Why not take part in a 16mm Film Projection Workshop? for more about this. This system is going to disappear soon. Don’t miss the last chance!
7. Home film preservation guide
F: At home? How come? I don’t have any storage.
P: Why don’t you start by improving the space you have?
F: For example?
P: You have to avoid humidity and heat, those are the enemies, so from a humid place to a relatively dry place, avoid sunlight or near the stove or air conditioner. That’s as a first step.
F: Oh well.
P: The best way is to put them in the fridge, or in the dry cabinet so that you can control the temperature or humidity, but anyway, trying to think about the best place to store at home increases films life expectancy. it’s not that easy to build up a system to preserve small gauges(S1) or home movies in the public sector, and we should save our films with lots of nostalgic memories by ourselves.
F: That’s right. Things should be saved, and if this way of thinking gradually becomes more widespread, the situation might start to change.
P: I hope so.
F: OK, then__I wonder about those 8mm at my house.
P: Pardon? Do you have 8mm?
F: Yes, I believe there must be some; my grandpa was shooting us when we are little.
P: Oh wow, your grandpa.
F: Yes. He started using a camera after he retired, and tried 8mm as well.
P: Have you ever seen them?
F: No, not at all. Actually the projector and camera were thrown away after his death. But the films might be still in the attic.
P: For how long?
F: I’m not sure, but more than 20 years anyway. I was listening to what you said and thinking it wasn’t really a good location where they were. Now I’m so worried.
P: If you don’t mind, could you bring them down next time? I can inspect the condition anyway.
F: Really? That’s very kind of you.
P: If the condition is OK, then why don’t you transfer them onto video(S2), and save the original films at home? How about that?
F: My family will be very happy to hear that. I promise I__ll bring them down. _
F kun missed the movie today, but learned a lot about film preservation.Looking forward to visiting
P san with his films, he left the office of FPS. If you want to know more about film preservation, please visit “What is film preservation? More practical information is at The Home Film Preservation Guide.
memo
S1: Any format smaller than 35mm (commercial theater release format) is called small gauge. 16mm, 8mm and 9.5mm are common, but there are others. : Any format smaller than 35mm (commercial theater release format) is called small gauge. 16mm, 8mm and 9.5mm are common, but there are others.: Any format smaller than 35mm (commercial theater release format) is called small gauge. 16mm, 8mm and 9.5mm are common, but there are others.S2: Transferring films onto video is called telecine.
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