FILM INFORMATION

Transcript

Matt: I present to you this old projector. Have you seen one before? Let’s see if it runs. It works! However the light is not shining. As light bulbs burn out they need to be replaced but finding a light bulb that fits may be difficult. Regardless, this is a beautiful model of what was in use years ago. Neat!

The purpose behind this video is to show some basic information on how to work with old film reels which are extremely delicate. I highly recommend you wash your hands before handling the film. The oil on our skin is easily transferred and can damage the film. After a good wash, you will be ready to go (you can wear gloves if you prefer). This is the first step in protecting your valuable movies.

There are three standard film sizes. The first is 16 mm which is the largest one. It fits in this big reel. It was the first film used and is similar to what we see on the projector. After many years, new innovations created better technology and led to Regular 8 mm film. As you can see here, it is considerably smaller. The film is basically the 16 mm film cut or split in half. Subsequent innovations led to the invention of Super 8 mm, identified by the many tiny perforations. Audio capabilities would be added later. These are the three film types you will see, if you haven’t already.

This film box is a common item you will see frequently. It comes out of the box in a reel, ready to be projected. Remember to document the information, such as dates, that is often written on the side of the box. It is important to preserve and retain this valuable information, ideally through pictures, do not discard the boxes without doing this.

I want to stress that even when your films have been digitized do not throw away the original materials for the sake of saving space. These should be kept forever. Film becomes permanent once it has been created. Formats like VHS are already disintegrating. Their lifespan is roughly 50 years, which means in the next 5 - 10 years we will be faced with a crisis—the degradation of all VHS tapes. Film does not face this issue. The picture has been taken, and the image imprinted on the film. This is why I strongly recommend you keep the original film and use the digital copies for enjoyment.

At times you may find a bigger reel such as this in your collection. No need to worry. The reel in the yellow box is 50 feet in length or 3 minutes, which is the standard length. As more movies were filmed, their creators would splice multiple films together creating a larger reel and longer viewing time. So if you see this type of reel in your collection, a family member, or maybe even yourself, has created a longer film by combining multiple shorter reels together.

Occasionally, old films will snap apart while being used. Do not overreact and throw them out. This can be easily fixed with a splicer. I suggest you do not do this yourself but instead ask a friend or someone who is skilled in using this device. It’s a simple process and once you have some practice, it will be very easy. After cutting the damaged ends of each reel, place them next to each other and connect them with a strip of tape, flip it over and do the same on the opposite side, firmly pressing the tape on the film. The splicer device has two different settings: one to fit 16 mm and the other to fit both Regular 8 mm and Super 8 mm. After lining up the film, depress the lever to make a clean cut, removing any damaged film.

These are a few simple, basic things you can do yourself and possibly becoming your new hobby.  

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR CLIPS

Transcript

Matt: After digitization, edit your scene and organize them by creating a shotlist, saving them by name that labels those clips. You may include one or two topics per shot list. I suggest to organize it this way so that it will be easy to locate and retrieve when searching for specific shotlists rather than relying on long naming conventions which often hide pertinent information. Keep the shotlist concise and grouped by context such as an event, like a picnic. The scenes can be organized in whatever manner but its important to establish the shotlists based on one location and event. This will contribute to your ability to catalog and assess your collection much easier.