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Author Topic: NITRATE!?! Help me please! Dave Cutler Master Film Handler Posts: 277 From: Centennial, CO Registered: Jun 2000 posted 10-18-2000 02:42 PM                     OK, I may or may not have some nitrate film in my booth right now and that makes me nervous. It's a reel of the 3 Stooges short 'Mummies and Dummies.' The film stock says NITRATE FILM on it and I didn't notice it until I was preparing to build it on to a platter!! The year code is 1927, 1947 or 1967. Not being a huge Stooges fan I don't know when they did thier thing, and I don't know jack about nitrate (other than run like hell). When were the Stooges around, and when did nitrate go bye, bye? I would imaging that it is nitrate since the film says it is, so I think I will tell my bosses that I won't be running this, since I think it's illegal. Anyway if anyone can help me confirm that it is nitrate please do. Thanx  |  IP: Logged Jonathan M. Crist Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 531 From: Hershey, PA, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 10-18-2000 03:15 PM                     Safety (non-nitrate) film was not introduced until about 1950, so the general rule is that anything before that date should be treated as nitrate unless you can confirm to the contrary. In the late 1950's Columbia did reissue some of their 3 Stooge comedies. These were generally reprints (a print from a print) and were maked on safety film stock.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-18-2000 03:21 PM                        If the edge marking is printed as black text on a clear background, then you almost certainly have nitrate film and you should take proper care of it (store it in an enclosed container in the proverbial cool, dry place). If the edge marking is clear text on a more-or-less opaque background, then it was printed through from a negative element; if this is the case, you should also see the "SAFETY FILM" marking along the edge. If it's really a safety print made from a nitrate negative, then it's perfectly safe to run. If you're still in doubt, snip off a frame or two from the leader and light it with a match. You should know pretty soon whether it's nitrate or not. You can also examine the film for possible shrinkage (if it's severely shrunken, it's porbably nitrate). If it has a vinegar smell, it's safety film in the process of decomposing (but perfectly safe to run). If it has a weird smell that's hard to describe, it might be nitrate. If it _is_ nitrate, DO NOT even think about running it on a platter (or on a manual setup without enclosed magazines, fire rollers, approved booth, etc.). Consider donating it to a film archive like the Library of Congress or UCLA; both of these archives are equipped for the storage and preservation of nitrate elements.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 10-18-2000 03:27 PM                     The " nitrate film' printed on the film may have been printed over from the original. The simplest way to tell absolutely for sure is to clip off a small piece and then while holding it with pliers and well away from the rest of the film and anything flammable try to ignite it with a a match or lighter. There will be no doubt whether it's nitrate then. Use a small piece no bigger than a frame or two. If it is just right that size piece can go instantly, if it burns only while flame is held to it it is safety film.  |  IP: Logged Dave Cutler Master Film Handler Posts: 277 From: Centennial, CO Registered: Jun 2000 posted 10-18-2000 03:42 PM                     Thanx for the input, it is evidently Safety film, and was printed from a nitrate print. NITRATE FILM is in clear letters on a dark background, and on the other edge is SAFETY. Should be safe, but just in case I will try to light a small sample. Thanx again.  |  IP: Logged Stefan Scholz Expert Film Handler Posts: 223 From: Schoenberg, Germany Registered: Sep 1999 posted 10-19-2000 09:25 AM                        See - how important the small hole or dot every 4th. perf. within the perforation (operator's side) area is... It tells you immediately the film is on approved safety stock. With modern stock there might be no need, but here and there reissues happen, leading to confusion, even though the prints delivered from distributors or archives MUST be on safety stock.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-19-2000 09:32 AM                     To properly perform the match test ignite the upper most portion of the film sample not the bottom some saftey stock will still burn upward Also in an oxygen rich enviroment (free air) nitrate will burn with an intese yellow flame If the top edge is ignited it will burn quickly downward on the sample Safety will extinguish itself when the match is removed  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 10-30-2000 10:09 AM                        The Kodak website has quite a bit of informaton about nitrate motion picture film: http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/about/environment/booklet.shtml http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/support/technical/storage1.shtml http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/support/technical/storage2.shtml http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/support/technical/storage3.shtml http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/about/environment/nitrate.shtml ------------------ John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging Eastman Kodak Company Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419 Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243 E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com  |  IP: Logged Ken Layton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1452 From: Olympia, Wash. USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 10-30-2000 11:33 AM                     Columbia re-issued a bunch of 35mm Stooge shorts in the mid 80's on safety stock. I ran a bunch of them for midnight shows at the State Theater in Olympia, Wash.  |  IP: Logged

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