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Topic: FilmGuard and VS: What Are Your Results?
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Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 12-06-2000 09:37 AM
Maybe John Pytlak has some insight into this question, although apart from the print stock it really isn't an "Eastman" issue...in my 30-odd years of film collecting I've been lucky and probably only had 5-6 prints with VS, but 3 of them have been IB's, and they have also exhibited the worst shrinkage. I have a film vault that is kept at +/-65 degrees year round and is dehumidified in the summer, but obviously the damage could have occurred before I got the prints. I'm curious, though, in that Technicolor has (had?) a good reputation for careful processing, and imbibition printing is not a true photographic process (except for the track and frame lines), so residual hypo should not be a big problem. Is there some aspect of the imbibition process which could encourage VS and shrinkage/warpage, or is it just the luck of the draw with prints that are now 26 years old or more? Thanks for your input.
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John Pytlak
Film God
Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 12-06-2000 09:53 AM
Jeff:Sorry, many of the details about the dye transfer process are proprietary, so I can't speculate as to why some earlier prints may seem more prone to vinegar syndrome. We do know that prints with magnetic striping are more prone to develop vinegar syndrome, because of hydrolysis of the binders and the presence of iron, that can act as a catalyst. Cool, dry and vented (or stored with Molecular Sieves) is the best prevention, and also will help retard further degradation. "Exercising" the prints every few years by careful winding/inspection or projection (to vent the buildup of vapors and relieve any buildup of tension) also helps. SMPTE Recommended Practice RP 131 covers "Storage of Motion Picture Film":
http://www.smpte.org/stds/index.html ------------------
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
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 12-06-2000 12:33 PM
Polyester-base film has been used for years in various forms. Lots of 16mm library prints were printed on ESTAR-base stock starting in the late '70s, and it was in use before that time for other purposes. I have a 16m airline print from 1982 (first year of LPP) on ESTAR-base stock as well, which still has great color (which has nothing to do with base material, however).I agree that the long-term "issues" with polyester are not well known, but we do know that nitrate shrinks and turns to flammable dust, and acetate shrinks and turns to goo. By contrast, we know that polyester doesn't shrink or break. It will be interesting to see what happens over the long term, but, as a collector, I'd prefer to own prints on ESTAR-base stock. Note that camera stock will continue to be on an acetate base; ESTAR is just used for intermediate and print elements.
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John Pytlak
Film God
Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 12-06-2000 12:39 PM
Actually, polyester film has been around since the mid-1950's, when it was invented by DuPont ("CRONAR" and "MYLAR") Compared to other film base materials, it is very stable.------------------
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
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Bruce McGee
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1776
From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular.
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted 12-07-2000 10:33 PM
OK. Here you go!I have a 1983 LPP 5 reel feature that has a stinking reel one, with some warpage, and reels 2-5 with a slight odor, but no problems. I ran it several times on my Holmes before I got FilmGuard. The smell would really cook out of the film! After I got the FG, I cleaned all the reels. This was in September 1999. R1 has a slight odor, still, but the warp is gone. Reels 2-5 are odorless. Only Reel one has been re-treated, so far. I keep this feature away from the collection. It's too bad, because the film is one of my favorite titles! I used FG on an Estar print of "This Is The Army" (LPP 1982 print) and the chattering in the old Eiki was gone. I just used the product on a 50 year old home movie before I transferred it to tape. It looked NEW!  I'm on bottle #3! ------------------
"It's the suspense that gets me!"--B. Bunny
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