my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » What is this oily crap on my print of Green Zone? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: What is this oily crap on my print of Green Zone? Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-07-2010 04:25 PM                     Dear Film-Tech, What is this crap? Very wet and oily, wipes off green as pictured. Smells like exploded battery, not at all like xecote or machine oil. Thinking about running it through some dry media.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 07-07-2010 04:44 PM                     Mike, is it a brand new print? If so, might be chemicals from the lab (they goofed and didn't wash it after processing, in which case get a replacement print 'cuz that one's gonna go bad real fast.) If not then who knows what it could be. I don't think dry media will help much, and I wonder if applying FilmGuard right away would help or hurt. Maybe Brad knows.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Smith Expert Film Handler Posts: 201 From: Youngstown, OH Registered: Jan 2010 posted 07-07-2010 05:30 PM                     I don't know of any film processing chemicals that are green, sorry. Developer is kind of amber brown. Bleach is red. Fixer is clear (dries white). I don't know though. Could conceivably be some sort of lubricant. Run it through a film cleaner a few dozen times if you can't get a new one?  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-07-2010 05:34 PM                     Mike, Does it smell like anti-freeze? Perhaps there was a burst line in someones cooling system and the film got sprayed. KEN  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Smith Expert Film Handler Posts: 201 From: Youngstown, OH Registered: Jan 2010 posted 07-07-2010 05:55 PM                     Well, it probably wouldn't be from a film processor. They use heaters, not any sort of AC.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 07-07-2010 06:35 PM                        Definitely run it through some dry media. Maybe even do it twice (after changing the media, of course). Then try Filmguard. It looks like a used print since I see a frame attached to the leader/tail.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-07-2010 08:27 PM                     Used. Has a green QC sticker from Technicolor dated 7/2/10. Seriously, do they actually look at the prints when they send them out? I've rejected more green stickered prints than I can count.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-07-2010 08:44 PM                     Maybe some of the green zone has melted out of the print from the summer heat.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-07-2010 09:51 PM                     Is the stuff evenly distributed over the surface of the print like it happened during projection/winding or is it predominately on one side (edge) which might indicate that the film was dipped in something while it was rolled up?  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-07-2010 11:43 PM                        What does it look like on screen? Are you sure that it isn't just projector oil?  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-08-2010 12:44 AM                     I'd be pretty confident it's just oil. It's an old release...who knows what sort of equipment it's been through.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 07-09-2010 05:13 PM                     Since it's a used print, John is most likely correct. The combination of all the different oils (and who knows if anyone tried using Purdy's FG knockoff on it?) makes for the mess you have. I still have my doubts that a dry media would help (probably wouldn't hurt though) maybe if the dry media can clean enough off then a FG treatment will cure the ills.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 07-10-2010 02:57 AM                        Actually I'm surprised no one gave Kenneth's comment more thought. That could very well be the case.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 07-10-2010 01:36 PM                     I saw Kenneth's comment, it is a good possibility, but my last experience with a coolant leak on film resulted in the emulsion peeling off of the film as it was stuck together pretty good. Not to say that it couldn't turn out like this though...my experience was back in the day before mylar.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-10-2010 08:45 PM                     Well, I'm not sure what anti-freeze smells like, so I cannot answer that question. Visually, the reel in question does not look bad, but the reels sounds harsher when it's running through the gate, the opposite of the nice whir you get when running film-guard. It also leaves a gunky green residue on the gate similar to print shedding, but wetter. We have decided to not use this print.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.