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Topic: Film Guard

Sam Hunter
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 779
From: West Monroe, LA, USA
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 04-26-2002 02:41 PM

This may be a redundent question, but I have several films with emulsion scratches running in and out sometimes and I was wondering if Film Guard helps hide some of that?

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 04-26-2002 03:00 PM

It'll take care of your base scratches, but the emulsion is the actual picture information. Once it gets scraped away, there isn't anything that can be done at the theater level.

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Sam Hunter
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 779
From: West Monroe, LA, USA
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 04-26-2002 05:27 PM

Thats what I figured.
Do you remember a post that spoke about subjecting the scratched film to a water bath?
There was quite a discussion about that on one of the forums but I don't remeber which.
I wouldn't do that to my film but just added it for conversation.

In a related matter whats the difference between Film Guard and Film Renew?

Thanks!

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James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-26-2002 05:42 PM

I think this has been covered before, but I dont have much time for a search right now.
How long do prints usually run through Filmguard under the normal conditions (rewinding pads each show, loading up newly soaked pads weekly, etc.) before the scratches start to dissapear?
Would I be correct in assuming that lighter scratches would clear up faster than heavier scratches?

If this has been answered in another thread (which I believe it has), could someone bump it up for me?

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-26-2002 10:31 PM

Here's what I think:

It all depends on how badly the film is scratched and how long ago the damage was done. Obviously, the deeper and older the scratch the more "treatment" is required.

However, in my experience of running dirty, scratched film... When film is damaged and not immediately treated, some dirt invades the scratch. The first one or two passes with the FG do produce a noticable result but since there may be many "laryers" of dirt built up in the scratch, it takes a few more runs to get the dirt out so that the FG can work its magic.

Simply put, the first one or two runs through the cleaner are the ones where a lot of improvement happens but it's those 3rd, 4th and 5th (etc.) runs are where the real magic happens.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 04-26-2002 11:58 PM

Randy summed it up nicely, it just depends on how old the scratch is, how deep it is and how much dirt has accumulated in the scratch.

The best solution is preventive maintenance from the start. If you were to take two identical prints and FilmGuard one for the very first show, and then not run a cleaner for any shows after that and compare it to a print that has never been cleaned, the one that only got one hit with FilmGuard will be noticeably better and even with just one pass through the cleaner will have hardly any static and shedding (if any). Plus, the coating will help to keep the film from getting scratched in a misthread. Obviously the benefits are better the closer you use them to the instructions, but even one pass will make a huge difference.

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Frank Rapisardi
Film Handler

Posts: 96
From: Methuen, MA, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-29-2002 02:27 PM

I cleaned up some old 16mm prints with Film Guard. Old deep scratches remained;but other prints look new. It's a great product!

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 04-29-2002 03:03 PM

An aqueous rewash process can help emulsion-side scratches, as it swells the gelatin emulsion, which than is redried, permanently "healing" or at least "softening" the scratch:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/processing/operating7.shtml#rewashing

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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