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Author
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Topic: Film Guard damage? ....or something else?
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Kim Clark
Junior
Posts: 8
From: Bainbridge Island, WA USA
Registered: Jul 2008
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posted July 31, 2008 12:22 AM
I purchased Film Guard with high hopes after doing extensive reading, but have run into what looks like the "rain effect" people have mentioned that must be wiped off (or absorbed?) before the process is complete. But these streaks don't wipe off!
I don't know what the footage looked like before (it's not my film, which makes matters even worse!) but I need some help finding the cause, and maybe find a fix?!
It's especially apparent on sequences with lots of darkness. Oddest thing is, the streaks are about 30degrees off vertical, and I don't see how this could have happened, as I applied the Filmguard between two rewinds through a moistened pad, as recommended. I'd think this would cause vertical streaks if anything, but I can't think of anything else that would cause "rain".
Other info:
*This is standard8 film, so it could be rather old.
*I put the filmguard pretty freely and then immediately wiped it off in the reverse direction.
*Then I did several passes until there was no more green on the pads once I saw how it projected.
*The problem is like light-colored rain in the dark-colored underexposed areas. Eek!
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 525
From: Dallas, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted July 31, 2008 02:08 AM
Well just as an FYI you probably went way overboard on the application, as most first timers do. (Most people think if a little does this much good, then slathering it on must be incredible...not so.) Anyway there are 32 ounces in that bottle. ONE ounce is enough to clean 16,000 feet of 35mm film. Figuring that you are cleaning 8mm film, and a 7 inch diameter 20-30 minute reel is 400 feet...just how much did you use? (This is why I tell 8mm collectors to buy one bottle, as that for many will be a lifetime supply.)
Second, if the streaks are off axis, that sounds like something different. Regardless, if you were to rewind the reels a few times with moderate to tight tension, the simple fact of the film winding flat against itself will "smear" out any streaks.
Not that any of that really matters though, because that damage was already there. FilmGuard streaking on the initial projection is simply not visible in dark scenes, only the brightest.
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Kim Clark
Junior
Posts: 8
From: Bainbridge Island, WA USA
Registered: Jul 2008
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posted July 31, 2008 01:13 PM
Responses to all your appreciated reactions above:
Well, I folded over those specially made thin pads about 4-6 times to make a good padded surface and held them atop the bottle (cap was off) while upending the bottle about a second or so. I got more generous later, remembering I think the film-tech site said "as long as the pads don't drip" so, the film was 'nice and glisten-ey'. Bottle looks hardly used after 200' of treatment
quote:
Second, if the streaks are off axis, that sounds like something different... FilmGuard streaking on the initial projection is simply not visible in dark scenes, only the brightest.
I can breathe again.
quote:
[Green coming off onto the pads] is the problem that I'd worry about, which has nothing to do with any cleaner/lubricant. Could it be possible that the color dyes are coming off?
I wish I could get more reassurance from this, but I assume the green *wouldn't* have come off onto the pads if there hadn't been any filmguard on it, at least not as much, right? So I feared the filmguard smeared heavy black emulsion parts, revealing lighter-colored ("rain") places where too much emulsion was dissolved - an unresolvable problem once the damage was done.
quote:
What did the film look like prior to treating with Film Guard? Did you watch any of it, prior to treatment?
Ah, if I had done this, all would be revealed! But, nada, unforturnately.
Which brings to mind a little pet peave provoked by Internet advice given elsewhere. People advise: "Of course, test the application of filmguard first, on a piece of unimportant footage". -> -> So many pieces of film have unique characteristics I think this is unrealistic.
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Dan Lail
Film God
Posts: 2110
From: Loganville, Georgia, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted July 31, 2008 02:42 PM
I have used Filmguard on at least a hundrd films and no problems. The films were 8mm, super 8, and 16mm. The film stocks ranged from I.B. Tech to new and old Fuji, Agfa, Kodachrome, 3M, Kodak, etc. I use cotton cloths folded two times. I spray the FG on with a couple of sprays, then hold the cloth around the film front and back between rewinds while applying gentle pressure. Nothing but excellnt results. I imagne if you wiped the excess with a second pass using a dry cloth and too much pressure then damage could ocurr. Too much FG will not damage film. This product is in use in theatres around the world. That is a lot of testing.
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