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Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on December 29, 2008, 09:04 AM:

Todsy's Orlando Sentinel features a front page (yes, front page!)article on the need to protect and preserve old home movies, and how they could be extremely valuable in the future for historians and archivists.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-homemovies2908dec29,0,3682966.story

One thing I liked about the article is how it points out that DVD conversion is not the answer to preserving your home movies - the film itself will last much longer than any electronic media.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on December 29, 2008, 10:24 PM:

Paul
That was a very interesting article, its about time people recognized the value of home movies and the danger to only transfer to DVD then toss out the original film, which I bet a few have done only to find the DVD might not last as long as one would think. [Eek!]

Home movies were not all about family baby on the lawn films, I have a few of those, which are a very important record to the family concerned, but also Standard/Super8 and 16mm film was used to record all other kinds of things as well, which with the passing of time have become of real interest to other people as well.

If I had one regret over the years [Roll Eyes]

that was not getting out with a little movie camera and filming long long ago, however I never had the interest back then, but most importantly "never had any money either" [Frown]

.... "if only"

Graham. [Smile]

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on December 29, 2008, 11:15 PM:

Some of the things that really hit home whenever I show the home movies I took back in the 1950's are:
1. How little traffic there was on the roads and how much fewer people there was around.
2. How well people dressed. I don't mean expensively dressed, but people always looked smart and neat compared with today.

Hind sight is always great - I wish now I had shot more scenes of people going about everyday life, shots of meat prices in butchers windows and car prices in showrooms, newspaper headlines of the day, and so on.
In many ways it is very sad to look at old home movies of 50 or more years ago. You realize how much we have lost forever, and you have to wonder if civilization is really on the decline despite all the great advances in science and technology.

Posted by Knut Nordahl (Member # 518) on December 30, 2008, 02:53 AM:

quote:
I have a few of those, which are a very important record to the family concerned, but also Standard/Super8 and 16mm film was used to record all other kinds of things as well, which with the passing of time have become of real interest to other people as well.

I second that.
One thing i found very interresting looking through and telecining the familys super8 films was the difference in the amount of foliage on trees on the exact same day (17.Mai- National holiday) from year to year. Later years have defenately more than early years.

The traffic observation and my foliage observation are probably only examples of what is out there. There is a huge vault of goodies like that out there caught on film

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on December 30, 2008, 08:54 AM:

But there's alot of home-movie film around and much of it everyday life - EBAY offers alot, and it can be had at most shows - True, the manner of dress and decorum was decent, as were the manners of most

Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on December 30, 2008, 09:57 AM:

The only thing missing from that report was a link to this forum......

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on December 30, 2008, 12:42 PM:

This is something I need to be careful of. Sometimes I really get into filmmaker mode. While I'm doing that I try not to forget to keep a record of my son's childhood too.

Mom and Dad didn't shoot movies when we were growing up. I regret that sometimes.

Posted by Graham Sinden (Member # 431) on December 30, 2008, 05:29 PM:

Joe, I have bought other peoples home movie film from Ebay and other cine sales. I like watching them for pure nolstagia and I wouldnt really want to give them back to their original owner (although I probably would in the end if I tracked them down).

But the big point is, I SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE FILMS IN MY POSSESSION. THESE SHOULD BE KEPT WITH THE FAMILY IT CONCERNS AND PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE GENERATIONS. If some family members dont want them, just tell them to keep the reels in a biscuit tin under the bed and leave them there. But DONT chuck them because WHEN THEY ARE GONE, THEY ARE GONE!!!

GRAHAM S

Posted by Barry Johnson (Member # 84) on December 31, 2008, 06:48 AM:

Thats just what I have done Graham.Apart from my own collection of home movies shot by me,I have amassed a collection of unwanted similar films from ebay- you have probably outbid me on some of them!!
Those images of other peoples earlier lives is not an intrusion but a window on lifestyle decades ago.One of my oldest movies is from 1928 on 16mm from Germany-it was going to be slung out so I saved it!!!
New Years Greetings to all.

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