8mm Forum: Colour Fade Film Stock

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Topic: Colour Fade Film Stock

Robert Tucker
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 688
From: Essex, UK
Registered: May 2005

posted January 10, 2010 08:12 AM

I have been making some comparisons between Mylar /Estar film stock with regards to Ken titles in clamshell boxes.

I have noticed that acetate film has less colour fade compared with polyester prints that where also made at the same time on Kodak SP.

Has anyone else come across this or has tried to find a better copy of Ken/MGM features or 400/200ft cut downs colour wise?

MGM titles especially the 3x400 features where prone to this. Thou if you are lucky enough you can actually find prints that have been printed on acetate film which would have better chance of stronger colours.

Now i wonder what the ratio of this would be as most prints from the early 80s where printed on the new stock Mylar.

[ January 10, 2010, 10:09 AM: Message edited by: Robert Tucker ]

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted January 10, 2010 08:34 AM

Its an interesting thought Robert. Could a film, even with the old fashioned quick fade eastman stock, hold up much better on estar than mylar? Could the "plasticine" stock have as much to do with film fade as the color process? Is that what your saying? I don't want to get it wrong.

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Robert Tucker
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 688
From: Essex, UK
Registered: May 2005

posted January 10, 2010 10:04 AM

Osi, You are totally correct, from experiencing some titles that i have replaced so far it seems Polyester is more prone to fade. For example most of Universal 8 titles fall into this category.

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John Whittle
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 791
From: Northridge, CA USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 10, 2010 01:56 PM

A very interesting observation. I wonder if we're looking at a stock problem or a laboratory problem and if these were printed two up on 16mm stock or four up on 35mm stock.

Probably don't have anyway to find out this information at this point unless someone knows from the history of each company. Universal had an exclusive contract with Technicolor for the studio work (Technicolor Plant 20 was on the corner of the Universal Lot on Lakershim Blvd) but I don't know if it extended to Universal8/Castle Films.

Likewise, MGM ran their own Metrocolor Lab on the lot, but once again I don't know (and rather doubt) that they did work for Ken or Super8 at all. Technicolor did do Super8 work, but I don't think they did it at Plant 20.

John

[ January 11, 2010, 09:41 AM: Message edited by: John Whittle ]

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Kevin Faulkner
Film God

Posts: 4071
From: Essex UK
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 11, 2010 04:27 AM

I thought that most of the Universal titles were on Acetate Stock especially the early titles. Interesting.

Kev.

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