posted July 13, 2013 07:08 AM
Came across this video about the race to preserve the massive collection of films held at the BFI. Thought it might be of interest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiCB6BWbd2k
Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007
posted July 13, 2013 10:55 AM
Some years ago I was given a tour of the BFI National Film Archive at Berkhamsted. Thousands of cans of mainly 35mm stacked up to the high ceiling (hard hats to be worn), all at a nice cool controlled temperature.
A lot of their collection did not have the films complete, but quite often they were able to make up a good print by including some sections from 16mm.
But perhaps the most fascinating was the restoration of 35mm nitrate, I watched as a section of torn perfs was repaired by applying a whole new narrow section of good perfs from a scrap film, applied by the good old film cement. Remember the smell?
I was told that their preview theatre was the only one in the country to have a licence to run nitrate, the Kalee projectors still having their original fire trap arrangements.
Nitrate was stored outside in small units about the size of a telephone box, their lids being fairly loose, this was to allow for a film fire explosion which would only shoot the roof off, rather that the whole unit exploding like a large bomb.
Good to know! But I would not have liked to be around when that happened!
Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012
posted July 13, 2013 01:29 PM
The Licences & Censors in this country have a lot to answer for as regards fillm. No wonder that there are so many versions of film, and to lost scenes thanks to the censors in the UK, and then chopped to bits for the USA!