8mm Forum: PREMATURE BURIAL FOR 35mm FILM

This is topic PREMATURE BURIAL FOR 35mm FILM in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Larry Arpin (Member # 744) on March 13, 2013, 03:16 PM:

Leonard Maltin had an interesting article which I totally agree:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/premature-burial-for-35mm-film

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on March 13, 2013, 03:28 PM:

Thanks Larry interesting to read. Sums up my feelings for film quite well.

Not sure what medium they store digital on? Must be large hard discs, one of the Bond had the restorations shown in large boxes containing maybe 10 H/Ds. Now unless they are really special I wouldn't want my film on them. Magnetic discs and all the problems that go with them.

Posted by Matt McBride (Member # 3311) on March 13, 2013, 04:12 PM:

I agree. This was a very interesting read Larry. Archival of the movies on digital is definitely a new thing to look at. It will have it's own set of problems just like film. At this point, no one really knows how to store the hard drives indefinitely without failure and every time you have to transfer a file to the new media, there is a possibility of totally corrupting the file permanently. I guess huge advantage with film, is if it is stored properly, like we all know, it will out last all of us and the picture will stay the same. This is of course assuming the print is not on stock that is prone to fading.

A bigger issue that is starting to evolve for film archival, is where to get the media. With the conversion going on, print quality has gone down over the years and if the movie was shot on film, but distributed all digitally, does one even make an archival print? I dunno. Or if prints are made, how does one
guarantee that the prints they get back will actually still be in really good shape?

It seems like the studios are backing themselves into a corner for archival of movies. But who knows how much they care about preservation of their movies.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on March 14, 2013, 03:36 AM:

Problem I have with archiving on electronic digital formats is that formats as we know come and go, whereas a 35mm polyester print properly stored is estimated to have a 700 year life span.

Its worth checking out the documentary included on the Sherlock Holmes dvd set which describes the films restorations, what archiving is all about and a fascinating insight for any newcomer.

Posted by Larry Arpin (Member # 744) on March 14, 2013, 10:48 AM:

The best way to archive is black and separations on estar stock not a print.That way there is no chance of fading or deterioration and the full resolution of the film is retained.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 14, 2013, 01:42 PM:

The industry jumped on the digital bandwagon way too soon. Why?

Digital is an exver expanding, growing media (or medium?) and what is considered the "standard" today, will be outdated, given a year or two or in some cases, perhaps months.

Why did they jump on the bandwagon? Two reasons ...

a lot less cost to producing movies without film stock and the costs of shooting, editing and of course, developing ect.

... it was (and is still) assumed that by going digital, they will have more control over they're material, where someone could rip off an organic reel of film.

Of course, that flies out the window, as anything, and I mean ANYTHING, can be hacked, and there goes your digital files.

Bloody digital!

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on March 14, 2013, 03:21 PM:

To add to the dilemma, here in the LA area there no longer seem to be any first-run houses running film with the exception of the Vista (hold your ground, Lance!). That's excepting 2nd-run and the smattering of film-based Imax screens. If there are, I can't find any. And even our best revival/art houses, the American Cinematheque, are running way more DCP than even just a few months ago, though film is still a regular part of the lineup.

The magic of flickering film is becoming elusive.

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on March 14, 2013, 04:00 PM:

It's great that filming on 35mm is still going on but the bottom line, for me at any rate, is that when it reaches my local cinema it's a DVD.

Posted by Thomas Murin, Jr. (Member # 1745) on March 14, 2013, 05:13 PM:

The studios archive on film and will for the foreseeable future. They aren't the bumbling morons some would paint them as.

Posted by Matt McBride (Member # 3311) on March 14, 2013, 05:54 PM:

That is reassuring to hear. I was always afraid that, as it went up the ladder with more and more executives, that preservation may get lost along the way. It's good that they care about the movies lasting.

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