Emulsion - Information wanted about commercial prints

[Jacob Watkinson]

Hey everyone, so my personal film practice is working with decay - something I have had no problem eliciting from typical home movies etc. with an actual distinguishable base and emulsion surface. I've noticed however with commercial prints, such as the one pictured that there is still a clear base side but the emulsion seems almost coated in something. This may be because the film is black and white? I've noticed that B/W seems much more 'oozy' when decayed and those films have been chaplin and porn prints so I'd imagine they were similar in actual material composition?

Does anyone know what this coating is? Would be good to know both as an artist and technician

I imagine it's going to behave differently to burial and the nutrients in the soil; as a commercial 16mm print of a similar nature that I've buried is already proving very resilient against the onset of decay.

Thanks in advance!

[Brian Fretwell]

I can't actually see anything like a coating in those photos.

Are you sure the 16mm print you buried is acetate not polyester as the latter won't decay.

[Ken Finch]

It would appear from your pictures. One has magnet stripe sound which is iron oxide based so would eventually still decay if the film base is acetate. Probably take quite a time though,not that I have ever buried any film ! Ken Finch.

[Maurice Leakey]

...the emulsion seems almost coated in something...

It might have a coating of FilmGuard or something similar.

[Joseph Banfield]

Wouldn't that oozing coating be the emulsion layer that has softened because of the moisture in the soil?

[Brian Fretwell]

No because that is an 8mm print and the one he says he has buried is a 16mm one.

[Jacob Watkinson]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

It would seem that the film is likely polyester as it is resisting the onset of decay after a good two weeks in the ground. Would anyone know of any methods more likely to have an effect?