Library of Congress Packard Campus The Library of

Library of Congress, Packard Campus The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation Culpeper, Virginia Digitizing Motion Picture Films: What are we doing, and why?

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Lets focus on the “Why? ” Question: Is the preservation of motion picture films dependent upon the survival of new motion picture film stock? Answer: No - we can’t let it be because motion picture film is going away. Specifically new film products. Laboratory specialty films that are formulated for making duplicates from other film elements are significantly endangered. Even if camera original stock remains – and this is questionable.

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Why do I say that? What is “Film”? What we often refer to simply as “motion picture film” as actually a complex chain of processes and events. Like any chain, if a link is broken the entire works supported by the chain can fail. Lets look at some of the “links”.

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Motion Picture Film Stock • Long rolls of light sensitized materials - Will only be made as long as it can be made and sold at a profit. • Manufacturing costs are dependent upon certain economies of scale • Costs dependent not just upon volume, but also inordinately influenced by secondary sources. • Precious metal prices – can you say “Hunt brothers”? • Environmental issues – Kodak Park is a Superfund site • Search “Kodak park superfund site” for references, and pay attention to cleanup issues

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Motion Picture Film Stock (cont. ) • Limited manufacturers • • Kodak (16 mm & 35 mm) • Color & B&W – portfolio is shrinking • Large batch factory model ORWO (16 mm & 35 mm) • B&W only currently • Formerly made color print, inter-negative, inter-positive, and camera negative. May be willing to make color print. • Fuji – 35 mm laser recording stock only (B&W process) • Others? – Film Ferrania (s 8 mm & 16 mm reversal original, based upon 3 M reversal products – maybe) Repeat: Will only be made as long as it can be “profitable” •

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Availability of photo processing chemistry • Good news: some chemicals come in a “food grade” • Bad news: some chemicals are used almost exclusively as photographic developing agents • Metol (aka Elon) • Hydroquinone – other uses now primary • ECN & ECP kits only available through Kodak • Recipes are published in Kodak H-24, so can be made from scratch • Complicated and expensive • Proper mix QC requires high tech gear to insure proper quality. • ICP unit: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Film processing laboratories • 2014: Technicolor and Deluxe exit the film processing business. • Foto. Kem remains the only “large Hollywood” area lab still in operation for the processing of color motion picture film. • Kodak website shows a number of processing labs that may still be open worldwide – not up to date. • Virtually all remaining labs are impacted by changing environmental regulations

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Projection systems • • • North American commercial cinema theaters will be 100% digital projection by the end of 2014 – per Kodak research Europe and Asia not far behind. South America is the last major market for film prints, and they are switching over rapidly as well. Kinoton exited the film projector business March of 2014 – spare parts available as long as existing supplies last. LC film loans program is getting regular requests for DCP’s from other archives, festivals, and museums.

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Alternatives? • Small batch film production • Cost • Problems noted in the previous slides • Data, data… • Data tapes, spinning disk, SSD • DOTS™, Piql • Something else? • Holographic

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Film response versus digital chip imaging Look up table (LUT) used to simulate film stock response/”look”

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Grain vs. Digital Noise

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Film to film archival preservation workflow • Film prep • Machine dependent • Time consuming, extensive • Timing/grading • Printing • Picture and sound may be separate • Developing • QC • Repeat as necessary for access/preservation copy

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Film to digital preservation • Film prep • • Machine dependent Typically less demanding than film to film prep • Scan • D-min & D-max set, then go • Color Correction • Finalize, create derivatives for viewing, etc.

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Hybrid model • Film to film preservation copies • Masters for long term preservation • Scan preservation masters access or restoration • • Access files are smaller, compressed If restoration project, can then produce film out if desired • Born digital materials • Long term storage on film?

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Selecting resolution for scanning • What is the original gauge? • What generation is the material to be digitized? • How can you estimate the inherent resolution of the original? • • http: //videopreservation. conservationus. org/library/estimating_historic_image_resolution_v 9. pdf Many other references, search “estimating the resolution of images”

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Develop a digital strategy • Consultation with all stakeholders is critical • • Technical - media specific Curatorial IT Funding/Management

Library of Congress, Packard Campus Thank you! Ken Weissman Supervisor, Motion Picture Preservation Lab Library of Congress Packard Campus 19053 Mt. Pony Road Culpeper, Va. 22701 202 -707 -0572 kwei@loc. gov