Archival film cans for the protection
of the film may seem extremely simple but it is just not a case of leaving the
footage locked in a secure room. Without the desired and proper attention, the
film can very probably degrade over time from both the environmental damage and
from the improper conditions as well. To ensure that the quality is particularly
kept to the highest standard for the archived film media, the storage
facilities have to really follow an exacting standard and also maintain a
stable environment. The Film Cores
are the solutions for the storage of the filmstrips under the most proper
conditions.
Film,
no matter what the material it is made out of and no matter what the size of
the reel is, they should ideally be stored on the film cores. This is because the plastic of a reel can cause the
undesired degradation to the footage and the film cores also allow the film to breathe a little more. Preferably
these will be three inch cores rather than 2 inch cores so that the wind is a
little more relaxed inside it. However if you are going to leave your film on
the reel, you should ensure that it is in great condition and that the metal
pieces are not rusty, bent or broken.
Ideally
film strips should be stored in purpose built cans - and it should be the sole
item in the film can. Other materials may have some deteriorating elements,
like the paper which can be quite acidic to the sensitive footage. Ideally,
your film should be kept very evenly and with the emulsion side facing outward
before you put it away and it should be stored tail out so that you have to
rewind it before screening. This gives it a great chance to breathe and then forces
you to check for the weak or the deteriorated splices.
The best way to keep your film quality really intact is to ensure that the storage area is absolutely cool and have an extremely perfectly stable environment. In Britain, the industry standard for the storage of the black and white safety film is at 16 degrees Celsius and 35% humidity. For the colour film - which fades far more easily - it is usually recommended that you keep the overall environment at around 30% humidity and -5 degrees C.
The best way to keep your film quality really intact is to ensure that the storage area is absolutely cool and have an extremely perfectly stable environment. In Britain, the industry standard for the storage of the black and white safety film is at 16 degrees Celsius and 35% humidity. For the colour film - which fades far more easily - it is usually recommended that you keep the overall environment at around 30% humidity and -5 degrees C.
Of course the maintenance of the film doses may be a great challenge for the
amateur Archival Film Cans at home
or even for some of the professional galleries. At a pinch, you should find a great
space that is absolutely dry, isolated and cool.
