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Film base: Difference between revisions
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Film '''base''' is the material that film emulsion is printed on. You may need to handle prints differently in exhibition settings and in long term storage depending on the material their base is made of. | Film '''base''' is the material that film emulsion is printed on. You may need to handle prints differently in exhibition settings and in long term storage depending on the material their base is made of. | ||
===Polyester | ===Polyester=== | ||
With rare exceptions, all 35mm release prints made since the late 1990s have been printed on '''polyester''' base. Many 16mm prints from the mid 80s onward are also printed on polyester stock. Nothing pre-1955 will be on polyester base. Unlike acetate or nitrate stock, polyester is essentially unbreakable and cannot be torn by human hands. It is also not susceptible to vinegar syndrome and does not warp or shrink (though it is not uncommon for the film to have a slight "bow"). It is believed that a film printed on polyester stock will last several hundred years because the base does not deteriorate [cite]. Polyester base is easy to identify because it is slightly thinner than acetate or nitrate, which also means adjustments in focus must be made if acetate and polyester films are spliced together in a single reel (such as a trailer reel). Polyester film cannot be cement spliced - it must be tape spliced or ultrasonic spliced. | With rare exceptions, all 35mm release prints made since the late 1990s have been printed on '''polyester''' base. Many 16mm prints from the mid 80s onward are also printed on polyester stock. Nothing pre-1955 will be on polyester base. Unlike acetate or nitrate stock, polyester is essentially unbreakable and cannot be torn by human hands. It is also not susceptible to vinegar syndrome and does not warp or shrink (though it is not uncommon for the film to have a slight "bow"). It is believed that a film printed on polyester stock will last several hundred years because the base does not deteriorate [cite]. Polyester base is easy to identify because it is slightly thinner than acetate or nitrate, which also means adjustments in focus must be made if acetate and polyester films are spliced together in a single reel (such as a trailer reel). Polyester film cannot be cement spliced - it must be tape spliced or ultrasonic spliced. | ||
* Polyester stock is often referred to as "Estar base" which is the Kodak trade name for their polyester stock. | * Polyester stock is often referred to as "Estar base" which is the Kodak trade name for their polyester stock. | ||
===Acetate | ===Acetate=== | ||
Used in the early 1930s mostly for small gauges, then was widely used post 1950s to replace nitrate base. Often refered to as "safety film". Acetate" base in modern exhibition settings usually refers to '''triacetate''' base. '''Diacetate''' was used on some early safety film, but you won't see it very often under normal circumstances (whatever THOSE are!). Older acetate prints tend to be more brittle and prone to warping as they lose moisture. Acetate is thicker and tends to break when stressed. | Used in the early 1930s mostly for small gauges, then was widely used post 1950s to replace nitrate base. Often refered to as "safety film". Acetate" base in modern exhibition settings usually refers to '''triacetate''' base. '''Diacetate''' was used on some early safety film, but you won't see it very often under normal circumstances (whatever THOSE are!). Older acetate prints tend to be more brittle and prone to warping as they lose moisture. Acetate is thicker and tends to break when stressed. | ||
*Use only tape or cement splices | *Use only tape or cement splices | ||