Common Issues
Mechanical Damage
Causes - various
- Mishandling
- Play through projector over time
- Play through tape machine over time
- Film passing through worn rollers, sprockets and gates
- Rewinding
- Poor shipping (improper packing, rough handling, exposure to elements)
Causes - storage under humid conditions
- Organisms start from the outside edge and cause damage to the emulsion layer
- Once the organisms have eaten the emulsion layer the damage is irreversible
Causes – exposure to water, high humidity and heat
- In early stage the plastic releases acetic acid, destroying part of the base
- Acetate Decay cannot be reversed but improving storage conditions can slow it
Causes – dry storage conditions
- Can also be a symptom of Acetate Decay
- misaligned sprocket holes and even more film dammage
Cause – time
- All types and brands of color motion picture film will fade over time
- The three dye layers (yellow, cyan and magenta) lose their colors at different rates
- Once the color breaks down, the color balance changes
Causes – chemical reaction over time
- This film composition has not been used since 1952 due to it’s highly flammable nature
- The image on the film will start to fade and the emulsion layer will become sticky
- Once the emulsion layer softens and blisters it is beyond retrieval
Causes – all of the above but especially acceptable to Vinegar Syndrome (Acetate Decay)
- Magnetic coating can shed oxide, become sticky or completely separate from the base