Let’s get another media monkey off your back with a fresh New Year’s Resolution. Do something with your film reels collected around the house. Today I’ll provide you with some links to film reel preservation resources as well as creative ways to use those reels (other than stacking them as a paperweight).
Hopefully you don’t have those reels stored someplace crazy like the attic or basement. Repeat after me, “Cool and dry.” It’s a good rule of thumb for all your media. See my post from October 19th for more info about film reel preservation.
Your first stop in your quest to do something with your film reels is to visit the National Film Preservation Foundation. They have fantastic resources, tips and links for all things related to film reels. Want a detailed explanation of vinegar syndrome or Nitrate degradation? Check their site first.
View Your Film
Your next stop in looking at your film reels is to find them and quickly eyeball the sprockets to see if they’re still intact. Next, you want to find some way to view them. If you happen to live in the Portland, Oregon area you can actually rent projectors to view your film from the Northwest Film Center.
DVD Transfer
If you don’t have access to a film projector you may want to consider having your reels transferred to DVD for convenient viewing purposes. If you decide to go this route, keep in mind, DVDs won’t last forever. So keep the film reels in case you want to have them transferred again in the future to some new emerging viewing medium.
Each time your film reel is run through a projector, it adds to the degradation, so you don’t want to frequently view or transfer them. Another thought, was your Dad or Grandpa a good cinematographer? Or did he capture lots of shots of the floor and lens cap? If your film tends to get a bit boring, you may want to edit it down and add some music.
If you plan on editing your media, skip the DVD and have it transferred right to hard drive or tape (miniDV or HDV). Once your media is compressed onto DVD it is way too compressed to satisfactorily edit. Think early YouTube quality.
Film preservation archives are a very reliable source for getting your media transferred. In Chicago, we have the Chicago Film Archives, which takes great pride in using high-quality telecine equipment for the transfer.
Although there are less expensive options, such as projecting the film on the wall while simultaneously filming with a camcorder, the quality is not as great. Telecine equipment actually scans each frame, so you won’t get the flicker induced by filming at a different frame rate.
Northeast Historic Film in Maine is committed to collecting and preserving film and video related to Northern New England. They are excellent resource in the northeast for having your film expertly repaired.
Tell Your Story
Now that you have your film in a format in which you can use it (hard drive or tape), let’s look at what to do with it. This would be a good time to break out those old photos from around the era as the film reels. You can scan them into .jpg files for inclusion in your story.
Here is an example of storytelling with your film reel. Make sure you click on the link below, after viewing the movie. The storytelling included with the film (and the followup which you can also view on Vimeo) is priceless. Considering that he received over 100 comments and tons of inbound links, I’d say this story and film really touched a nerve.
Home Movies At DisneyLand – 1956 from Jeff Altman on Vimeo.
I give up – I just want to get rid of these things!
Wait, don’t fret. Absolutely do not throw out your film reels. First check with family members to see if someone else wants them. Then, check back at the National Film Preservation Foundation for their Archive Community. They have a very detailed regional listing of historical societies and other archives who may be interested in a donation of your media.
Places like the Wolfson Archives at Miami Dade College, Chicago Film Archives, and Northeast Historic Film accept film donations that provide a historical look at their region. They don’t accept everything, so please don’t leave your reels at their door. Contact them directly to find out if your media would qualify as a donation.
Whatever you decide to do with your film reels, don’t let it sit on the shelf and degrade. At the very least, have it transferred, break out the popcorn, invite Grandma over for movie night and watch it. Your best option, however, is to transfer it to a hard drive and compile a family history project using both your reels and old photos.
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