Blue lines down film after developing?

[fandini]

I believe "The Filmmaker's Handbook" cautions against cleaning the film gate with compressed air. They say it can damage the shutter. I don't have a copy of the book on me right now but I am pretty sure I read that in there.

I realize, Matt, that "book-smarts" is no replacement for experience but I figured I would pass this on as a caveat to supplement your advice (which, by the way, I have found to be invaluable since I have discovered this forum).

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Dan

[Alex]

By the way, if it happened on the whole roll, I would be suspicious of the lab.

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Alex

[Scottness]

Yeah on the whole roll - on about 4 or 5 rolls - I also noticed on a few of them the leader tape was stuck to itself and had to be torn in order to open the film out - don't know if this is related - but I think it happened on both (one's with and without the blue line)

Scot M

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[Alex]

Yech, that brings back a memory.

The lab didn't let the cement splice dry long enough between the white leader and the beginning of the film, so the beginning of the film sticks to the white leader at the splice point and then the white leader sticks to itself one revolution later.

You end up ripping the leader to unspool the film, but the film should be alright.

What lab did your developing?

I don't think that has anything to do the blue streaks however, but it is unprofessional splicing by the lab to give you your roll back that way.

It might be worth a polite call to let them know.

If your film looks "warped" when you unspool it, then they may be rushing the film after processing. Warped film happens when the developed film is "dryed" too fast or spooled back onto a reel while still moist, it's one or the other, I don't know which one for sure, and if it's neither, it stll has to do with rushing some stage of the film developing process.

I occasionally saw "warping" on the 200 foot kodachrome rolls after Kodak stopped developing Super-8, never did see it on the 50 foot reels.

The warping on the 200 foot rolls would actually affect the transfer to video! The picture would have an additional weave in it.

Probably more info than you need, and your film is probably not warped.

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Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex (edited September 28, 2001).]

[Scottness]

Yeah the film isn't warped Alex, just that splicing glue - but the film itself was unaffected. It was the Kodak lab in Switzerland

Scot M

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