IDENTIFICATION OF 16mm FILM - Brian R Pritchard Identification Version 1.02.pdf · IDENTIFICATION OF 16mm FILM Is the Film Black and White? YES NO ... reversal films ... Check for

IDENTIFICATION OF 16mm FILM

IDENTIFICATION OF 16mm FILM

Is the FilmBlack and White? YES

NO

STARTSTART

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© Brian Pritchard 2013www.brianpritchard.com

Go to Page 4Go to Page 4


Explanation of SymbolsExplanation of Symbols

Version 1.02

No Picture


For additional identification go to Page 23For additional identification go to Page 23

Decision BoxAdditional Informationabout the illustrations

Advice forfurther Identification

Hyperlink toreturn to start

Hyperlink toreturn to start HyperlinkHyperlink

Film Type Identified

Legend


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Definition

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3Return to StartReturn to Start

Agfa-Gevaert

Technicolor

Agfa

Kodachrome

Du PontSelo

Ilford Orwo

Eastman

Gevaert

Kodak Ektachrome EFB

Ferrania

Kodak Kodak Ektachrome Commercial

Ensign

Is the imageNegative?

YES

NO

Does it have clear edges

YES

NO

Black and WhitePositive

Black and WhiteNegative

Check for otheroptions of negative


Check for otheroptions of positive


Go to Page 14Go to Page 14Go to Page 8Go to Page 8

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Does the filmhave black

Edges?

YES

NO

Colour Negative

Could be camera negative,duplicate negative

or internegative

CRIColour Reversal

Intermediate


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A camera negative will have joins at scene changes (cut negative) or will

not have joins at every scene andthere will not be printed in joins; youwill often see flash frames or camera

stops

DefinitionIn this aid an internegative is a colournegative made from a colour print or a

colour reversal master.A duplicate negative is made from

a colour interpositive

For furtheridentification

of colournegative films


Does thefilm havean overall

orange colour?

YES

NODoes it have

black edges?

YES

NO

Colour Reversal



For furtheridentification

of colourreversal films



To identify sound tracks go to Page 15To identify sound tracks go to Page 15




Does the filmhave a

soundtrack?

7

NO

YESFilm is a combined

colourreversal print

Colourreversal master or

Silent print

Is there more than1 roll for each reel? NO

YES A & B roll Masters Go to Page 28Go to Page 28

To identify soundtracks go to Page 15To identify soundtracks go to Page 15



Does the filmhave black

Edges?

YES

NO

8



B/W Reversal

Check the base of the film and see if thereare moulded lines, if so then this isKodacolor Lenticular film. It should

have the edge print 'Kodacolor'

Arethe edgescoloured?

YESTinted B/W orBlue Base TV

Positive




Some print stocks might not have edgeprint; check winding of film, prints

usually are A winding

To check windings go to Page 12To check windings go to Page 12


To identify soundtracks go to Page 15To identify soundtracks go to Page 15

10


Single perforated can beA or B winding

16mm can be singleor double perforated

Check for other perforation formatsCheck for other perforation formats

Information on windingsInformation on windings

Perforations can be long or short pitch.Camera material is usually short pitch

(0.2994 inches), print stock usuallylong pitch (0.3000 inches)


11

Films are HEAD out

16mm Single Perforated Films

The image will readcorrectly through

the base

The image will readcorrectly through

the emulsion

A WindingB Winding

Is the film perforated on both sides?Is the film perforated on both sides?

© Brian Pritchard 2013

www.brianpritchard.com


Does the imageread correctly

through the base?YES

NO

Camera Geometry

Print Geometry

Film shot in a camera will always read throughthe base, contact prints from a camera original

will read through the emulsion. Reductionsfrom 35mm could be either

12



Does the imagehave a linestructure?

YES

NO

Tele-recording Negative

13



Flash frames fromuncut original negativeDefinition

In this aid an internegative is a negative made from a print or a

reversal master.A duplicate negative is made from

a duplicating positive

A camera negative will have joins at scene changes (cut negative) or if it isan uncut negative will not have joinsat every scene and there will not be

printed in joins; you will oftensee flash frames or camera stops.

Could be camera negative,duplicate negative

or internegative




14

Duplicating Positive

Black and White Positive


A duplicating positive will be of lowercontrast than a B/W Positive, it will

often be warmer tone, denser and willhave edge numbers in black. If it is

Kodak/Eastman stock the edge numberswill begin 'D'



15Sound tracks can be magnetic or optical. Optical can be further

divided into variable area or variable density.There are many different types of both kinds of optical track.

Is the track magnetic? YES

NO

Magnetic tracksare usually brown





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Does the filmhave an image

YES

NO

Note balance stripe,it assists a good wind

Striped B/W Negative,Used in sound camera Striped positive

Fully coated Magnetic film,Single and double

perforated


It is also possible thatyou have a pieceof unprocessed film,perhaps used as leader.A drop of water will showif it is film rather thanmagnetic film. The waterwill have no effect onmagnetic film

For further information on stripes go to Page 30For further information on stripes go to Page 30


17Return to StartReturn to StartDouble 8mm perforations were most commonlyin the 1:4 format; that is on each edge. So that pre-striped film could be sound recorded in one passand additionally, to reduction print two copies in one run, stockswere available inthe 1:3 format where the perforations wereon one edge andin the centre of the film. See sample below.

1 2 3 4

Perforation inthe '3' position


18

16mm re-perforated 9.5mm, raw stock

16mm with centre perforations Double Standard 8mm Colour Negative

Double Super 8mm B/W Print


Check for other double 8mm perforation formats: Go to page 17Check for other double 8mm perforation formats: Go to page 17



Is the soundtrack and the edge printing

Black and White?YES

Technicolor

NO

Eastman Color, AgfacolorGevacolor, Fujicolor, Ferrania,3M usually have a deep blueSound track.

Most film stocks will have amanufacturer's name on the

edge of the filmCheck edge printCheck edge print

Orwo and Sovcolorusually have a brownsound track.


Is the track variablearea?

NO

Variable density

YES Variable area


Variable area consistsof one or more lines

of varying width

Variable density lookslike a series of lines


This is a twin bilateral sound trackWith centre septum noise

Reduction, the black line in theMiddle of the tracks.

Go to Page 33Go to Page 33To compare negativeand positive tracks.

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16mm variable area multihump

16mm variable area twin unilateral

16mm variable area double twin bilateral

16mm variable area twin bilateral

16mm Photophone

16mm variable area single bilateral

Can some times beconfused with a

variable density track





Colour Positive Go to Page 19Go to Page 19

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Check edge printCheck edge print

Check perforationsCheck perforations

Check the film geometryCheck the film geometry

Identify SoundtracksIdentify Soundtracks

Date Coding on Films.

Not all film manufacturers provide date codes on their films.Eastman/Kodak provide the most comprehensive information intheir edge print. Over the years the style of date code haschanged. There are a number of web sites that provideInformation on their date codes.

Fuji date their film with the last two numbers of the year ofManufacture and two letters signifying the quarter of the yearJM = January to March, AJ = April to June.

Pathe had their own system until they were taken over byEastman whence they used the Eastman codes. Their datesCover 1921 – 1927 and start at 16 and 17 for 1921, 18 and 19For 1922 and so on.

DuPont used one or two letters but information is only knownfor the years between 1956 and 1974.

Orwo use a letter for the month, A= January, B =February andso on. I was missed out. The last number of the year was used. 6 could be 1966 or 76 and so on.


A typical scene change ina tele-recording; note themixed frame and traces ofLines. Also the edges to

the frame

You should be able to see theline structure under a magnifier



Look for information in the edge print; edgeor footage numbers are black in the originalnegative, they will be white when printedthrough to the duplicate postitve and when theduplicate negative is made there will (or should)be two sets of black numbers and one of white.The original numbers will be black, the duplicatepositive white and the duplicate negative black.

This will also apply to the stock manufacturersedge printing.

A camera negative will have joins at scene changes (cut negative) or if it isan uncut negative will not have joinsat every scene and there will not be

printed in joins; you will oftensee flash frames or camera stops.

Negative join (splice)

Flash frame in negative

A join or splice is very obvious to the sight and feel



Colour Negative Go to Page 5Go to Page 5Is it a negative? YES

NO

Colour Interpositive




Is the picturea negative? YES

NO


Unmasked Negative

Prior to the introductionof Eastman colour negative

colour negatives did nothave the orange mask. Both

Agfa and Gevaert madeUnmasked negatives


There could be two or more rollswith alternate scenes joined to

black spacingOutgoing scene joined

to black spacing

Black spacing joinedto incoming scene

Colour ReversalA & B Rolls

Colour NegativeA & B Rolls


Head

Head



Colour reversalMute print or

camera master

There are a number of colour reversal print systems, Fujichrome,Anscochrome, Gevachrome and Agfachrome for example. Checkfor edge printing; most film stocks will have a manufacturer's nameon the edge of the film.Check the winding of the film, camera film will be B winding, printsusually A winding

Agfachrome

Kodachrome

Can you seea reseau?

NO

YES Dufaycolor

To check winding go to Page 11To check winding go to Page 11

A reseau is a series of red,green and blue lines

printed on the base ofthe film


30

There are two kinds of stripe;Pre-striped film stock had a

stripe in tape form which wascemented to a groove in the film

stock. Post striped stock wasoften striped with a paste stripe.Paste stripe should NEVERNEVER be

cleaned with solvents suchas Perklone which will removethe stripe and contaminate the

cleaning machine.

You can test the stripe with asmall quantity of solvent on

the stripe in the leader





Is there a soundtrack on the

Film?

YES

NO

The film is probablyjust spacing

Is the unexposedarea clear?

NO

Sound Negative

YES

Sound Positive


To identify positiveand negative

tracks

Sound negativesare usually on blue

or grey base



Is there more than1 roll for each reel?

YES

A & B roll Negatives

NO

It is possible that thereare more than 2 rolls foreach reel. These would

be C, D or E rollsand so on

Check to see if there are joins that would confirman original negative. If there are printed-in joins

it could be a duplicate negative or an internegative. Look for stock numbers and edge print as

confirmation

Go to Page 28

In a variable area sound negative the modulationsare white,in a variable area sound positive

the modulations are black


Variable density tracks are more difficult to identifyAs the track area appears similar. Positive tracks

have black edges

Variable AreaSound Positive

Variable DensitySound Positive

Variable AreaSound Negative

Variable DensitySound Negative

Dufaycolor was manufacturedwith red, green and blue lines

printed in ink on the base of thefilm. The film had to be exposedin the camera through the base

of the film, this means that originalDufaycolor from the camera would

be A winding and read correctlythrough the base

The red lines were printed at90 degrees to the alternate

blue and green lines creatingthe mosaic



Combined colourreversal print There are a number of colour reversal print systems, Fujichrome,

Anscochrome, Gevachrome and Agfachrome for example. Checkfor edge printing; most film stocks will have a manufacturer's nameon the edge of the film.

Can you seea reseau?

NO

YES Dufaycolor

To check winding go to Page 11To check winding go to Page 11

A reseau is a series of red,green and blue lines

printed on the base ofthe film

Go to Page 34Go to Page 34 35

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IDENTIFICATION OF 16mm FILM - Brian R Pritchard Identification Version 1.02.pdf · IDENTIFICATION OF 16mm FILM Is the Film Black and White? YES NO ... reversal films ... Check for