Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Malibu's Most Wanted

This is topic Malibu's Most Wanted - Dirty Negative? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 04-18-2003, 03:32 AM:

We're sitting here, screening this show & the print looks like someone took the negative & sprinkled beach sand all over it... then printed the darn thing & sent it to us. It's got white speckles all through pretty much the whole film... but especially reel 2.

Anyone else have this happen?.... and what causes it?

Posted by William Bunch (Member # 1040) on 04-18-2003, 04:13 AM:

Is it evenly distributed over the entire frame or does it seem to coagulate toward the center? I've seen a mis-focused lamp cause the film to bubble or "sparkle" in the center of the frame.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-18-2003, 06:27 AM:

"White" dirt can be picked up during the handling and printing of the negative, or from dirt brought in on the raw stock print film. Improvements made in the manufacture and finishing (slitting and perforating) of Kodak VISION Color Print film has achieved remarkable cleanliness. Labs normally clean the printing negative off-line using solvent-based ultrasonic cleaners, and on-line using PTRs. Lab inspection usually catches any buildup of white dirt levels, triggering additional cleaning. But you may have a reel that was missed, or prints from a negative that was poorly handled upstream.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 04-18-2003, 02:45 PM:

Thanks for the responses.
William, it's not burned. I've done that before (gulp!), and this is not the problem.

John, if this is a handling issue, someone really outdid themselves. It's there throughout pretty much all of the show, though it gets almost obscene in parts... especially areas that tend toward dark scenery. On-screen, it looks like a combination of dust and/or little "chips" taken out of the emulsion... very very small, much like "dirt", and fairly evenly spread across the frame.