Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Filmguard now approved for main stream use in Australia

This is topic Filmguard now approved for main stream use in Australia in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bill Langfield (Member # 818) on 03-13-2005, 01:16 PM:

John Wilson TAKE a BOW!

John and I have spent the last 4 years plus trying to get Filmguard and Media cleaners happening here.

Brief History: (Think 4 years ago – Apr 2001)
After John saw the results of what Filmguard could do after getting FG and a media cleaner installed at the Randwick Ritz, Sydney, Australia. Word soon filtered down to me, then, I stole some FG from John (well from Michael Barry – he had a bottle at the ORP) and I started using it in it’s simplest form by using as an ‘edge wax’ at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace. – After that I joined Film-Tech for more info. WOW!

It just so happened that at this point in time many, many cinemas were getting static cling, wrap around and thrown prints. So I suggested to my full time employer at the time to try FG. This was immediately vetoed.
As the person in charge (at the time) decided he would NOT TEST IT and suggested it was simply fly spray, he preferred ‘Johnson’s Wax’, which is ironic in itself.

Every projectionist friend I knew were willing to try FG even after a certain person banned the stuff in his own world, be it, independent, Hoyts & GUO all were willing try it with only ‘local’ management in the know. All loved the stuff.
However all did agree it DOES smell like fly spray (or something similar), but that’s not the point!

After being fired from Hoyts over my posts here (on Film-Tech) over repeated mocking of them and how the company is run and by whom, AND their DUMBFOUNDING refusal to even give FG a TEST.

I now work for another ‘major’ cinema chain called ‘GUO’ (and the one I wanted to work for in the first place) – and used to work for when I started out in 1977.

Current Day (March 2005)
After years pressing for a ‘major’ cinema chain in Australia to try Filmguard (officially) it has finally happened.

(Note: After waiting 6 months for RAY to send the Kelmar device and media. What was that RAY?
We are OVER THE ROAD and we REALLY are. I’m told all it took was one call, did you forget? Here was thinking that there was a shortage of parts/FG which Brad told me there was NOT. Get your act together, there could be a BIG order coming up!!)

ANYWAY,

GUO has been testing FG for the past 6 months.(12 months – see above) I was worried they would hate it like Hoyts did (oh, that’s right, they HOYTS did not even bother testing it).

I’m happy to report that all the testing is over, and the product Filmguard is approved.

EVERYONE is happy with it, including OH&S (the health & safe dudes - we finally got the stat sheet from Brad or whoever, that says FG will not blow up in your face or melt your bones), Film labs, Distributors and other Cinemas. Even Kodak, love the results so far.

I was so worried all of the above would complain ‘this stuff is destroying prints.
Quite the opposite, it is SAVING them!!

I WANT THOSE in AUSTRALIA who actually have a CLUE to respond on your thoughts on this.
Ie ARE you happy that you can clean crap overseas prints and keep even yours in better than new COND.?
Or is this stuff ‘FG’ fly spray or snake oil to you.
I’m at the end of a journey that has hurt me in one way, but has for-filled me in another.

(Note1: Brad and John were informed 6 months ago that FG could happen in OZ, Well it HAS!!!)

(Note2: Barry Parsons (ASN) This was partly for U. Thanks for fixing the slide projectors and automation
, still had a crap time getting it all going, then management ‘complains’ that a film critic of all things is coming into cinema 16 to watch BE COOL , Don’t run slides – However the slides worked ok!!!- COOL)

(Note3: I love this & FG)

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-13-2005, 07:39 PM:

Thats great that you guys didn't give up easily! Film Guard DOES make a huge difference. I think I shipped those first bottles of FG to John back when I worled at GTS. Thats been a while. Hopefully you do have a FG distributer over there by now. Those shipments were expensive.....

Mark @ CLACO
(formerly Mark @ GTS)

Posted by Liam Utley (Member # 1931) on 03-14-2005, 02:26 AM:

Hi Bill,

How much do the Kelmar cleaners and film guard cost? How long would a bottle of film guard last per screen? (assuming it ran about 5 shows per day)

Posted by Ian Bailey (Member # 1752) on 03-14-2005, 03:19 AM:

Hi Liam
Sorry to butt in but the price of F-G is an issue for me- I use it and I am happy with the results but i think it is over-priced in OZ for what it is.
KELMAR CLEANER- will cost you about $1000 AUD
FILMGUARD (32 oz bottle)- $75 AUD
Media Pads (box of 16)- $52 AUD
I use it when a print is made up and each print I am holding gets a couple of cleans each week,maybe more if needed( I have three screens and only one cleaner)
One bottle of F-G and one box of Media Pads will last about 2-3 weeks.

Posted by Lindsay Morris (Member # 1430) on 03-14-2005, 03:55 AM:

Bill,

I have been using FG since I installed the Century CC at Kookaburra outdoor last season (Nov 2003)and was having some focus problems having bought the stuff to use on 16mm library prints in conjunction with an RTI cleaner.It worked extremely well on cleaning up old and grubby 16mm prints so well in fact it lifted the crap off the soundtracks and brought the hi's up no end.
A couple of old titles from the 1950's are now quite runnable apart from the many splices and bits and pieces missing.
ALL the rain marks went and a lot of the lighter scratches pretty well went also.
On the 35mm Century I found that just applying a small amount to the edge of the film stopped the focus wobbling everywhere.... which in the end, with the help of guys on Film Tech, I ran down to be worn side guides on the curved gate.
Fixed that and focus was fine but various prints shed the usual fine dust quite badly so made up a cloth cover for one of the MUTT rollers and used to keep that slightly damp with FG at the start of each weekend and things worked well.
But being an outdoor venue the roller attracted it's fair share of dust and the occasional insect.... the gear is inside but I keep the door open to dissipate some heat etc so you do get some dust coming in.
Now all I do is to lightly spray the print thru the holes on the big MUTT spools on the first session and occasionally might have to do it again on start of final third screening.
Gate runners stay clean, the machine just purrs and the focus is constant and very sharp plus no dusting build up anywhere in the machine.
Love the stuff and the sooner others go to FG in OZ the better as that edge wax idea is crap as the stuff comes off and clogs the runners in the gate and by the time I get a print the edge waxing is more of a pest than a help.
Just run Phantom Of Opera which had a huge dose of edge wax and at one stage I was contemplating shutting the machine down mid show as the dusting was horrendous, the intermittent was hammering even though I had sprayed it with FG at the start.
Had to hold a cloth moistened with FG onto the film for quite some time until the extra FG managed to soften the gate wax build up and it started to drop out over the intermittent as the show was on screen.
Second and third sessions were fine, FG had done the trick and back to a quiet intermittent action.
Will have to invest in a Kelmar cleaner or try and build one like is fitted to the RTI 16mm cleaner.... a job for winter as I get set for next summer.
FG is a bit pricey but as Brad says a little goes a long way and on the RTI machine the pads only have to be slightly moist and they work a treat lifting the gunk off the prints. On the RTI cleaner which does a 1600 foot 16mm spool in about 2mins flat it is fairly rushing thru the cleaner pads.
I would imagine that on 35mm fitted so as to clean during a screening the slower speed over the pads should give quite good results so I would be using the stuff sparingly on the media pads.
Gotta get another bottle soon.. bottle no 3 coming up.

Lindsay

Posted by Stephen Brown (Member # 292) on 03-14-2005, 05:27 AM:

Another reason why I believe GU is a much better chain than Hoyts.....

Thanks Bill for your work. Say Hello to Barry for me when you see him next.

Steve Brown

Posted by Paul Trimboli (Member # 1509) on 03-17-2005, 04:45 AM:

I to have used it,and seens its massive benifits. Started to build a film cleaner, a design that run off a small motor. Shame its so expensive, but well worth the money!!!

Posted by Daniel Hughes (Member # 1911) on 03-17-2005, 10:58 PM:

Hi, I'd just thought I would add, I work for a Very Mainstream Cinema in Melbourne and we have been using FilmGuard since June 2003, I don't know what we would do without it!!.It is a bit pricey, however I'm not the one shelling out the dollars.
It was a bit hard at first convincing Management to trail it as we were using PTR's on all of our cinemas, and didn't have Media Pads Cleaners. So you could imagine who hard its was to convince them that an Unheard Of/Untested/Expensive initial outlay of $ (atleast in Australia), would be more beneficial than the system we were already using.
Needless to say Months went by, and after allot of persistence they agreed to give it a go. Well after the first day they were convinced!, and our PTR's are now where they belong (in the plant room collecting dust).

Cheers,

Daniel

Posted by Matthew Peters (Member # 1495) on 03-20-2005, 05:06 AM:

Very Mainstream Cinema in Melbourne?

Which one would that be?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-20-2005, 05:37 AM:

I think most people are missing out on what's important here, and that's using Filmguard to capture flies. Has anyone tried this?

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-20-2005, 10:57 PM:

Hi all

I have been involved in the implementation of FilmGuard and the Kelmar cleaners at Greater Union Castle Hill and the lads all say how wonderful it is and how the shedding has stopped immediately. That part is fantastic.

But that's not why I've stuck my head up at this point in time. Kodak have been trialling a 'hardened emulsion' stock which seems to be proving quite successful. So, where then does that leave the mighty FilmGuard?

Logically they should continue with it and have faultlessly cleaner, sharper prints than ever before. In reality what I believe may happen is that the many other benefits of FG other than no shedding will be ignored now that Kodak have this new stock to roll out. Having taken this long to make the decision to use it, I can only hope that those who made the initial decision to go with FG stick to it and continue to have pristine prints and not abandon it altogether bacause it's 'so expensive' (which it is not...everyone paid for the PTR rollers and where did that get you? If PTR's were replaced as they should be every few months, you would see just how cheap FG really is.)

Stick to it Greater Union and become again the dazzling light on the screen you once were.