Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Filmguard sample

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Posted by Sally Ann Burgess (Member # 4746) on 08-30-2009, 04:16 PM:

Being a bit cheeky here, but is there anyone in Australia or here in little NZ who would be grand enough to send me over a small sample of FG? Of course I will cover all costs. I'm desperate to try it!

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-01-2009, 09:17 AM:

Hi Sally,

I just purchased a bottle to try out over here... I thought there might have been a sample bottle that I could get to try, but in the end I just ended buying a bottle... For the amount of use you get out of a bottle the price isn't really that bad. Plus, you know it's gonna be good! [Smile]

Cheers

Michael

Posted by Andy Bajew (Member # 5330) on 09-01-2009, 10:29 AM:

I agree completely with Michael, Sally. By the time you pay for all the costs required to get it shipped to you, you might as well just spend the $32 for the bottle. Even if you find you don't like it for cleaning your prints (a near impossible thought), there are tons of other uses for it within the projection booth.

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-01-2009, 11:15 AM:

Unfortunately Andy, due to currency conversion and shipping Film Guard isn't as cheap over here. At around $80 per bottle it's still worth it though. Just gotta make it last as long as possible though.

Posted by Andy Bajew (Member # 5330) on 09-01-2009, 02:53 PM:

Wow I completely forgot about that detail. Thanks for that reminder Michael. When I first started working with the cinema I am at now, they had half a bottle of FilmGuard and cleaned each print once a week. One year later we were ordering our next bottle of FilmGuard. Fortunately, if you have a good idea of how long the prints may be in your cinema, you can make one bottle last a very long time.

Posted by Sally Ann Burgess (Member # 4746) on 09-01-2009, 03:39 PM:

Thanks guys, I honestly thought no-one was going to reply!! One bottle of FG is pretty expensive once currency conversion/postage costs are taken into account hence me asking cap in hand for a wee dram. (I think it's about NZ$125)
It was worth asking, cheers anyway fellas.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 09-01-2009, 05:57 PM:

Could someone explain this to me?

A bottle of FG retails for around US$34. That's AU$42 (NZ$50).

As long as somebody is importing it by the case on a slow boat, shipping shouldn't be significant. So how does it get to be twice the price? Are import duties really that high?

--jhawk

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 09-01-2009, 06:25 PM:

Hmm, looks like New Zealand charges a 12.5% Goods & Services Tax (GST) on imports; and a $28.75-NZ "Import Entry Transaction Fee", which includes a biosecurity risk screening if required (presumably a bottled liquid of something called Film-Guard could fall in that category). I calculate the cost of someone in NZ buying 1 bottle of Film-Guard from a US retail supplier at perhaps as high as $85-NZ, not including shipping. So reselling it at retail for $125-NZ may not be wildly off the mark, for a single bottle.

However as jhawk pointed out, what cinema supplies dealer would import only a single bottle at a time? Wouldn't they order at least a case, thus amortizing the customs fees and making the per-bottle retail price much lower than $125-NZ?

Just saying. [Wink]

New Zealand Duties & Levies I confess I didn't parse the entire page word for word.

Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 09-01-2009, 07:49 PM:

We get Filmguard for $80 dollars here. I think it went up some time back due to the bad dollar exchange. Still it's worth it.
I always get with media pads and other consumables.

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-01-2009, 08:41 PM:

quote: John Hawkinson
Could someone explain this to me?

A bottle of FG retails for around US$34. That's AU$42 (NZ$50).

As long as somebody is importing it by the case on a slow boat, shipping shouldn't be significant. So how does it get to be twice the price? Are import duties really that high?

--jhawk

Not too sure. As John said, the price went up when the dollar was weaker, but now, I would have thought, the price would have gone down a bit... Still worth it though.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 09-01-2009, 09:26 PM:

Spiro at Intech Pacific makes next to nothing on FG. He still brings it in as he kept Raydek's customers supply going when Ray sold.

Don't even think he's ripping anyone off...he's not. It's not like there's an abundance of cinemas in Australia using it.

It is expensive for him to get it in the country. That's just a fact.

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-01-2009, 09:31 PM:

quote: John Wilson
Spiro at Intech Pacific makes next to nothing on FG. He still brings it in as he kept Raydek's customers supply going when Ray sold.

Don't even think he's ripping anyone off...he's not. It's not like there's an abundance of cinemas in Australia using it.

It is expensive for him to get it in the country. That's just a fact.

That makes sense then... I never thought it was a rip off. Our owner over here has been dealing with Spiro for years with Panastereo equipment and we have great trust in him.

[ 09-01-2009, 10:42 PM: Message edited by: Adam Martin ]

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 09-02-2009, 12:44 AM:

As I do some importing here in Australia, there are plenty of hidden costs, taxes on imports over $1000, shipping has near $1000 extras, such as ports fees, shipping brokers and if you dont pick it up within the 3 day window, storage fees. I have heard of people buying samples from china of say michrophone leads worth less than $100, and the shipping is close to A$1000!

Often by air is actually cheaper for small quantities.

As for filmguard its cheap at double the price! Sally its worth the money, its even worth the $1000 plus for the kilmar cleaner to apply it properly. The clean wet gate look it creates is devine.

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-02-2009, 12:55 AM:

quote: Cameron Glendinning
As I do some importing here in Australia, there are plenty of hidden costs, taxes on imports over $1000, shipping has near $1000 extras, such as ports fees, shipping brokers and if you dont pick it up within the 3 day window, storage fees. I have heard of people buying samples from china of say michrophone leads worth less than $100, and the shipping is close to A$1000!

Often by air is actually cheaper for small quantities.

As for filmguard its cheap at double the price! Sally its worth the money, its even worth the $1000 plus for the kilmar cleaner to apply it properly. The clean wet gate look it creates is devine.

I never realised the amount of fees associated with importing commercial goods. Although it's pretty obvious once you think about it.

I'm trying to convince the management to grab a Kelmar cleaner at the moment. Considering the small amount of expenses we have upstairs compared to everywhere else in the building I reckon I may be in with a chance!

Posted by John Koutsoumis (Member # 1855) on 09-02-2009, 01:48 AM:

I too now buy Filmguard and the media pads through Spiro. Good bloke to do business with. I don't object to the prices. The stuff is well worth it. Just applying to the edge of the prints to stop shedding is enough but we also do have a Kelmar cleaner and now it's always in use. [thumbsup]

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-02-2009, 01:57 AM:

quote:
I too now buy Filmguard and the media pads through Spiro. Good bloke to do business with. I don't object to the prices. The stuff is well worth it. Just applying to the edge of the prints to stop shedding is enough but we also do have a Kelmar cleaner and now it's always in use. [thumbsup] .

I had a chat to Spiro on the phone today and he was great!

I will be applying the FG to the edge of the prints(as you described John) until we get a Kelmar Cleaner in the near future.

With the amount of used prints we get here I think it's a necessity.

Posted by Matt Skilton (Member # 5288) on 09-02-2009, 07:30 AM:

I'd never even heard of filmguard until I started reading this forum. How exactly do you apply it to the prints? Does anyone else in the UK use it??

Posted by Damien Taylor (Member # 4255) on 09-02-2009, 08:38 AM:

Michael, i'm going to get some for home, who is our closest dealer?

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-02-2009, 10:27 AM:

quote: Matt Skilton
I'd never even heard of filmguard until I started reading this forum. How exactly do you apply it to the prints? Does anyone else in the UK use it??

If you read the FilmGuard page in the products section on the left you will learn a heap about it. Basically you use it in conjunction with a film cleaning machine, which mounts on the projector head or platter. On the film cleaner you have 2 dry web media pads(fabric based) which you soak in FilmGuard. Ideally you will run every print through the FilmGuard soaked pads, each show.

You can also apply it to the print on the platter with a thick cloth and then take up the print upside down the next time and coat again. This will not clean the print but will stop shedding and make the print run smoother.

quote: Damien Taylor
Michael, i'm going to get some for home, who is our closest dealer?

Hi Damien,

Spiro at Intec Pacific is the only place in Australia that you can get it, as far as I know. He has it in stock and can also get the Kelmar cleaners and other stuff.

Hi details are in the authorised dealers list on this site.

What cinema do you work at if you don't mind me asking?

Posted by Damien Taylor (Member # 4255) on 09-02-2009, 03:53 PM:

Thanks for the info Michael.

I'm at the Piccadilly on Hay, but the FG is for my own stash.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 09-02-2009, 04:08 PM:

quote: Matt Skilton
I'd never even heard of filmguard until I started reading this forum. How exactly do you apply it to the prints?

Just do a search (button at top of this page) of FILMGUARD in the Film Handler's Forum. You should have a good day's reading there. Also read the thread entitled 'Exit Stage Right...Moulin Rouge' or 'Enter Stage Left...Moulin Rouge'(Search Moulin Rouge in the FHF under 'subject only').

It's great stuff. We just finished The Hangover after 330-plus passes and again, it looked better the day it left. [thumbsup]

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-03-2009, 01:14 AM:

Love hearing stories like that John!

Can't wait to start running FG on out prints! Unfortunately i'm moving to a different cinema at the end of the year, so I'll have to convince them to get it too.

Posted by Matt Skilton (Member # 5288) on 09-03-2009, 06:54 AM:

It does sound like a great product. How much do the film cleaner units cost?
Sadly with digital set to 'take-over' I very much doubt our cinema would want to spend any amount of money investing in new equipment for our 35mm projectors and platters.

Posted by Sally Ann Burgess (Member # 4746) on 09-03-2009, 07:50 AM:

I don't know about the cost of Kelmar cleaners in the UK, but here in NZ I think the cost is around the $1000 mark.

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-03-2009, 10:26 AM:

quote: Matt Skilton
It does sound like a great product. How much do the film cleaner units cost?
Sadly with digital set to 'take-over' I very much doubt our cinema would want to spend any amount of money investing in new equipment for our 35mm projectors and platters.

We're a small three screen. I'm sure digital is only a few years away but I still want to achieve the best possible presentation in the mean time.

quote: Sally Ann Burgess
I don't know about the cost of Kelmar cleaners in the UK, but here in NZ I think the cost is around the $1000 mark.

Yep, that's about right.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 09-03-2009, 10:42 AM:

See if you can get a used cleaner from your dealer. If there's been lots of digital conversions there may be a glut of film cleaners.

Posted by Michael Hossen (Member # 4274) on 09-03-2009, 11:09 AM:

quote: Martin McCaffery
See if you can get a used cleaner from your dealer. If there's been lots of digital conversions there may be a glut of film cleaners.

Not a huge amount of digital conversions, and film cleaners seem quite rare here anyway. I will ask around though. Thanks. [Smile]