Old Home Movies - Ruined Forever!

Here is a tale of woe that you've probably heard before. You come across some valuable home movies that you should copy off to a DVD and then, guess what!?!
It's happened to me! I'll show you the results of my first 16mm sound films from the 1960s that I recently discovered in my collection. Both the separate audio tape soundtrack and the 16mm film exists and I was anxious to bring them together again for YouTube viewers. The final result might make film collectors ill.
Taped: February 7, 2008

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Kerry
• Decker
• 16mm
• sound
• film
• 8mm
• deterioriation
• sync
• tape

[thephotoplayer]

I hope you didn't really throw the film out. It can't be projected, but under good circumstances, you could have still salvaged some of the footage by step-printing it to new film.

[KKD1247]

The film is gone. I haven't won the lottery yet to be able to undertake printing it step by step to a new film.

[CodyLee6969]

you find all the beta tapes?

[KKD1247]

No - not yet.

[robertwmartens]

Yours is a very cautionary tale - kinda like those scary health movies we watched in high school! I have all the 16mm movies my Grandfather filmed from 1929 to the 1960's, and I've had nightmares of finding them all melted into goop. So far they're in OK shape - I keep them in a cabinet down in my basement, the coolest part of the house. I still worry for their safety, but what am I gonna do, rent a salt mine?

[KKD1247]

Hi. I would copy them to a DVD asap. Even if you do it yourself using a small setup with your camcorder. You won't regret it. (Several of my YouTube videos from the 1960s are from old Beta tapes I copied long ago. The films are currently unplayable.)

[JohnCandyFanChannel]

@KKD1247 find those old beta tapes yet?

[geekthinker]

@KKD1247 find 'em yet?

[thebigpoopful]

That hurts real bad! Now I have to wonder how DVDs will hold up over time. Will they look like this, all warped and smelly, or will they still play? Hate to see good film go yuck like this. History lost forever!

[MRLOL785]

@KKD1247 It's a good thing that Beta lasts longer than VHS. I've got several from the late '70s that still play back with nice results, but I do have a tape from the early '90s that was a dud. Luckily it was mostly second-gen stuff and the originals are still working.

At least you have the audio...

[photomitch]

Well, I discovered a reel of some super 8MM film I shot back in the late 60's when i was in High School had gotten wet and ruined when in storage. Oh well....

[mikefromspace]

I don't see how it's ruined for certain without trying to unwind it. Soak it in formula 2001 and once it's flexible again, use a chemical bath of baking soda, warm water, and this will remove impregnated iron by moving it to the anode. If anything is left of the film it might be fixable digitally to improve color and contrast.

[thedarkone2134]

Can't you put old film in an air tight bag in a freezer? I recall people doing that with 35MM camera film years ago.

Or I might be going crazy.

[Videogamehistorian00]

Yeah you're problem is it looks like your conditions were less then "half ideal". That film looks like it's melted and the fact that the reel is corroding it seems there was a high humidity content.

[Videogamehistorian00]

@Bobinti

It would constantly go in and out of frame, and I'm pretty sure that this has melted together so I don't think you'd get very far in it. But most likely the sprockets are gone.

[Videogamehistorian00]

@EnerG15

Just try to keep it around 40-60 degrees F and 40-60% humidity