domingo, 19 de mayo de 2019

O.R.S. CHEMICAL SYSTEM: THE SOLUTION TO RED-FADED PRINTS

Archiving colour motion pictures films, one of the main troubles, besides V.S., for all non LPP or Technicolor prints, is the fade. Personally, a sad example was my ex-airline print of "Little shop of horrors". I remember how fantastic the colour but, sadly, faded over the years: the print (Eastman pre LPP) gone fullly red.

This serious trouble, for film archivist and collectors, is now solved, thanks a chemical process developed in Italy by a very well know film tecnician. I have checked it with my fully faded prints or "Little shop of horrors" and "A Fish called Wanda" (both ex airline prints, struch on outdated SP stock) and, yes, the ORS System works pretty well. Of course, the print never will be as it was new but it will be projectable and enjoyable again. 
The O.R.S. System give us, the film collectors and film archivists, the ocasion to return to life some of our beloved faded prints. 

ORS: IS NOT A MIRACLE.  
The ORS System is not a miraculous system that returns colours that it no longer has, but manages to remove the red dominant present in the print itself. Fading is like a kind of oxidation, so this procedure is divided into two phases: 

1) In phase one, it removes the fading, with the red being subtracted in a chemical process!!!

2) in phase two, adjusts the contrast as much as possible.

I have tested the two phases of the ORS System with "The Little shop of horrors" and "A fish called Wanda", both Eastman SP polyester film, fully faded, and I´m now very happy: nobody. except some crazy collector friend of mine, was looking to watch this faded prints, but now my family can enjoy them again! The ORS System certainly almost completely eliminated the red dominant and contrast is now high.

ORS SYSTEM: READY FOR KODAK AND FUJI FILM PRINTS.
The lab is able to apply the system also for Fuji film stock. 3M and AGFA is in process of experimentation (but Agfa rarely presents the problem of severe fading, most of the prints in circulation are not affected by fading). 
Besides test are now being made with 3M and AGFA colour stocks, also, the lab is working in a third phase for the process: I will write about when experimentations are finished. 

PRICE
The treatment is not expensive. For 16 mm and Super8 prices are only 50 € of reels up 480 meters; or 60 € for reels betwenn 480 meters to 750 meters. 

ADDRESS.
The exclusive collect address, the only one authorized for the lab, is Movie Magnetic, the Italian firm that is the only one in the World adding paste striping to 16 mm and S8 prints (triacetate or polyester).
Movie Magnetic is owned by Alberto Vangelisti, with a large background in the movie industry. His personal email is: moviemagnetic@gmail.com

And the postal address is: 
MOVIE MAGNETIC
Via Don Miliani, 42.
52028 Terranuova
Italia

More information about MOVIE MAGNETIC:
https://mimundoensuper-8.blogspot.com/2018/03/nuevas-pistas-magneticas-para-super-8.html

ADDENDUM .
The O.R.S. system is a procedure that uses a subtractive chemical treatment. That is, the red dominant is removed. So, the systems is better advisable to apply to film stocks which, under the red (Kodak) or brown (Fuji) dominant, still retain some other colours. if they are there, then they will come out again. What is there or what is not is not changed or altered. 
If under the red or brown dominant there was no longer any color, then, the result would be very similar to the monochrome. O.R.S. system  subtract what disturbs the vision of the film (the red dominant, which is a kind of "oxidation" that is removed),  which, it's definitely surprising in positive. 
In the second phase of the treatment it is also possible to act in correction on the contrast. This is how, as can be understood, one does not invent what is not there, and does not alter what is there. 
With regards to the duration of the treatment: aging tests have been carried out and have given excellent results also from this point of view, for some years there should be no further alteration.

Finally, enjoyable again!!! "The little shop of horrors", previously fully red faded (and now, with magnetic tracks with stereo Spanish sound, with "liquid" magnetic tracks from Movie Magnetic):


4 comentarios:

  1. Ignacio. Interesting and intriguing article. When you say "it removes fading", I understand what's at work (dampening the reds to get blues and yellows back) but does it actually stop the chemical deterioration of fading ? In essence : what are the chances for a treated print to start shifting again in the future ? Also, does the process have any influence on the quality of the optical track ? JM

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  2. Optical track sounds strong. And I think that this system stop the chemical deterioration of colours but I need time to check this point: at the moment, happy, because thanks to this system, I am enjoying again red prints that nobody (friends or family) nobody want to see (except crazy collectors... such me!). The labour of Alberto and partners is incredible: paste high quality striping for poliéster in S8 and 16 mm, dubbing in our lenguage with lip sync,, printing of missing footage, affordable blow up for S8 to 16 mm for filmmakers... AND NOW, THIS!

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  3. Yes, not a miracle, but looks like it does pretty good for transforming red prints. Nice work!

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