Storing film

[Aloe Vera]

Where should i store my unused film? When im gonna use it in couple of days should i keep it in fridge all the time or it can be on my shelf or smth. And how cool the fridge has to be?

[K Borowski]

Hey Jerri!

 

The cooler the better. Just keep in mind that if you actually freeze the film (which I would recommend) that you should give it time to thaw out. Sorry, I'm not really that up on S8 in particular, but frozen film (say 100 feet of 35mm) would take 1 1/2 hours to dethaw and equilibriate with the outside air.

 

I have an embarrassing experience to share to this regard: On the day of a certain shoot, I forgot to take the film out of the freezer with enough time to go. It was a bigger roll, and would have taken 3 hours to de-thaw. On top of that, I had to cut it down before I left. So I had to resort to literally taking the film in the shower with me (in a plastic bag, of course) and warming it up in a hurry.

 

So, I'd say freeze it up until a day before you shoot and refrigerate the rest of the time. Keep in mind, this is to prevent condensation from building up on the film. If you get condensate on the film while shooting, you will ruin the shots. Keep it as cold as you can, but remember it needs time to warm up before you crack the cartridge, lest you get ice-crystal or water formation.