Film preservation is often associated with very old movies—from the 1950s or earlier. And while older generations of film undoubtedly need tender loving care and attention, newer films—even from as recently as the 90s—need archival support too.
Imagine, for instance, some of your favorite films from the 90s—a decade that featured a dazzling array of broad-appeal box office smash hits, the renaissance of Disney’s animated film production, and the emergence of a new generation of independent film led by visionary directors like Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee, and Richard Linklater—lost to the ravages of time.
Gritty dramas like Boyz n the Hood, Trainspotting, and Menace II Society; mind-bending stories like Fight Club and The Matrix; indie classics like Pulp Fiction and The Big Lebowski; and global box office juggernauts like Forrest Gump, The Lion King, Schindler’s List, and Titanic captured a period of seismic change in the industry and shifting cultural preferences.
Thankfully these cinematic icons are archived and preserved at specially designed facilities to ensure their longevity. But not all films from the 90s and earlier are so lucky.
As archivists know, the Image Permanence Institute at Rochester Institute of Technology produces outstanding research on this topic. One famous IPI chart shows that acetate film stored in proper conditions (such as PRO-TEK’s film vaults, highlighted in green) can last for hundreds of years.
If not, film rapidly deteriorates (highlighted in red) and heads toward the point of no return—what’s known in the film preservation business as “vinegar syndrome,” or the chemical deterioration that causes film to shrink, buckle, and emit a strong vinegar odor.
PRO-TEK works with some of the most sophisticated owners of IP in the world. They know that preservation efforts start as soon as content is created. And digital formats are not excluded here. They have their own preservation issues, but that topic for a future article.
It’s easy to get caught up in other hot-button issues and priorities, but the research doesn’t lie. If you think you have plenty of time to do something about how you are storing and archiving your films, you could be taking an unnecessary gamble. Don’t get lulled into thinking you have time to wait. Otherwise, your irreplaceable films may not be available for future generations to enjoy.
For more information on how PRO-TEK Vaults can help, click here.
