10^3 Words

From the “Is this guy serious?” department, allow me to present the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time, the homebrew film-making machine:

Given the amount of time I spend idly browsing the net, you’d think I would have run into this before now. This crazy fellow has managed to somehow construct his own film-coater – that is, a machine that can make photographic film, from scratch – and has it in his garage. When you really look into the details of this process, it’s easy to see that it’s not trivial.

Never having to worry about buying your next roll of Tri-X? Priceless.

I’ve had several brief glimpses into the scuttlebutt on the much-touted demise of film, and the gist of it is very much in the spirit of Mark Twain; i.e., “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” The production of photographic film is undoubtedly a tedious process, albeit commercially viable, but will survive as long as it keeps its backers financially solvent. I’m not personally worried.

That isn’t to say, however, that there aren’t numerous examples to the contrary. Through time and tide, there have been many film products that have gone the way of the dodo. Several of these types have traditionally been carried in small amounts by specialty houses when demand exists for their unique imaging capabilities. J and C Photo was such a distributor, but unfortunately has also disappeared. Thankfully, places like Freestyle Photo continues to serve this market.

That’s where I think the DIY film-coating machine comes in, both figuratively and literally. Retention of small stocks of especially unique films is important to the photo community, and if older films can be created from recipes, the possibilities are almost endless. Such a capability, especially on a grassroots level, can help to soften the blow of losing especially irreplaceable emulsions.

A good example of this is Polaroid’s recent decision to discontinue its instant film products. This was seen as a sudden decision by some, an inevitability by others. Unfortunately, many feel that this move will also produce a shift away from the uniquely expressive art form of the instant photograph, many excellent examples of which can be found on flickr if one knows where to look. For now, a reprieve exists in the form of Fuji’s instant film products, but Polaroid’s decision is still lamentable, especially since Fuji produces nothing equivalent to Polaroid’s type-600 integral print film.

The official word from Polaroid is that their film supply will last until mid-2009, so the message is to stock up now. Unfortunately, instant film is known not to keep well, even when refrigerated; furthermore, it cannot be frozen. Personally, I need no excuse to shoot more Polaroid.

Now, if the fellow with the photo-coating machine can figure out how to mix up some Polaroid goo and slap it on a piece of filmbase, then we’ve really got something. Are you listening, Mr. Crazy DIY-Guy?