Guilty: The destruction of film emulsion – A workshop with no.w.here

Partial bleaching (Kevin Rice)

(Note: this film workshop has already occurred)

Guilty: The destruction of film emulsion – An Abstract

Many film makers have sought out techniques for reworking and destroying film emulsion. In this workshop, we will be using everything at our disposal, from highly formulated commercial chemistry and bleaches through to “that unknown bottle of stuff in the cupboard under the sink,” as we explore classic techniques and hopefully discover some of our own.

This workshop will cover topics such as reticulation (cracking the film images), image bubbling, lifting the emulsion and selective bleaching of film. Stock will be provided for use in the workshop, but you are also welcome to bring your own black & white and colour stock film for reworking.

Produced with the additional support of SilverPrint (www.silverprint.co.uk)

Attending the Workshop [Dates, Fees & Requirements]:

This workshop is being produced by no.w.here film lab, and as such all inquiries regarding attendance should be handled through no.w.here:

• no.w.here’s workshop page, including contact information and attendance policies
• no.w.here’s event listing for this workshop

The date of the workshop is set for February 4th, 2012 between the hours 10:30 AM (GMT) and 6:00 PM (GMT)

Aside from no.w.here’s own policies, there are no additional requirements for attending this workshop.

Selected Screenings:

(Note: not all works will be shown in their entirety, or perhaps even at all. Additionally, we will not be able to secure prints for this workshop, unless otherwise noted)

• At Hand (Andrew Busti, 2002)
• Buffalo Lifts (Christina Battle, 2004)
• oil wells: sturgeon road & 97th street (Christina Battle, 2002)
• Terminus for you (Nicolas Ray, 1996)
• Various technical documentations

Further Readings & Online Resources:

Copies of these books & articles will be provided during the workshop and can also be secured at various local libraries and on the web:

• Developing (C.I. Jacobson)
• The Darkroom Cookbook (Steve G Anchell)
• Recipes for Disaster: A Handcrafted Film Cookbook (ed. Helen Hill)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: I’ve never worked with motion picture film before. Will that limit my experience?

A: No, experience with motion picture film is not necessary when participating in the workshop and we will try and accommodate as many questions you have possible before, during or after the workshop.

Q: I have some film I would like to bring into the workshop to work with. Is this okay?

A: Yes, but there are a few things you should keep in mind when bringing in film for this workshop. First off, because we will be limited on time, your film should already be processed. This will not affect your ability to work with any of the techniques presented in the workshop per say. Second, it is recommended that you avoid bringing in a film of particular value or significance as we cannot guarantee that it will not be damaged or ruined beyond a usable extent.

If you do decide to bring film, there are a few things you should keep in mind when deciding what kind of film to bring: first, while it is possible to exercise some of the techniques reviewed in this workshop on any variety of film, the majority of the techniques will only work with an image formed of silver. What this means is that black and white films (typically formed solely of silver) will be the most versatile stock to bring. Color stocks on the other hand will be more limited as they typically have the silver removed in processing. The only exception to this is in regards to color film that has been bleach-bypassed, a specific lab technique which retains the silver in the dense regions of the color emulsion; if the utilization of color film in this workshop is of particular importance to you, than email Kevin Rice (kevin|a|processreversal.org) to discuss the topic further — additionally, we will be discussing it in the workshop itself.

Finally, in regards to film format, we will have all the necessary equipment to deal with regular 8mm, super 8mm, 16mm and 35mm film.

Q: I would like to travel to attend the workshop, but I’m not certain if I can afford housing accommodations. Do you provide scholarship?

A: No, and because this workshop is taking place abroad, we do not have a pool of volunteers to draw from to help with accommodations. Our best suggestion would be to contact no.w.here with any advice and to look into couch surfing.

Q: I missed the opportunity to attend this workshop. Will you be running it again?

A: If the demand exist, absolutely. Send us an email or message requesting it.