Help needed to repair a priceless movie.

[Dennis Ostermiller]

I found this site while searching on the internet for information about splicing film. I am in hopes that someone on here can help me find a solution.

My paternal grandfather immigrated to America in 1910 from Russia. He passed away about 20 years ago at the age of 96. I have one roll of super8 sound home movie of him talking to me. It is the only movie with or without sound that we have of him. So it is a priceless piece of family heritage as far as my family is concerned. I want to get it copied to a digital format so that I can share copies with the extended family. Then we will archive the original. But there is a section of drive lugs about 12 inches long that has been stripped so badly that the film will not run through a projector at that point. To cut that section out and splice the remainder loosing that section is not an acceptable solution if there is any possible way to salvage the drive lugs. I am in hopes of getting at least one clear pass through a projector to get a complete copy of these precious three and a half minutes of history.

This site looks like a great resource of information on this subject. I'd appreciate any viable alternatives to cutting out the torn sections. Would it even be possible to splice a length of drive lugs from another piece of film and get it to hold enough to make one pass through the projector for the sake of history?

[Jeff Sumberg]

Hi,

Correct term -> sprocket holes

You should be able to fix those with pre-punched splicing tape, cafeully laid onto the film and aligned with the damaged holes. You should then send the film to a house that does transfers. Don't try to run it yourself. Inform the transfer company of the damage, and the fix, so they are aware of it.

Be aware that one side of the film has a thin brown magnetic stripe for the sound opposite of the sprocket holes. Do not apply the tape over the track, put it on the other side, otherwise the sound will drop out when the tape passes over the head.

You can also contact the various companies that do transfers and ask them if they can fix the section for you WITHOUT cutting it out. They may be able to do a better job than you can, and may be part of their services. 8mm film is so small, and the sprocket holes on S8 are so tiny, that you may want to let someone else do it who has the experience.

For 16mm and 35mm films there are applicators that apply a special tape to repair torn sprockets, but I don't know if such a thing exists for R8 or S8. By the way 12 inches of film is about 3-4 seconds worth.

[Dennis Ostermiller]

Three to four seconds in the middle of him talking in his German accented English is certainly a significant distraction to those of us who prize this film. Where can I get these adhesive strips that would repair the lugs (oops! sprocket holes)? I have a few short strips that are intended for splicing. But they are quite thin and flimsy. It doesn't seem that it would provide a very durable repair. Also, it would take many more of them than I have to repair the damaged section.

I have checked a number of places here in northern Utah where I live to see if anyone can help with a repair. I have found no one who even seemed to have a clue. I did find one place in Los Angeles who said they could do it. But I don't trust the mail or other shipping modes to send it there. I've had too many experiences with lost items to take a chance with this. I've always thought that if I happened to go to LA I would hand deliver it. But so far a need to go to LA has not happened. Thanks for your reply.

[Jeff Sumberg]

If you're concerned about sending it through the mail, send it REGISTERED. This means the PO hand carries it (essentially) from point to point, and at each hand off, there is a sign off for tracking and registration. That is the safest mail class there is. I would not be concerned about mailing it to a service house that says they can fix it. Short of that, you're going to be stuck with a film that's not runnable.

Can you take a digital photo of the damage and post it here as we have an idea of how bad this damage is. Tape can fix most damage to sprocket holes, assuming there are sprockets left to fix. If the entire side of the film is torn away, that may be difficult, and the only solution to cut the affected section, like it or not.

[Mitchell Dvoskin]

That is the safest mail class there is.

Actually no. Certified is only marginally safer than regular mail. The "certification" is only that you have proof it was mailed, and the post office can verify that it was delivered.

The only mail that the post office hand tracks on each leg of it's journey is registered mail.

[Jeff Sumberg]

The only mail that the post office hand tracks on each leg of it's journey is registered mail.
Mitchell is correct, I meant [I]REGISTERED MAIL. I've corrected my text.