Filmmaking > Camera & Lighting
Keeping Track of Tapes & Film
A common mistake with beginning filmmakers is not labeling film cans or tape rolls properly. When I’m on location overseas, I don’t send my film to the lab, so I end up with many rolls of film and videotapes. Once while working in Bosnia, I had the van ceiling full of hidden videotapes in case the Bosnian Serbs decided to confiscate tapes.
No matter the situation, it is critical that tapes and film cans be labeled properly. Always have a complete camera report with each roll or have a matching number on the roll’s box.
When you’re shooting film include special instructions for the lab on the roll. Possibly you are force processing a roll--confusing instructions could have disastrous results. Include the magazine number as a means of quality control. If there are scratches or fogging caused by a faulty magazine, you can quickly determine the faulty magazine and repair it.
During my brief work at a film lab, I was amazed at how unprofessional many camera departments were at providing proper camera reports. Camera report forms can be purchased from a camera rental house or picked up for free from your laboratory in advance. The reports have information such as the date the film was loaded into the magazine, company name, billing address, shipping address, production number, director’s name, Director of Photography, magazine number, roll number and kind of film. This is a good record to have if you ever have to track down missing negatives. This information should also be used for video shoots. It’s great to have notes on filters used and any pertinent notes for later color correction in postproduction. I’ve even run into situations where the colorist made a nighttime scene daytime. Most video camera departments do very little other than number the tape roll since no processing is required. When numbering videotapes, make sure you also number the case or box that contains the tape. Also, on-location plastic-wrap the case with a Ziploc bag. This helps keep rain, dirt, and sand out of the tape and film rolls. Once in China I came back to my hotel room after diner to find the entire room flooded. My tape rolls were saved by the zip lock bags and fortunately, I had placed my active battery charger and batteries on top of an equipment case.
Properly storing, labeling and logging what’s on your tapes or film rolls is a tool that will solve many problems for you in postproduction. If you handle this area in a casual and messy manner, the wonderful story images you worked so hard to capture might simply disappear.