2010-05-13 // 13:05:55
Esther.Z.Schnickenacke
Yes, it was for the film thing. I asked Carmen to join me and we did a couple of little photo shoots. The rest of the time, we hung around in the factory.
It's a big building with only 25 people working in it. I think they feel like they're in a zoo, as there are film teams and journalists wandering about in it continually. But the employees are all very charming to visitors. You get the feeling it still feels special for them to be the focus of so much attention.
There are two vast factory halls full of rusty, oily machinery which is just lying around with various bolshy Polaroid-style "Never pull this lever" and "Don't attempt to push that button while this light is on" notices on them, and at one end of one of these halls are the Polaroid film components and the working machines.
We had a personal guided tour of all the different production stages. It was fascinating. In one small enclosed cabin at the side of the hall is the final machine where all the different layers are laminated together by heat and pressure, element by element - all in total darkness. We went in with the head of production while it was operating and stood in the dark for a few minutes just listening to the sound of Polaroids being cut, assembled and sealed about one foot in front of us. We weren't allowed to lift our arms in case our fingers got jammed in a Pola frame. You could smell the emulsion all around you. When I came out, one eye was stinging with it.
I also sneaked into the mixing lab and saw the machines that mix the emulsion. They have two upright cylindrical silver tanks, one the size of a large boiler and a little one the size of a barrel for small test batches. The little one looked like R2D2's grandpa. The whole room is full of bags of white powder and all the equipment and the walls and floor are coated in a white powdery pattina. It smells a bit like clay and chalk and like a school art room.
You'd love it there. You'd have made much better use of it photographically than I did.
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^ maybe I can somehow find someone who wants to interview me.. and they would be willing to fly me out there? ;) one could only hope I will see the factory one day. After reading your descriptions, I am going to change my underwear. Thank you. |
2010-05-12 // 17:54:35
Esther.Z.Schnickenacke
It's a bit hard to judge because I only saw colour test sheet things and no actual pictures - they squidge the emulsion between two transparent plates and all you can see on them are bars of multicoloured coloured squares.
There was no colour film in cartridges, I'm afraid. I tried to find one, but they all swore they hadn't tried putting it into cartridges yet. All I could pilfer was a mystery film that was packaged into a PX package when they were testing the packing machine. They said there could be anything in there. Interested?
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^ You will have to try it! I am always interested in fucked experiments. I also missed the part of why you went to the factory? Seeing as Carmen was present, I would assume that you two are up to being on T.V. in costume? My god I want to go to Enschede. What did it smell like? |
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^ also, I'm sorry for asking too many questions. |
2010-05-12 // 13:17:05
Esther.Z.Schnickenacke
I've seen the test emulsions now and YES. They've made a lot of progress with colour and it will work. It might be a bit dodgy at first, like the PX, but they are continually experimenting and it looks very promising to me. The colours were soft and smooth and looked very pretty. The emulsions are still too middle-rangey at the moment (the whites not light enough and the blacks non-existent), but in the middle tonal ranges they have achieved so far, they seemed to have more subtle and detailed shades than SX-70 film or 600.
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^ this is good news. I was scared when Andre mentioned that it appeared like spectra soft tone. but I trust your analysis. the real question is what did you steal? |
2010-05-07 // 15:27:27
Esther.Z.Schnickenacke
I told Doc. I did.
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^ :) do you think the color will work? |
2010-04-26 // 18:57:28
Esther.Z.Schnickenacke
I'll see him soon, so I shall pass the message on.
2010-04-26 // 10:18:42
urbonek
like it...
2010-04-26 // 10:08:52
Esther.Z.Schnickenacke
I like what you're doing with the PX600. Is it easier to use than the 100? It looks more contrasty, moodier, and more reliable.
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^ I find it a lot easier than the px-100. or... the test film. I haven't tried the 100 yet.... I planned on being ultra careful with shielding it from all light, but I really just turned them over on the street. It was about to storm, so it was very dull, but I feel that the test film would have faded to nothing... I like it a lot............ I am REALLY impressed. Tell doc his film works! |