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Ferrania - moving mass production machinery


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15

A Long-Awaited Update

Posted by FILM Ferrania

Ciao a Tutti,

I am happy to report that the asbestos abatement is finally complete and we can once again resume activities in the LRF Building. However, the asbestos removal took so long, that new issues have arisen.

When we launched this project, we told everyone about the effort to save certain critical equipment due to a long-term demolition project that would clear much of the old campus. We now have the machinery (thanks to all of you!), and the demolitions are moving forward on the rest of the Ferrania campus.

The Umbilical

One of the biggest projects is happening this month and causes yet another problem for our team. A new road is under construction, connecting the local highway to the campus. In order to build this road, the “umbilical” that carries steam and demineralized water to the LRF Building from the Ferrania power station will be severed tomorrow - May 15th.

To coat film, we need this steam power. Our original Kickstarter schedule was designed to use steam from Ferrania prior to the removal of the umbilical. Once our connection to the Ferrania power station is severed we will have to use self-produced steam. This has been the long-term plan all along, but because of the asbestos delay, our new steam generator is not yet installed.

The Chillers

The other component needed to coat film is cold water (at 6°C). To create this water, we need two specialized "chillers” one small and one large. The small one is for winter, when the outside temperatures are cooler. The larger one (or the combination of the two) is used during the warmer summer months. This year summer is going to be very hot, it is already unseasonably warm in Ferrania. Regrettably, we have only the small chiller installed. We are being told that the big chiller should arrive in 4-6 weeks, but this remains to be seen.

The 6-week delay caused by the asbestos removal has completely disrupted the timeline for the coating the Primo Lotto Kickstarter rewards. Had we been able to access the LRF Building in April we would've imported steam from Ferrania and used the "winter size" chiller. Now our current plan is to wait for new steam generator to be installed (probably by the end of May) and run tests using just the small chiller to see if we can, under some conditions (i.e. during the night when it’s not as hot), go ahead with coating. If not, we will have to wait for the big chiller to arrive.

These cascading delays have been outside of our direct control, and extremely frustrating for our entire team.

Moving Forward

We apologize for our silence during the last month, but with so many moving parts, and with the government and contractors unable to give us firm deadlines, we did not want to risk announcing something only to have it further delayed or changed.

The good news in all of this is that once the new chiller arrives, we’ll have everything we need to get back on schedule. We have prepared as many components as possible without having services and access to the coater, and once our steam generator and chiller are installed, we can begin testing, and then production.

Now that we are back in the factory and moving forward, we can assure you that updates will be more frequent - and once we have a firm grasp on the updated timeline, you will be the first to know.

Thank you again for your support and patience!

Sincerely,

Nicola Baldini

FILM Ferrania Founder & CEO

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It seems that this update is from more than a month ago. (May) I don't know where that was posted but under the category "News" on the Film Fernia website, the most recent announcement is from March.The revised timeline there says film should have been delivered by now.  Do they have another site with more current information?

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It seems that this update is from more than a month ago. (May) I don't know where that was posted but under the category "News" on the Film Fernia website, the most recent announcement is from March.The revised timeline there says film should have been delivered by now.  Do they have another site with more current information?

I guess you're impatiently awaiting the delivery of your film, Alan? 

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The May update was sent to those who supported the kickstarter drive & funded their efforts.

That makes sense to keep supporters informed but they don't seem to update their web site very often.  Consider that if this is to be an on-going sucsessful business beyond the initial batch, there will need to be at least a minimal level of marketing and general communication. And if not on their site, then where?  Yes I know they also have a Facebook page.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If they can ever pull this off, my hat's off to them.  I see all of the things they have to do to get that facility working, salaries, materials, etc. and presume the $322,000 from the Kickstarter funding was not nearly enough. And the Kickstarter money was explained as just being needed to buy and move some large machinery. So they must be funded some other way.

Edited by AlanG
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  • 10 months later...

According to the video linked below, Film Ferrania tested the mechanical aspects of the coating machine back in February and posted this video in early April 2016. They said that it passed the mechanical tests and that it would not be seen again because it would be in the dark to coat emulsions. They have had at least 1 1/2 months since they posted this video (longer if it was running in February.) I presume they have the chemicals and competency to make the emulsion so I would think they must be coating film by now.  I assume packaging and mailing are not a hangup.

 

Any word from them that I missed?

 

https://vimeo.com/162012285

Edited by AlanG
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I meant to add that they said on April 7th that there are a lot of variables to be worked out in the testing phase and that they didn't want to give any guidance until they knew that they could make firm promises.  i have no idea where this stands but I'd expect that a couple of months of emulsion coating and testing should have moved the needle substantially.  Kind of amazing to overcome all of the obstacles (unexpected and expected) to date.

Edited by AlanG
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  • 4 months later...

According to the video linked below, Film Ferrania tested the mechanical aspects of the coating machine [...]

Any word from them that I missed?

 

Given the ease of infrared photography I wonder why there is no follow-up.

.

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I seem to recall Ferraniachrome being slightly brown hued slides but that was over 50 years ago. My father treated slide film in a similar manner to his golf clubs: "must try a new one and it's bound to be better." In the late 1950's and 60's, there was a wide range of colour reversal film available. I think my father was looking for a film with the colour characteristics of Kodachrome but faster than the ASA 25, which Kodachrome II was at the time. Sadly my father never lived to see the introduction of K64 in 1974. I recall him using films from Agfa, Perutz, Ferrania, Ilford, Ansco and no doubt others which have slipped from my memory.

 

Still an alternative reversal film to Fuji has to be good news and I look forward to trying it when it becomes generally available. 

 

Wilson

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  • 2 months later...

I do wonder if all this massive effort will be in vain, when it would seem they are still a long way from even making satisfactory B&W film, given that there are still a number of good makers of film around. I have recently been using Fomapan 200 from the Czech republic, which I am pretty pleased with. It seems to have the crispness, lack of grain and contrast of FP4, with an extra stop of speed. It has a very wide exposure latitude. What I would really like to see is someone making B&W reversal film again, since it seems to scan better on my Plustek 7400 than B&W negative. AFAIK, Agfa Scala was the last one made, without messing about with odd and complicated processes. I think Kodak may make some black and white reversal but only in 16mm cine film (Tri-X reversal 7266). 

 

Wilson

 

PS I have just seen that my friends at Fomapan have brought out a 100 ISO B&W reversal film but again the processing looks like a bit of a heave, with a 12 step process. 

Edited by wlaidlaw
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And which is the act that allows to shoot a Welshman caught inside the walls of Chester after dark? I think that too was repealed.

 

..... and even if not, it is now illegal to have anything to shoot anyone with, so its academic (and I have safely been to Chester after dark :D ).

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What do you think your negative response adds to this discussion? Do you know that the planned films are going to be "pretty dire"? Do you want to discourage creation of real jobs? Do you not want another global producer of film?I'm genuinely curious what the doomsayers' motivation is?

I used Ferrania film in the very early 1970. It was not as good as Kodachrome but considerably cheaper and with care I was always happy with the results. I still have all the slides I made and they are still in good shape. Personally I would never use film again but a minority will for many reasons. I hope this venture is a success.

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..... and even if not, it is now illegal to have anything to shoot anyone with, so its academic (and I have safely been to Chester after dark :D ).

 

Henry, Prince of Wales (future Henry V) was also Earl of Chester and on 4 Sept 1403 he ordered that all Welsh people and Welsh sympathisers should be expelled from the City; none should enter the city before sunrise or stay after sunset on pain of decapitation (not hanging, but it would have the same effect!). There are records of people standing surety for the good behaviour of Welshmen arrested under the order. The text books don't refer to anyone ever paying the maximum penalty for this 'crime'. Concern over 'the Welsh threat' continued into the 15th century and Chester was seen very much as a border town. There is no record that Henry V's order was ever repealed.

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