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Beyond Media Archeology
Lessons Learnt in a Quarter Century of Restoration Practice

We have organised an intensive Autumn School on technical issues about the preservation and restoration of virtually dead photochemical film technology. It will take place from 31 October to 4 November 2011, hosted by our company reto.ch in Écublens (a suburb of Lausanne, Switzerland), and the course will be held mainly on our premises.

The aim of the Autumn School is to provide an intensive one-week training course for experienced audio-visual archivists and restoration laboratory technicians from all over the world. Instruction will be provided by various specialists in a pleasant learning environment. We have worked out a detailed course programme, including unbelievable lectures, amazing hands-on sessions, spectacular workshops, and unforgettable living demonstrations of dead technology. The Autumn School will supplement professional instruction with social events and local sight-seeing excursions. A full programme summary will be sent to all applicants upon acceptance into the Autumn School.

There are 12 student positions available. The fee for the one-week course is CHF 2 500 and covers accommodation (six nights from 30 October to 5 November 2011), course-related visits, most meals and all training. Travel costs to and from Switzerland are not covered. Closing date for receipt of applications is 2 September 2011.

You are invited to submit an on-line application on behalf of yourself or members of your staff. If there are more applicants than places available, then a selection will be made; if there are fewer applicants than places available, then we will seek qualified participants from a wider field.

Draft Programme

Monday 31
  • Hands-on #1: Manufacturing of Nitrocellulose Base
  • Hands-on #2: Manufacturing of Cellulose Diacetate Base
  • Hands-on #3: Manufacturing of Orthochromatic Gelatin Emulsion
  • Hands-on #4: Manufacturing of Panchromatic Gelatin Emulsion
  • Opening Night Reception
Tuesday 1
  • Workshop #1: Chemical and Mechanical Analysis of the Manufactured and Historic Nitrocellulose and Diacetate Bases
  • Shooting onto Orthochromatic and Panchromatic Gelatin Emulsions
  • Processing of the Exposed Films
Wednesday 2
  • Workshop #2: Comparison between the Manufactured and Historic Orthochromatic and Panchromatic Gelatin Emulsions – Advanced Sensitometry
  • Past, Present and Future Film Stocks
  • Visit of a Museum
Thursday 3
  • Hands-on #5: Hand Colouring and Stencil Colour Process
  • Hands-on #6: Tinting and Toning
  • Hands-on #7: Processing Kodachrome
  • Hands-on #8: Magnetic Coating
  • Screening Night on Additive Colour Systems
Friday 4
  • Workshop #3: Unilateral Variable Area Soundtrack
  • Ethical Issues on Preservation and Restoration
  • Open Forum
  • Boat Trip on the Lake of Geneva and Closing Night Reception

Note

  • We are very unhappy that our generosity is often betrayed, as many of our materials are distributed without naming their origin. Increasingly, others are even shamelessly claiming authorship of our work, which is just disgusting behaviour. And that’s the very reason why some resources are no longer freely available, but have been moved to password-protected parts of our website.

2023-02-17