Film preservation

Film preservation is the work of safeguarding, restoring, and providing access to motion-picture films. It addresses both the physical survival of film materials and the continued availability of their images and sounds.

Film stock: Film stock is the light-sensitive material on which moving images are recorded or printed. Its chemical composition determines how a film should be stored and handled.
Film gauge: Film gauge is the width of motion-picture film, commonly measured in millimeters. Gauge helps identify formats and select compatible equipment for inspection and copying.
Film restoration: Film restoration is the repair or reconstruction of a motion picture’s image and sound using surviving materials and documented evidence. Restoration addresses damage and missing content after preservation elements are identified.
Early cinema: Early cinema is the period of moving-image production and exhibition from the late nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. Its surviving films reveal how much of cinema’s earliest history was lost.
National Film Registry: The National Film Registry is a list of films selected by the United States for preservation in the Library of Congress. Its selections make preservation a visible matter of cultural recognition.
Nitrate film: Nitrate film is a motion-picture film base made from cellulose nitrate, a flammable material that deteriorates rapidly. Its fire risk and instability demand specialized storage and copying.
Film perforation: Film perforations are regularly spaced holes along a strip that engage transport mechanisms in cameras and projectors. Damaged perforations can prevent safe handling, projection, or duplication.
Digital restoration: Digital restoration uses digital tools to repair or reconstruct image and sound defects in motion pictures. It can reduce visible damage while creating a new access or preservation master.
Silent film: Silent film is motion-picture cinema produced without synchronized recorded dialogue, often accompanied by live music or narration. Many silent films survive only in incomplete or later-generation copies.
Film colorization: Film colorization is the addition of color to motion pictures originally produced in black and white. It exposes disagreements over whether changing an image improves access or alters historical evidence.

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