On Nov 18, 2005, at 11:10 PM, graywolf wrote:
It just means it is not nitrocellulosebased film. Consumer film pretty much stopped using that before WWII, but motion picture film still used nitrocellulose into the late fifties.
Nitrate base films were preferred because cellulose nitrate was more dimensionally stable and didn't tend to get brittle when projected frequently. Both were concerns for cinematography, but not for still photography.
When 16mm film was first introduced in the 30s, it was considered an amateur film for making home movies. It was made on "Safety Film" base from the beginning, because of the concern about home fires. 35mm motion picture film continued to be made on nitrate base because professionals demanded it.
The only 16mm motion picture film ever coated onto nitrate base was special production ordered by companies like Movietone News who issued it to their cameramen.
Bob
