Hollywood battles aging -- in film reels
The Peninsula
Burbank, United States: Reels of film and the Hollywood stars who fill them share one common enemy: aging. But while an actor can go under the knif...
Burbank, United States: Reels of film and the Hollywood stars who fill them share one common enemy: aging.
But while an actor can go under the knife or get a bit of filler in an effort to stay young, it's a one-way street for film, which eventually starts to break down into its original -- rather prosaic -- ingredients.
"Film base is actually wood pulp and acetic acid in its simplest form," says Tim Knapp of California-based film preservation specialists Pro-Tek Vaults.
"Acetic acid over time produces what is called 'vinegar syndrome' which degrades the base of the film... and prevents it from being used."
And no film star wants to end up like that.
