Loading the Film Reel

Before you begin, you need to grab a few things from room 205;

a reel, 35 millimeter, a tank with a tight-fitting lid,

pair them up really well,

so make sure that you've got a good fit throughout the process.

This tank will hold one reel.

When you take off the little cap,

it's still light-tight,

chemistry can flow through.

But that cap allows us to invert the tank when we need to.

You'll need your freshly exposed roll of film,

a bottle opener, and a pair of scissors.

Those things can be found in the light table drawers.

After your first successful roll of film,

you probably always want to develop at least two reels at a time.

It saves so much time later on because the process steps are the same for one or two.

It's time to practice now.

We're going to practice in the light so

we can see what we're doing and get the hang of it.

Eventually, we'll be good enough at this to do it in total darkness.

This step, unloading the film out of its cassette and putting

it on a reel has to be done in complete darkness.

The film is sensitive to the entire visible spectrum,

so no safe light,

no dim light, complete darkness.

We start by attaching it in the middle of

the reel and spiraling outward. Here's a better view.

We're going to turn the reel so that the spiral,

as it spirals out, faces the hand that holds the film.

I'm a righty, so it's going that way,

it'll work the same left handedly.

See the prongs in the middle.

We're going to insert it loosely into the middle and just pull

it down so that those prongs grab a couple of sprocket holes.

Again, the reel has to be oriented correctly or it's not going to be positioned right,

that goes in over the top and onto those prongs.

Once you get it in there, you're going to curve the film just a little bit.

If you flatten it out,

it'll feel like it doesn't fit in that space,

but just a slight curve will allow it to slide into that groove.

Here's back to the other view.

Notice that you can just use the tabletop surface to just guide it right in there.

You must use your thumb and forefinger right up against the reel though,

where it's going to be difficult if you hold it any

other way or you hold it too far from the reel,

it's going to go on all buckley and weird.

Those areas of film that touch other areas of film will not process, it'll be opaque.

How do you know if you're doing it well?

There are a few ways to check.

One is that you can feel of how lumpy it is,

or if the film is sticking out along this side,

one of the best ways to check is to hold the film out

stiff parallel to the floor or table top and then reverse it a little bit,

push it backward and it should shuffle in that groove.

That happy shuffle noise in the dark is something you do want to hear.

Certainly not ripping, crunching noises, so feel of it.

It's okay to handle it a little bit while your hands are clean and dry.

You have to touch the film,

somewhat best to get it on there correctly.

Every few inches as you're going forward,

stop and check for the shuffle.

The more film you get on the reel,

the less movement it will have.

But you will be assured that a little bit of movement and a smooth

feel to the outside of the film is that you're getting it on there correctly

and that the chemistry will be able to get to all areas of the film.

Any film touching another piece of film will not develop.

Again, we're going to practice.

Make sure that you've got a pretty straight,

you can tear it if you've got a little bit of fingernail to get it started,

but you can tear it.

We'll cut it reasonably straight at the beginning.

Remember there's a curved part of the film that we want to get rid of.

Hold the reel correctly so that it will spiral out.

It is possible to put it on backward, completely backward,

but it won't fill up the reel and the entire roll would be destroyed,

so make sure it looks and feels like that.

Now we're ready to do this in the dark.

Make sure you have all the tools that you need and especially the tank and the lid

and go into one of the loading rooms where we'll

arrange everything, and turn off the light.

We're going to do this in the light for the sake of demonstration.

But of course, this is the part that has to be done in total darkness.

Use the flat end of the bottle opener against the flat end of the cassette.

Then you're just going to pry it and bend it until it comes off.

Another way, some people do it as if you can put your thumbs between those two slits.

You could just pull it out flat.

Either way, pull the film out.

It's going to have a curved lidar at the end where you loaded it into the camera,

that has to be made straight or it would be next to impossible to get it on the reel.

So make it straight by tearing it or cutting it.

Shiny side must be up.

Orient the reel so that you know where the prongs are and which way the spiral should go.

Began it, use the curve properly and guide it on.

Use the tabletop surface in those rooms,

and don't forget the shuffle.

Super shuffled, oh, not bad.

Take your time. Don't warp speed it.

When you get to the very end of the roll,

you need to detach the spool.

If it's not taped,

you might be able to just rip it free,

but that's a little dangerous,

so cutting it is probably best.

Make sure the tape,

if there's any tape on,

it goes in the trash,

not in the part you develop.

The adhesive is bad for the rest of the film.

Gently lay the rest of the film on there,

check to make sure it feels like it's on correctly.

Put it in the light tight container.

If at anytime you think that it needs somebody else's attention,

you have a light tight container to put it in for rescue.

Worried? Maybe somebody could check it out for you.

Good luck.