This video is the second (of three) part of Smarter Everyday’s in-depth tour of Kodak’s film production line in Rochester, New York. In the first video, we saw how the base of the film is made of pellets, as they melt and form homogeneous, thin, transparent sheets.
In this second part, Destin Sandlin from Smarter every day shows us how the previously created base material is turned into a light-sensitive film. This process requires high precision, with very tight tolerances, because each of the 6-12 layers that make up a light-sensitive emulsion is half the thickness of a human hair. Making all of this is made more difficult by the fact that the entire manufacturing process needs to be done in complete darkness.
There are some interesting concepts put to use, like a layered waterfall, a drying process that hangs an entire roll of material (hundreds of feet long) on a cushion of air, and an autopilot that holds everything. aligned as it moved through hundreds of feet of drying corridors, among others.
You’ll also learn why the entire building is actually part of the mechanism that enables film production with such precision.
The entire video is an hour long and is a treat for the curious. It is definitely worth your time.
If you missed it, you can check out part one of the process here. Part three of the filmmaking process will show how this wide roll of light-sensitive material is cut into strips and loaded into the cassettes we know and love.
There are more in-depth videos about chemistry and physics in the making on Smarter Everyday.
