Update from the LRF - December, 2015

The continuing saga of Film Ferrania continues, with Making the Rewards - Part 3. After many months, the Big Chiller and Little Chiller are installed, new fencing around the factory perimeter is installed and a power transformer with line conditioner is also installed. These are all the remaining touches to the next step of inspection by the Italian government. The project did not reveal when it might start production of transparency film yet, but one can only suspect that that will be next.

Many a Kickstarter project has been felled by fewer problems, so there is still risk. While the initial Kickstarter rewards were first released in January, no film has been produced yet. If the founders stay strong, one can expect production to start as soon as possible. Hopefully, Film Ferrania will put Italy back on the map for producing silver gelatin film.

Previous news on the Film Ferrania project:

• October, 2015: LRF Engines Restarted!
• July, 2015: News form the LRF
• April, 2015: Film Ferrania Delayed By Harsh Winter
• March, 2015: Film Ferrania Starts Toward Making Film
• February, 2015: Film Ferrania in the News

LRF Engines Restarted!

Film Ferrania is pleased to announce that its engines are restarted! The Big Chiller and Little Chiller are being prepared for permanent installation. This is the final step and the elimination of a huge roadblock in the progress of making film. Both Chillers are involved in the climate control of various rooms in the LRF building and for cooling the film after coating. The film is coated with chemistry in a gelatin suspension (called the emulsion). Like supermarket gelatin, the emulsion must cool and set before the film is wound onto a spool for cutting.

The next major hurdle to overcome is accreditation of building's services by the Italian government. More surprises are expected, so a there is no schedule for delivery of Kickstarter rewards yet. The Domino effect that has delayed production so far is being righted, so stay tuned for more developments.

News from the LRF

Film Ferrania has released more news. Sadly, a domino effect of cascading events is slowing them down. First, asbestos was found in the LRF building where the film will be manufactured. This led to the shutdown of the building until remediation could be completed. However, in that time, the supply of steam to the building was cut off, necessitating the installation of new boilers at the building. No steam, no power, so it was necessary. By this time, though, the emulsions that were prepared earlier had expired and the weather had changed.

The film needs to cool and solidify the emulsion layer before it can be wound into a roll for later cutting to size. Due to the warmer weather, this now requires chilling equipment to be installed that was not planned until September. The first run was planned for cooler temperatures that did not require this equipment.

Despite these setbacks, Ferrania continues to plan to release its Kickstarter products, just on a different timeline.