Film at 11 was established in -and inspired by- Hollywood. I worked for the ABC television network for years and saw firsthand how TV shows were produced. When I started, many productions were still shot on film. It was the company policy that if a show was shot on film, it had to be delivered to the network on film and we would transfer it in-house to videotape. The editors in the department made gag gifts like suspenders, head bands and lamp shades from time to time while they waited for a show to be delivered from the production company. So one day I took some academy leader from the recycle barrel home to make a pair of earrings. In the photo above, I'm wearing one of the first pair. (That's me on the right in blue.)
What's academy leader? A strip of film containing those iconic numbers that count down from 8 to 2. It's used to sync sound and picture. I use it to sync style. So before up-cycling was cool, I transformed the 35mm film into wearable art. Far from being used material left on the proverbial "cutting room floor", film was recycled to reclaim the silver nitrate it contained. Now I own the negative from which the Academy leader earrings are made. So I can order the "countdown numbers" in a limited variety of colors.
I'm now retired and living in Durham, North Carolina with my husband Melvin Mitchell.
Thanks for shopping!