Play it from the beginning.

I bought my first Interstellar BluRay at Best Buy. I knew about the film cells and hoped I wouldn't end up with a bad frame (nearly impossible with this film). When I pulled the cardboard sleeve from the BluRay case I revealed a film cell that could bring tears to anyone's eyes. 

My very first film cell – Cooper admires the watch

From that point on I knew what would come next. I gave into my addictive personality and set out to build a collection I could be proud of. Over the years I've acquired Interstellar film cells through online purchases, BluRay purchases, and trades with fellow collectors. The passion continues. 

Because of my passion for Interstellar and collecting the film cells, I've begun collecting other film cells as well, including cells from The Dark Knight trilogy, Dunkirk, Inception, Avatar, Harry Potter, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Whether you're an experienced collector looking to trade, a novice collector looking to start or improve a collection, or just a curious cinephile, I look forward to meeting you. 

Frequently-Asked Questions

Disclaimer: Any products or brands mentioned are recommended solely based on my own opinions and experiences. No compensation is received in return.

Q1. How do you store your film cells?

My methods for storing film cells involve three aspects:

  • storage of the individual cells

  • organization of the cells

  • protection against the elements

Storage of the Individual Cells
Finding the right sleeves for film cells can be difficult. The sleeves that were sent with the Interstellar BluRay packs in the USA were thin and inconsistent in shape and size. As my collection grew I decided to upgrade sleeves so that they were better protected. I began searching on the internet to find sleeves that were the right size, contained no harmful chemicals, and were thicker to provide more protection. 

My search ultimately led me to the Mayday Games Premium Card Game Sleeves. These sleeves are made of clear propylene, safe for archival purposes, and contain no acid and no PVC. The size that works for all of my cells is the 80mmx80mm sleeve. The best part of the premium sleeves from Mayday Games is the increased thickness of the material (125% thicker, according to the packaging). You can find them on the Mayday Games website, or on Amazon in a pack of 50. 

Organization of the Cells
After I have the sleeves individually protected, I like to keep them stored together in sequence. This is a labor-intensive process, but is completely worth it to me. Just as I sought to find an ideal sleeve for the individual cell, I began by looking for storage sheets that would hold at least 6 cells. The criteria I identified as important for the individual sleeves were also the criteria for my storage sheets. The most important aspect was that the sheets would be of archival quality. The risk of damaging my collection due to chemicals was not worth the lesser cost of non-archival sheets. 

The best storage sheets I found were made by PrintFile. The sheets are actually designed for storage of film negatives, so I knew they would be perfect for my collection of film cells. The EM-6 sheets are available on their website in packs of 100. Each sheet has 6 pockets with the approximate dimensions of 105mm wide by 86mm high. This allows for the 80mmx80mm individual sleeves to fit comfortably within each pocket. 

​Protection against the Elements
The most daunting task of the storage project for my collection was determining how to protect them from dust and, primarily, light. Sunlight can be very harmful to most things, and these film cells are certainly no exception. The EM-6 sheets mentioned above have holes on the left side, allowing for easy storage in a binder. The issue is finding a binder that would shield all sides of the contents. Fortunately, I did not have to look far once I found the storage sheets.

PrintFile also sells enclosed binders on their website. While many enclosed binders exist, the Safe-T-Binders from PrintFile are ideal for storage. They are made of polypropylene, archival safe, and have 1 inch rings for easy storage of the EM-6 sheets. These binders are available in black, gray, and white. I currently own 5 of these binders; three for my 70mm Interstellar collection, one for my other 70mm film cells, and one for my 35mm film strips. You can find these binders on the PrintFile website or on Amazon. 

Q2. How do you display your cells?

This is a difficult question for me to answer. I am certainly no scientist, however I do know that one of the most harmful things for film cells is UV light. This can quickly cause fading. Additionally, keeping the cells away from heat is also important. When I first began collecting, I had big plans to build a backlit display for a portion of my collection. As my collection grew I decided to take the route of preservation and to cancel the plans for the physical display. This is what led me to the decision to create this website. My version of a display is restricted to these scans of my cells in a virtual display.

Despite all of this, I do have some recommendations for the ideal physical display. Just as with my other approaches, the most important thing here is to protect the cells from any harmful elements. Each part of my ideal display is described in three parts:

  • the glass

  • the backlight

  • the frame

The Glass
This is arguably the most important element when considering the preservation of the cells. The sun emits UV light, which leads to fading. The best line of defense against fading is glass with a UV-filter. Tru Vue makes a glass called Museum Glass which they claim blocks up to 99% of UV light and is nearly reflection-free. This glass would make the ideal display for the cells because of its superior protection against UV light and because the anti-reflection coatings would allow for a better view of the cells when they are between two panes. More information about the glass and the distributor finder can be found on the Tru Vue website. 

The Backlight
Lighting the cells is also very important so that the cells are easily viewable in the frame and the lighting is even and consistent across the entire pane of glass. The most energy-efficient option for the backlight is also the safest. LED light sources emit low amounts of UV light. LED lights can also be found in many styles; the best style for creating an even spread of light behind the cells, while still fitting within a small space behind the glass panes is an adhesive LED light strip. LED light strips can be found in normal widths or narrower widths. Depending on the framing choice, a narrower width, such as this,  may be ideal.

Mounting the light strip behind the rear pane of glass facing inward (not toward the cells, not away from the cells) should provide decent distribution of light. However, the distribution of the light can be further improved by adding reflectors and diffusers behinds the pane. Behind the rear pane of glass, mount a thin sheet of polystyrene (thickness depends on the brightness of the lights). This piece will serve as the diffuser, allowing the light to spread more evenly on the pane at the rear, illuminating the cells better. The second piece of polystyrene should be mounted on the opposite side of the LED light strip so that the light strip is enclosed between the polystyrene sheets. The rear-most polystyrene piece should help to reflect light toward the rear pane of glass, further illuminating the cells. Polystyrene can be purchased from most craft stores, model shops, or online. I have had success using Plastruct polystyrene sheets in other applications and would certainly recommend starting there. Amazon carries a variety of the sheets, including 0.75mm and 1mm sheets. Just be sure to consider the dimensions of the sheets and the dimensions of your glass before purchasing. You may need to find a size that better matches your glass pane. 

​The Frame
Concealing the light source and light distribution materials should help to create a more aesthetically-pleasing display. A frame should match your style. It doesn't quite matter how you want your frame to look, but I think there are a couple different options depending on how simplistic you want to be. 

Option 1: Clips
This option would be perfect for anyone wanting a simpler, cleaner look. Depending on the thickness of the glass panes used (Tru Vue Museum Glass is 2.5mm thick), you can use glass clips to secure the panes together. A glass clip that fits 5mm thick glass is ideal. I found an online parts distributor that sells glass clips fitting all sorts of thicknesses of glass. These can be secured to a shelf easily and hold glass with a thickness of 5mm to 8mm. Be sure to account for the dimensions of the clips when considering this method; you definitely do not want to have the clips covering your cells. To conceal the light source, consider using brackets extending from the clips, or building polystyrene sides to cover the inner elements of the light source.  

Option 2: Wooden Frame
For those who desire a more finished, picture-frame style, constructing or purchasing a picture frame could be the better method. Given that Tru Vue Museum Glass can be purchased in nearly any size, finding a pane that fits nicely into a standard picture frame would be easily accomplished. If the dimensions you are looking for are not standard, there are certainly many options to have a custom picture frame built for you. An added benefit of the picture frame is that you might be able to secure the backlight and diffuser within the frame itself, thereby concealing any wiring, light strips, or other unpleasant elements. 

Q3. How do you clean your cells?

Cleaning the film cells is sometimes necessary, particularly when they have adhesive on them or are touched. My recommendation is to use a 99% rubbing alcohol solution with non-abrasive, lint-free wipes. 

It is important to use a 99% rubbing alcohol solution to avoid streaking on your film cells. The less water in the solution, the better.

Aztek Optical Wipes are the perfect solution for wiping contaminated cells, especially if you plan on scanning your cells, as they can also be used to safely wipe the scanner glass. These also come in handy when wet scanning. 

Q4. How do you scan your cells?

If you're looking to scan your film cells, the first thing you need to know is that a document scanner will not work. Document scanners utilize only one scanning surface to reflect light off of a document and capture that image, not far different from a camera. 

In order to capture your film cells how they are meant to be viewed, you will need a film scanner. Some film scanners double as document scanners, possessing a removable reflective document mat. Removing the reflective document mat reveals the upper scanner glass element. Combined with the lower glass element, the two scanner halves work together to shine light and capture images through the transparent film, as opposed to reflecting light off a surface, like a traditional document scanner. 

Although I have not used any designated film scanners, I strongly recommend the Epson Perfection line of scanners. If you need a dual purpose scanner, this line will do an excellent job of both tasks. I personally have used the Epson Perfection V600 document/film scanner to scan thousands of film cells. This is an entry-level film scanner, but it produces great results. After years of using this scanner, I upgraded to the Epson Perfection V850 Pro scanner to get even better high resolution scans of my entire collection. Both scanners worked well, but if you’re not looking to save money, definitely splurge and get the V850 Pro.

Q5. What is your favorite cell that you own?

This is a nearly impossible question to answer. Instead of choosing just one, I’ll choose 10. Most likely my favorites will change with time and new additions to my collection, but these are definitely some of my favorites.