How to Remove Remjet & Develop Cinema Film in C-41

Kodak is the world’s leading producer of colour-negative film, but not all of it is meant for still cameras.

In this guide, we’ll examine Kodak’s cinema film options, what makes them unique, how to use them in still cameras (your regular rangefinder/TLR/SLR), and how to develop them at home or in a lab.

For home development, I’ll compare two popular methods for removing the remjet layer (baking/washing soda and the official Kodak pre-bath formula). I will be using the standard C-41 process to develop the emulsion for this article and will discuss the advantages and shortcomings of using ECN-2.

In this guide: What is remjet? Films with remjet removed. Films with remjet intact. How to remove remjet at home with baking or washing soda. Removing remjet with Kodak pre-bath formula. Developing Kodak Vision 3 film in C-41. Labs that develop cinema film. Where to buy Kodak Vision 3 film? Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!

What is remjet?

A large portion of the raw film footage that comes out of the Rochester Kodak factory is destined for movie sets, where it’s fed through movie cameras at 24 frames per second (sometimes even faster).

That film often comes in large canisters of 100-1,000 feet, but the format can still be compatible with the still 35mm film cameras — it just has to be cut into strips that fit ~36 standard 1:1.5 exposures (or less) plus leader, a.k.a. bulk-loaded.

Though this (bulk-loaded) film can be safely shot in all still cameras, it can not be developed using the standard C-41 process. Kodak film for cinema cameras (Kodak Vision 3) includes a temporary layer called remjet, which will ruin the chemicals if not washed off prior to development.

Remjet is a temporary carbon-based layer added to the back of the film base to prevent static discharges, promote high-speed travel through movie camera machinery, and control halations. This layer is designed to be washed off using an alkaline solution prior to development.

Remjet can be identified as a charcoal-black compound on the back side of the emulsion. Many films will appear to have a dark backing, but the remjet layer will be darker, and the film will feel a little heavier and thicker than normal. You can also cut a piece of your film and drop it into a solution of baking or washing soda to verify: the remjet will flake off, whereas typical camera film will remain unchanged:

Films with remjet removed.

CineStill pioneered the practice of removing the remjet layer from cinema film and repackaging it for still photography with CineStill 800T. Though Kodak Vision 3 and other colour-negative films made for movie cameras use the ECN-2 process, they can be cross-processed in standard C-41 chemistry with very good results. This means that these films can be taken to regular labs and developed normally — as long as the remjet layer is removed.

As you will learn from this article and from practice, safely removing remjet from film can be tricky. It’s even more difficult to do before packaging it back into a film cartridge, which is why CineStill was the only company to do this kind of pre-processing for a long time. However, they now have competition from multiple businesses that are rebranding Kodak Vision 3 film, pre-processed by a third party. An example of such a film is Amber T800.

The advantage of using these pre-processed films is that neither you nor the lab has to worry about the remjet layer. Everything works the same way as with any modern colour-negative film.

As this film no longer has a remjet layer, it loses its anti-halation properties. This means that light can travel through the emulsion and bounce off the film pressure plate back into the emulsion (which would previously be blocked by the remjet). The film layer closest to the pressure plate is red-sensitive, which is why you will often see red halos around bright points of light in your developed images with this type of film.

All colour-negative films have anti-halation properties built in; however, Kodak cinema films compartmentalize that functionality into remjet and not the film base itself. Additionally, no anti-halation layer is perfect, and thus you may notice various levels of halation on certain films (including the black-and-white ones) — just not as significantly as on the ones with remjet removed.

There are some notable downsides to using films with remjet cleaned off prior to exposure. One is static discharges¹ that may appear on some frames when shooting in a dry climate or while advancing film quickly. They may appear as blurry red sparks and can be distracting. The halations I described above can also add a red cast to large bright areas of your image, such as overcast skies — this is usually not very noticeable, but if you want accurate colour in those situations, you may like to use another film or choose to shoot motion picture film with the remjet layer intact and remove it during processing.

¹ — CineStill 400D retains an anti-static layer despite having its remjet layer washed off, which means it’s safe from static discharges.

Films with remjet intact.

In addition to pre-processed motion picture films, you may find rolls of 35mm film with the remjet layer intact — or you may even bulk load your own. Though it may be tricky to split a standard 400’ or 1,000’ roll into the relatively tiny 135/36exp. canisters, the result often means high-quality emulsion for less.

Kodak Vision 3 films are used by cinema studios around the world. They feature some of the best colour accuracy and grain management. With the remjet layer intact, you also benefit from protection against static discharges and more accurate colours thanks to the anti-halation properties.

However, you will need to remove the remjet layer before processing this film.

How to remove remjet at home with baking or washing soda.

The remjet layer can peel during film development, contaminate the chemicals, and leave artifacts which will be hard or impossible to remove after scanning. To prevent those issues, you will need to remove the remjet before proceeding with the development steps.

ECN-2 development kits come with a formulated pre-bath for remjet removal. However, you may still develop cinema film with remjet using your standard C-41 chemistry at home. To do that, you’ll need to mix your own pre-bath, which can be as simple as baking or washing soda solution:

Mix 30g of baking or washing soda with 1L of room temperature water.

Then, pour the above solution into your development tank and agitate vigorously for one minute. Then wash with developer temperature water a few times until it runs clear.

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Once the remjet is off, develop your normally. When you’re finished with the last development step, run your fingers (gloves on) a few times across the film to remove the remainder of the remjet and rinse your film again.

⚠️ This is not the best way to the remjet layer. Though you may get clean results if you do a good job rubbing the remainder of remjet after development, your chemicals may get contaminated and you will start seeing small specs of remjet on all subsequent rolls you develop with that chemistry.

I would only suggest this method if you are in a pinch or if it’s your last batch before you retire the developer and the blix. You will need to wash your bottles thoroughly after disposal to ensure that the remaining remjet does not contaminate fresh chemicals.

Removing remjet with Kodak pre-bath formula.

The baking soda method works, but it can contaminate your chemicals and degrade the quality of your subsequent film rolls. This is why I recommend using the Kodak pre-bath formula to remove the remjet instead.

This formula is much more effective at removing remjet, and it does not require rubbing the negatives at the end of the process. Some small amounts of remjet will remain on film, which is why you should be careful when you squeegee, but it’s not as detrimental to your chemicals or the quality of your negatives.

Flic Film sells a powder kit for remjet pre-bath, which is very convenient if you don’t want to shop for those chemicals.

Once mixed, the pre-bath can be re-used for about 16 rolls of film. Here’s how it works:

The mixture must be at or slightly below 27℃/80℉ during this process. Pour it into the development tank, tap to remove bubbles, and let it stand for 10 seconds. Then, return the pre-bath into a storage container. The pre-bath should stay clear (it may get a bit of colour, but it shouldn’t have any of the remjet in it).

Then, pour 27℃/80℉ water into your tank, close it, and shake vigorously. Then drain and repeat two times.

I recommend pre-soaking and rinsing your film in cold water before the above steps.

After you’ve finished developing your film, you should also wash it in Photo Flo solution for 30 seconds while agitating before drying. This will remove the remainder of the remjet. It’s best to use distilled water with Photo Flo to avoid water spots.

The pre-bath formula is a part of ECN-2 development kits that you may get specifically for developing your Kodak Vision 3 films (they may also work with regular C-41 films). But I prefer to get it separately and develop in C-41.

Developing Kodak Vision 3 film in C-41.

Kodak Vision 3 films are designed for the ECN-2 process which yields negatives with low contrast and saturation. This is ideal for professional applications, as it gives a lot of latitude for digital editing.

Cross-processing Kodak Vision 3 films in C-41 works surprisingly well. While the images do not have the same latitude, the contrast and saturation of those films appear natural and often require only a few edits before publication.

This is my preferred method.

Labs that develop cinema film.

Analog Amsterdam has an excellent list of labs that develop Kodak Vision 3 film using either the ECN-2 or C-41.

Where to buy Kodak Vision 3 film?

Now that you know how to remove the remjet layer and develop some of the finest colour film on the market for less, you may like to consider a few options for rolling or buying pre-rolled film canisters:

If you’re willing to invest over a thousand dollars on a 400’ or 1,000’ roll plus a few hundred more on a giant bulk loader, you may try to order directly from Kodak. You can also search around for “short ends” — bits of film that movie production studios have left over after shoot that are more manageable in size and often a little cheaper. Or you can find pre-rolled Kodak Vision 3 films using the links below:

❤ By the way: Please consider making your Kodak Vision 3 film purchase using this link  so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!

I also may have a pack of Cinema Shorts: pre-rolled 50D & 250D films available at the store.