02/24/2026
Trivia Tuesday: The Reel Deal 🎞️
Test your knowledge of film history and the physical craft of movie-making. Answers below—but give it a try first!
1. Before digital editing, editors physically cut and spliced film using a device named after a small, furry animal. What was this tool called?
2. In archival terms, what is the name for the first-generation, camera-original film stock—the most vital and fragile element in a film's lifecycle?
3. Which legendary 1933 film, stored in archives like ours, was the first to feature a fully original, feature-length Hollywood score?
4. What is the common archivist's term for the gradual chemical decay of early film stock that can lead to a vinegar-like smell and eventual dusting?
Answers:
1. A Moviola.
2. The Original Camera Negative (OCN).
3. King Kong (composer: Max Steiner).
4. Vinegar Syndrome.