Glossary of NARA Film Element Acronyms

Original Negative

An Original Negative is the film element exposed in the camera. It is the first generation of an image.

• ONC (Original Negative, Composite)

  An ONC is black & white and contains a soundtrack recorded by the camera.

• ONS (Original Negative, Silent)

  An ONS is black & white and does not contain a soundtrack.

• ONT (Original Negative Track)

  An ONT is the separate optical soundtrack often associated with a camera original picture element. It may be recorded in a camera or struck from a MAG

• ONCK (Original Negative, Composite, Color)

  An ONCK is color and contains a soundtrack recorded by the camera.

• ONSK (Original Negative, Silent, Color)

  An ONSK is color and does not contain a soundtrack.

Reversal

A Reversal element is created by a film process that produces a positive image directly using two developer stages (with the exception of the CRI, which uses a similar process to create a new negative element copied from a negative image). Some types of Reversal elements are exposed in the camera (original first generation image) and others are duplicate elements.

• ORC (Original Reversal, Composite)

  An ORC is a camera-original black & white positive element that contains a soundtrack recorded by the camera.

• ORS (Original Reversal, Silent)

  An ORS is a camera-original black & white positive element that does not contain a soundtrack.

• ORCK (Original Reversal, Composite, Color)

  An ORCK is a camera-original color positive element that contains a soundtrack recorded by the camera.

• ORSK (Original Reversal, Silent, Color)

  An ORSK is a camera-original color positive element that does not contain a soundtrack.

• RCK (Reversal, Composite, Color)

  An RCK is a color positive element that contains a soundtrack.

• RSK (Reversal, Silent, Color)

  An RSK is a color positive element that does not contain a soundtrack.

• CRI (Color Reversal Intermediate)

  A CRI is a color negative element that does not contain a soundtrack.

Fine Grain

A Fine Grain is a black and white positive element made on a duplicating film stock created for film laboratory use.

• FGMC (Fine Grain Master, Composite)

  An FGMC contains an optical soundtrack.

• FGMS (Fine Grain Master, Silent)

  An FGMS does not contain a soundtrack.

• MPT (Master Positive Track)–Fine Grain

  An MPT (Fine Grain) is a separate positive soundtrack element produced from an ONT or DNT.

Duplicate Negative

A Duplicate Negative is a copy or reproduction of a black and white positive element onto a negative element.

• DNC (Duplicate Negative, Composite)

  A DNC contains an optical soundtrack.

• DNS (Duplicate Negative, Silent)

  A DNS does not contain an optical soundtrack.

• DNT (Duplicate Negative Track)

  A DNT is a soundtrack typically associated with silent picture elements which, when printed together, will produce a composite element.

Color Intermediate

An Intermediate is a copy or reproduction of a color element onto a color stock with orange masking. They may be produced from either positive or negative elements.

Internegative

An Internegative is a duplicate negative color film element printed from a positive color element.

• INCK (Internegative, Composite, Color)

  An INCK contains an optical soundtrack.

• INSK (Internegative, Silent, Color)

  An INSK does not contain a soundtrack.

Interpositive

An Interpositive is a positive film element used as an intermediate element. It is a positive image on negative film stock made from an earlier generation negative film and used for the preparation of duplicate negatives rather than for projection.

• INTPCK (Interpositive, Composite, Color)

  An INTPCK contains an optical soundtrack.

• INTPSK (Interpositive, Silent, Color)

  An INTPSK does not contain a soundtrack.

Print Film

Print Film is a positive element made by printing from negative elements, intended for exhibition.

Master Print

A Master Print is a finished, positive print made from the final, edited internegative, or original negative for distribution. NARA’s Master Prints are not projected.

• MPPC (Master Projection Print, Composite)

  An MPPC is black and white and contains a soundtrack.

• MPPS (Master Projection Print, Silent)

  An MPPS is black and white and does not contain a soundtrack.

• MPPCK (Master Projection Print, Composite, Color)

  An MPPCK is color and contains a soundtrack.

• MPPSK (Master Projection Print, Silent, Color)

  An MPPSK is color and does not contain a soundtrack.

• MPT (Master Positive Track)–Print Film

  MPT (Print Film) is a soundtrack produced on print film.

Projection Print

A Projection Print is a finished, positive print made from the final, edited internegative, or original negative, created for distribution and projection.

• PPC (Projection Print, Composite)

  A PPC is black and white and contains a soundtrack.

• PPS (Projection Print, Silent)

  A PPS is black and white and does not contain a soundtrack.

• PPCK (Projection Print, Composite, Color)

  A PPCK is color and contains a soundtrack.

• PPSK (Projection Print, Silent, Color)

  A PPSK is color and does not contain a soundtrack.

Magnetic Soundtrack

A sound format in which an analog audio signal is recorded onto a magnetic emulsion.

• MAG (Magnetic Track)

  A MAG is a sprocketed magnetic film element.