Huge Roll of 35mm Film

Inspired but not satisfied by Photojojo's Gigantic Roll of Film, I set out to make a huge roll of film that would be more than just a container. In this Instructable, we will be making a huge blank roll of film (that is also a container) that allows you to pull out and reinsert the "film" with ease, so get creative with it!

• large container - I used a Tang can. Protien shake containers work perfect too!
• yellow contact paper
• black construction paper 
• 9in. long plastic cylinder
• spray paint caps (at least one needs to be black)

not pictured:

• duct tape
• black electrical tape
• x-acto knife, scissors, or a razor

Optional: (skip to step 7 to see why)

• photographs
• paint
• other things you'd like to use to customize this roll of film to make it your own!

Let's start off by cutting 6 black sheets into 7.5 x 12in. The 6th sheet will be the end of your "film" roll, so use an actual roll of film or the attached photo for reference when you're cutting the curve.

* If you have a roll of construction paper, this step will be a lot easier for you. I only had sheets of black construction paper at the time, so I had to manually attach them together.

Connect the pieces of paper together using black electrical tape and laminate it. 

** You can take it to a Fed Ex Kinko's and get it laminated for $3 and some pocket change. 

Remove everything attached to your container, cut about a 3mm wide line down the can, and cut a hole in the top cap that's big enough for one of the spray paint caps to fit in.

Cut a 8x17in. sheet of yellow contact paper and attach it around the can, making sure to bend in the remaining edges of the contact paper into the slit we just made.

After making the cut, test out your "film" by rolling it up and placing it inside the can. Make sure the tip of your film comes out of the slit from the inside, and you should be able to slide the paper in and out of the canister with ease.

Now's the somewhat tedious part: cutting out the sprocket holes. Using an X-Acto knife or a razor, cut out 1.25 x 1.5 inch rectangles along the top and bottom of your "film", spacing them each out by about half an inch.

Once you're done cutting out the sprocket holes, grab the 9 inch plastic cylinder rod and duct tape it to the flat end of your film roll. Make sure the excess space of the cylinder is on top of the roll. See photos for further detailing. 

We are already halfway done completing the spool, and we haven't even started this step. Isn't it awesome saving time?!

Grab the two spray paint caps and take a razor, scissors, or an X-acto knife to it. Cut a little opening down both caps, which will allow the film to stay in place while sliding in and out of the can.

Attach the caps to the top and bottom of your rolled up film while making sure the slits and sprocket holes are aligned correctly; just like shooting with real film! (don't forget to keep the black one on top)

Place a 1x1 in. piece of double sided tape or a rolled up piece of tape directly in the middle of the can. Place the spool directly on top of the tape, making sure the slit in the cap is lined up with the slit in the can. I removed the spool in the first few photos inside of the can so you can see how they should be correctly lined up.

Here's your chance to get creative! The roll of film has already been made; now all it needs is your ideas.

Add some photos, create your own brand of film, or just simply keep it the way it is. Whatever it is, it'll be awesome!

Once finished, place the "roll of film" inside of the Tang can, making sure the end tip is coming out through the slit we made earlier.

There you have it, your own personal roll of film!