# Blackmail chiche of "getting the negatives back" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 27, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackmail-chiche-of-getting-the-negatives-back/504493 "2009-07-27T23:19:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackmail-chiche-of-getting-the-negatives-back/504493/21 "2009-07-28T03:51:56Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > In countless stories about blackmail, the victim is shown the prints of their misdeeds caught on camera and told it will cost them to get the negatives (the original developed film from the camera). Actually, now that I think of it, does this ever happen in fiction? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. Usually, the blackmailer will keep demanding money forever, and never offer to give away the negatives at any price. In such fiction a victim will hire a P.I. or The A Team, and pay them to recover the negatives. ---
**Author:** ![Bisected8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@Bisected8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bisected8)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackmail-chiche-of-getting-the-negatives-back/504493/22 "2009-07-28T12:34:15Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > Imagine that the interneg film that you are using increases contrast. So, you get a contrasty print; then you take a picture of that photo with this same contrasty film. This only increases the contrast in the second generation. and so-on, and so-on. Imagine using a crappy xerox machine to make a copy of a copy of a copy. Everything is hard copy. Without those newfangled slider bars for Brightness, Contrast and Gamma, you’ve got nothing. > > Another way to illustrate this is Hollywood. Try watching the scenes where people are driving in the movie **Psyco**. It’s completely obvious that they are in a mock-up of a car, jiggling around in front of a movie screen. If you are caught up in the movie, you may not notice this. If someone was using that as evidence to blackmail you, it’s easy for even an untrained eye to spot the fakery. This is with a big budget, Alfred Hitchcock film. Imagine how much more obvious the fakes would be from someone trying to turn out fakes in their basement. > > You punk kids have gotten soft with your technology; now, _get off my lawn_! Oh, but I think you’ll find that this recently discovered medievil photgraph proves that it is in fact _my_ lawn. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackmail-chiche-of-getting-the-negatives-back/504493.md?page=1)