Standard Gauge is both a history of its maker, Morgan Fisher, and a history of its medium, film. Fisher, a professional editor, presents selections from his collection of film scraps-film as the public experiences it, from La Chinoise to The Student Nurses, but also "invisible" film, usually seen only by those who work behind the scenes (lab technicians, editors and projectionists). Fisher's collage is unique in that it does not create a whole out of the parts, but rather each piece is appreciated separately, for itself and for the memories it triggers. In Fisher's accompanying voice-over, there is always a story behind the story, whether it be the economics behind the development of Technicolor, a demystification of CinemaScope, or an aesthetic appreciation of the "film before film," the projectionist's leader. Even the question of what is standard gauge is given a twist, since Fisher's autobiographical portrait is in 16mm, the gauge of independent and home movies, but is an exploration of 35mm images, the gauge of commercial film.