Scanning positive prints/dailies

[Alec Moeller]

Hi,

I have a question regarding a specific look that I’ve never quite been able to pin down. I’ve surmised it to be a result of scanning a printed positive. The look I’m referring to can be seen in the bonus materials of both The Master (2012) and Inherent Vice (2014). It’s mostly noticeable in night interiors, dense, crunchy blacks, and ghostly, halated highlights. The other films that I’ve noticed this quality in have been older, and it would make sense if a negative was not available for restoration, and instead a print was scanned. A DP buddy of mine had told me in the past that you can’t really scan a print because “there’s no information,” but I’m wondering if that’s what’s contributing to the quality of this look I’m referring to. I recently read an interview with DP Marcell Rev where he states that they tried scanning positive prints as a test for the Euphoria season 2 look. Wondering if I can get some input here on what I think I’m seeing. Has anyone scanned a print before, and does it have a specific quality?

Providing some links for reference:

(Doris sitting on stairs)

(house party stuff at 1:00)

https://www.lecinemaclub.com/now-showing/entretanto/

(house party stuff)

Best,

[Robert Houllahan]

Some of this could be Interpositives being scanned as they have much more detail and latitude.

That said you can scan a print and they can look great especially 35mm prints, the look is just more baked in.

[Alec Moeller]

13 minutes ago, Robert Houllahan said:

Some of this could be Interpositives being scanned as they have much more detail and latitude.

That said you can scan a print and they can look great especially 35mm prints, the look is just more baked in.

Cool, thanks so much for your response. Yeah I was wondering if it was something like an interpositive considering PTA still works in a photochemical post workflow/film dailies.

[Robert Houllahan]

I was just scanning a 35mm feature IP today, they are interesting as they have allot of the final look in there but still need to be timed shot to shot. And they have excellent range and resolution while still being a positive image.

[Alec Moeller]

30 minutes ago, Robert Houllahan said:

I was just scanning a 35mm feature IP today, they are interesting as they have allot of the final look in there but still need to be timed shot to shot. And they have excellent range and resolution while still being a positive image.

Does that mean that you’re timing with printer lights? sounds like you’re in the process of creating a show print the old school way… or am I wrong?

[Robert Houllahan]

On 5/17/2024 at 1:17 AM, Alec Moeller said:

Does that mean that you’re timing with printer lights? sounds like you’re in the process of creating a show print the old school way… or am I wrong?

No I was just scanning the IP for a client, they will have to do the rest of the pot work, I just scanned it so no shots were clipped either in the shadows or hilites.

I have done full restorations on films from the IP I did one for Sergei Bodrov on his film "The Prisoner of the Mountains" for which I went to Chicago and retrieved the IP from MGM's Iron mountain archive and did a 4K scan and then a scene to scene shot matching using the battered print I had and the DVD to make it look like new. Pretty easy to finish grade the IP to match the print.