reversal stock

[Ravi Walia]

Hi I was reading back issue of AC(november) 2005,the article is about DOMINO(DP Daniel Mindel). He talks about using reversal stock,cross process it and then follow it by DI. I quite like the stylised look that they got and someday would like to use it.I know that reversal stock has limited lattitude compare to negitive film(specially in highlights).Has somebody used reversal stock and cross process it, if yes what do you think are do's and do`nts of it?

[David Mullen ASC]

I've shot 5285 Ektachrome 100D and cross-processed it. The contrast is extremely high -- shadows go black quickly and highlights can overexpose quickly. Colors are not accurate -- often golds go green. While some people say that you should underexpose it by a stop when cross-processing, I preferred rating it normally and letting some highlights get hot. But you really need to add a lot of fill light if you want shadow detail.

 

It's a somewhat uncontrollable effect.

[Ravi Walia]

I've shot 5285 Ektachrome 100D and cross-processed it. The contrast is extremely high -- shadows go black quickly and highlights can overexpose quickly. Colors are not accurate -- often golds go green. While some people say that you should underexpose it by a stop when cross-processing, I preferred rating it normally and letting some highlights get hot. But you really need to add a lot of fill light if you want shadow detail.

 

It's a somewhat uncontrollable effect.

thanks David for your reply.As long as incosistancy is not from shot to shot but scene to scene, it can be managed if you have di option.Can this look be achived using negitive stock and going di?

[David Mullen ASC]

It's pretty hard to control even within a scene, but nobody shoots cross-processed reversal for consistency anyway, but for whacky color accidents.

 

You can simulate it digitally with color neg, perhaps pushed for more contrast, but it won't be quite the same. You can also just develop the color reversal normally and then pump it up further digitally.

[Brian Drysdale]

It's pretty hard to control even within a scene, but nobody shoots cross-processed reversal for consistency anyway, but for whacky color accidents.

 

You can simulate it digitally with color neg, perhaps pushed for more contrast, but it won't be quite the same. You can also just develop the color reversal normally and then pump it up further digitally.

 

I cross processed some 7240 a few years ago. The look in the video rushes was very different to that on the final 35mm blow up about 6 months later. I learnt later that cross processed reversal is pretty unstable. However, it didn't matter so far as the story was concerned, it worked out since it was supposed to be a nasty flashback.

Edited January 31, 2006 by Brian Drysdale

[David Mullen ASC]

I cross processed some 7240 a few years ago. The look in the video rushes was very different to that on the final 35mm blow up about 6 months later. I learnt later that cross processed reversal is pretty unstable. However, it didn't matter so far as the story was concerned, it worked out since it was supposed to be a nasty flashback.

 

The old VNF Ektachromes were not stable if developed in ECN2, but I don't think it's a problem with the new E6 Ektachrome 5285.