Push Processing Kodak 7218 and 7279

[Gavin Peach]

Hi

 

I am preparing a shoot where I want to create a colourful and dream like aura around my images.

 

After reading an article on 'Eyes Wide Shut' in 'American Cinematographer' (Oct. 1999). I was interested in Larry Smith's description of how he push processed Kodak 500T 35mm stock to make the highlights blow out and help create a dream like image.

 

I am interested in this above practice as I love the look of the picture and would be interested if anyone has any suggestions on using this technique on Super 16mm with 7218 and 7279 stock. I'm particulary interested in how much grain you would get using this process on this stock and in any colour bias's this may cause.

 

+How much extra would push processing cost? and are there any alternative methods to achieving a similar effect?

 

Thanks

 

Gavin

[Guest fstop]

I think you must consider how Smith lit the scenes more than the actual pushing itself- on super16 you are gonna get really grainy on 500T, and your telecine is gonna have to be quite good on top of this. Didn't Smith use lots of compensatory fill and a ton of photographically bumped up practicals? From what I remember of the behind the scenes stuff, it wasn't particularly low light photography.

 

I think you could get a dream like aura a lot more simply through overexposing through filtration and nets, or by pushing a SLOWER film, if you can afford it. You'll certainly get more colour.

[Gavin Peach]

Thanks for your help

 

Yeah Smith did use compesatory fill and bumped up practicals (christmas lights) etc. The push process was used more to achieve a specific look than to facilitate low light levels. In order to make the lights appear much brighter and to flare out.

 

He also used a Tiffen Low contrast filter on night time interiors. Im thinking of maybe using a pro mist to make the highlights flare out as another alternative.

 

If anyone has any other suggestions they would be much appreciated

 

Thank you

[Nitin Sagar]

i have shot 7218 xtensivly in the last one year....it is tailor made for digital post..on the other hand, even it is handeled optically it is not at all "grainy"...emulsion is made of grain.... it all depends on what format you are finally going to project?

[Jarin Blaschke]

I have a similar question regarding a shoot I mentioned in the "35 only" forum. It seems that out of necessity (night exterior anamorphic shoot) I might need to rate my film at about 640. I'm fanatic about having a rich negative, so I thought a push 1 with 5218 should be the best option. Am I in danger of losing much shadow detail this way, or does '18 still have the latitude to handle it? Would pushing '29 be much better at retaining those vast dark areas? How does the grain compare with those two options? It also seems that many prefer pushing the new stocks as opposed to just shooting '89. Thoughts? Thanks.

 

 

Jarin

[Nitin Sagar]

bingo..just go ahead and shoot........'18 will stand by u

[John Pytlak RIP]

Generally, if you are trying to hold rich blacks while forced to underexpose, the "normal" contrast stocks like 5218 are a better choice than the lower contrast 5229. A "Push-1" ECN-2 process will increase contrast and granularity, and print to a "richer" black, but will not really get much more shadow detail. For EI640, using 5229 with a "Push-1" might be worth trying, as the push process will yield a contrast close to "normal" 5218. But expect a bit more grain.