Cross Processing Reversal Film

[Sean Conaty]

I've been told about this technique called Cross-Processing where you develop reversal film as you would a negative.

 

1 - could someone give me a summary of what effect this achieves?

- I saw it used in Lee's "Summer of Sam" (photographed by Ellen Kuras) and want to use it for a very stylized scene in my film

 

2 - I want to shoot a test roll using this technique. Could someone give me some advice on things to keep in mind while shooting a test roll. I'm somewhat in the dark on this one...

 

-Sean

[John Pytlak RIP]

I've been told about this technique called Cross-Processing where you develop reversal film as you would a negative.

 

1 - could someone give me a summary of what effect this achieves?

- I saw it used in Lee's "Summer of Sam" (photographed by Ellen Kuras) and want to use it for a very stylized scene in my film

 

2 - I want to shoot a test roll using this technique.  Could someone give me some advice on things to keep in mind while shooting a test roll.  I'm somewhat in the dark on this one...

 

-Sean

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Generally, you get a "negative" without the orange colored masking, that is high in contrast, and has contrast mismatch that gives a different, somewhat unrealistic saturated color palette. Since processing reversal films in the ECN-2 process is NOT a standard process for the film, you need to work closely with your lab and colorist to achieve the "look" you want. Labs that offer the service often can show demos of previous work. If the lab does not modify the process with an added stabilizer, the dyes in some reversal films will fade rapidly after this non-standard processing, so you will need to transfer or print the original quickly. Here are some links:

 

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5200.shtml

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newslett...ktachrome.shtml

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newslett...2002/home.shtml

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newslett...2004/case.shtml

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products...1.4.4.6.4&lc=en

[Sean Conaty]

Thanks for the help. i was just wondering if it works on Black and white film or if it only works on color.

[John Pytlak RIP]

Thanks for the help.  i was just wondering if it works on Black and white film or if it only works on color.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Silver-image B&W film put through a color process will come out of the machine with NO IMAGE --- the silver halide and silver are removed by the bleach and fixer, and there are no dye-forming couplers in the film.

[Sean Conaty]

sorry to be a stickler, and thank you so much for your help.

 

last question:

would it be possible to process the black and white reversal as a black and white negative (not the color) or is there no effect whatsoever?

[Dominic Case]

You can certainly process b/w reversal stock as negative or vice versa. However, apart from a slight change in speed, there isn't any significant effect or value in doing it - unless you can only get reversal stock and you want a negative).

 

THe point of colour cross-processing is to get weird, excessively contrasty and overstaurated colours: it's a distinctive, unrealistic look. B/W isn't affected in ths eame way beacuse there are no colours!