Hi
In my mind “the benefits of chemical printing” should not be question, it should be can you still get chemical print productions made.
I am the last working negative cutter in the UK.
I can cut to EDL using the OSC/r (software, dos based and not been available since 2000) and the Film Fusion software (not been available since 2006) and or work print.
Film Fusion can work with PAL 24 and 25 and NTSC in 16mm, 35 m 2 , 3 and 4 perf, but once I hang up my scissors that’s it no more negative cutting in the UK.
If fact if I had a mortgage I would not even be neg cutting now. Don’t get me wrong I had a wonderful career and made a couple of pounds along the way and worked on some great productions. But its over now, time to move on and don’t look back.
My company Professional Negative Cutting Ltd used to have 3 branches and 15 members of staff up until 2006 then negative cutting fell off a cliff.
Mike Fraser neg cutting gone, Silva Wheelers gone, The Neg Cutting Company Gone, Computermatch gone and even PNC (almost Gone) so from a probable 80 – 100 negative cutters employed in early 2000 to now there just me in the UK.
That’s the problem, Yes Chris Nolan was a negative chemical print fan, I know because I cut Batman Begins for him, but that was the last all chemical print job he was allowed to do in the UK.
Ken Loach is my last feature client on negative, but his next film may go DI or be produced aboard and I think it’s unlikely it will be chemical print finish from original cut negatives due to lack of labs that can print ungraded negatives in the UK or Europe.
When I cut Tacita Dean’s FILM project that was printed in Holland and the last one I did for her had to go the Germany for printing due to lack of facilities here in the UK. It was mixed B/W and Colour and was it cut A,B,C & D rolls
The truth is there is no longer the skills base available (Graders / printers ( men and machines) that can queue and grade an A & B negative and print it) in the few labs left.
So there is very little likelihood that a major movie would be made in Europe on chemical print finish nowadays so DI wins by default.
I know its not a directly part of this thread but it’s just to say the old ways are just that, but who knows someone may invent a new long life stable image capturing multi format friendly system called “negative” one day. LOL
Steve(at)negcut.com