Dirk DeJonghe

If printing from color negative to positive, you need 6 printer points to compensate 1 stop on the negative, if printing to reversal or intermediate, it would be 12 points as Dennis pointed out.

An Intermediate Positive is the step between the Original Color Negative and the Duplicate Negative. Color Intermediate Stock is used. Its qualities are a very long straight middle portion of the HD curve, very fine grain and high sharpness and a gamma close to 1.0. In the color process, the same stock is used for both IP and DN. From one IP many DNs can be made and from each DN many thousands of prints could be made. During the 1980s there was also a Color Reversal Intermediate stock which was processed in a modified ME4/ECO3 type of process but with much higher agitation. Using this stock, you could make a copy negative in one step instead of two. Just today I received an old 35mm B&W negative where the original timing sheets were still in the cans. It is a simple list of numbers with a value of 1 to 4 next to it, the nitrate negatives (Pathé Vincennes with a few feet of Kodak) were notched. So the printer operator would follow the chart and preposition the printer to the next aperture (1 to 4), the notch in the film would trigger the exact change to the new setting; Later this system was improved with a 35mm black paper tape in which holes of various sizes were puched according to the amount of light needed on the shot. After the introduction of color, initially gelatin filters were glued to the punched 35mm paper tape. All these systems were substractive color. In the 1960s Bell and Howell perfected the additive lighthouse where three light valves modulate white light that is split into the three primary colors RGB by dichroic filters and after modulation recombined into colored light by mirrors. A punched paper tape was used to control the three light valves with values from 0 to 50. One step is about 1/6 of a stop or 0.025D. Initially notches or metal foil was used on the film to trigger light changes but later Frame Count Cueing was used making changes much easier. I will write more about the way the film grader works later if anyone is interested.

May I suggest that you read 'The Negative' by Ansel Adams. All your questions will be answered and much more.

You will have two timecodes for working, the continuous editing timecode from start to finish of the reel (01:00:00:00 equals Reel 1 etc) and the Aatoncode that will be the reference for audio sync. If working with a Minima, the Minima can be the masterclock and jamsync to the portable timecode generator; If you can lay your hands on an Aaton OriginC+ masterclock, this would be better because it has a temperature compensated crystal oscillator same as the camera. This will allow you to jamsync only once per 6 hours. Obviously the Cantar-X audio recorder from Aaton has the same clock built-in. Avid can handle Aatoncode quite easily, I would have to check for Premiere and Final Cut. We were one of the pioneers with Aatoncode (3rd installation in the world), my own Minima is now starting a feature film (cinema vérité style). Contact us for much more details regarding postproduction from negative processing to DCP, 35mm filmout or HD files.

We still offer telecine with Aatoncode readout. We have many customers from Nordic states. We arrange FedEx pickup at your door.

It looks like an emulsion scratch (the top layer is the blue layer). Could be the loop in the camera being way too large, or a problem in a processing machine (only if sprocket drive). Did you hear any unusual noise during the shoot?

David, skip bleach on the negative will give you blocked highlights. I agree that a properly exposed and graded 50D would give the closest result to Kodachrome but with more saturation and shadow detail. Modern lenses are also partially responsible for this look.

The picture negative and the sound optical negative are two different items, not related to each other until printed to the same print stock on the final positive print. So no matter how much you push or pull the picture negative, it has no relationship to the optical sound quality. Sound negatives are made on special B&W high contrast stock such as ST9D, very sharp and very fine grain but no straight portion on the sensitometric curve. They are made with a controlled amount of overexposure (image spread) so that the print can also be made with controlled overexposure to get the desired density on the soundtrack (positive image spread that compensates the image spread in the negative). For more information see: Crossmodulation distortion testing. B&W prints are silver based and do not require sound track application, 35mm color prints are made with dye tracks these days, 16mm color prints still require applicated (redeveloped) sound tracks (silver+ dye).

As noted by Simon, the replenisher solution has more CD3, less bromide than the machine tank. Without looking at the other components, processing in replenisher would result in higher activity because of too high CD3 and pH, and too high fog level because of too low bromide level. Probably a lot more grain and saturation too.

Today the choices are 5222 (but for how long?) and Orwo stocks; There used to be a 4-X negative too but long gone. Both 35mm and 16mm Double-X give excellent period style results. We did a film noir '13 Tzameti' shot on Double-X that won a prize at Sundance a few years ago, shot on Anamorphic 35mm B&W.

Never run negative on any editing table. Get a film workprint or a telecine transfer with embedded keykode if you want to conform and print the negative in optimal conditions later. Most film students are amazed when they see the full quality of a projected S16 print and we even have a school that makes a direct blow-up from S16 to 35mm once a year to show.

If you are watching the clip on an Apple computer monitor and not a real video monitor, you will need to adjust the gamma of your output. Some computer monitors have a different gamma than required for video and they show the blacks too bright causing very noisy dark greys instead of blacks.

We use about one can of film cement per year. Kodak insists on selling us 10 cans per order because of hazmat shipping they say. Somewhere I have the Agfa formula for film cement and there are many online too.

You don't need Kodak to make film cement, several formulas are online.

Be sure to rewind the film stock twice, in order to keep the Keykode number on the proper edge of the film and ascending.

I have worked on a film, part home processed, that won a prize in Venice. However, the home processing is part of the look that the artist wants and there were some sections processed by a commercial lab (us). The difference is night and day. If you want the home processed look, go for it. If you want consistent quality, with good agitation (impossible to achieve in hand processing for longer footage), precise gamma and density, look no further than your pro lab. In the end it will be cheaper too. Concentrate on the creative parts of filmmaking instead.

Hi Dom, It will cover S16 at some focal lengths but no all; if I remember it would cover from 25mm onwards. if you want I can mount it on my camera and check. Compared to the current modern zooms it is much more yellow, nice to create a mid 1970ies look.

For sale: Aaton mounted Contax fixed lenses. Excellent condition. Worldwide shipping at cost. Price: 2000€ OBO for the set, plus VAT if applicable. Dirk DeJonghe (send PM)

Rare Angenieux R16 high speed zoom lens. Will fit NPR or ACL, Aaton with Cameflex to Aaton adapter not included. Very good condition, in original case. Make offer, will ship worldwide at cost. Dirk DeJonghe (via PM)

Compared to color negative stock, the B&W Orwo stock has considerably more grain. If you like that look, fine, if you don't I suggest color negative 50D and desaturate in post. Doing a 1.78 letterbox from standard 16 is not going to help the grain issue.

Having worked with a Marconi B3410 telecine for 22 years, I know it is sensitive to adhesive residue on the back side of the film. In those days, a lot of television was shot on 16mm colour reversal, edited on Steenbeck and the film with many tape splices put on telecine. If the film was kept in a hot location, the tape would 'bleed' and adhesive would be all over. Every time this adhesive unstuck on the feed side reel, you would get some wave effect since the smooth passage of the film over the line-array CCDs was disturbed. Even the modern Shadow telecine I have now is not entirely free from this problem.

Black acetate leader for negative cutting needs two essential properties: 1. It needs to be very black. Kodak leader is dyed in the mass, scratches will not show. 2. The perforations need to be short pitch. Kodak is best, no processing needed, very good perforation pitch, not sensitive to handling. If unavailable Orwo stock is made specially for black leader, needs exposing and processing, more expensive and sensitive to handling scratches.

Stuart, If you read my post again, that is exactly what I am saying.

Ansel Adams 'The Negative' is invaluable for serious understanding of how film works. Of course you will work with fixed development gammas in MP color, but in B&W you can process to lower/higher gammas. Use his empirical film testing procedure in Appendix A to test the sensitivity of your camera/lens/exposuremeter/stock/processing combination. This will tell you the -4 stops reference point (black with detail). After a keylight test (using the sensitivity you just found) you will know the falloff point of your highlights. After that, practice, practice, practice, did I say practice? His advice is: "expose for the shadows, let the highlights fall".

If you don't mind uploading it to my ftp site, PM me and I will create an account and password. We can all learn from this.