New Improvement to the Bluescreen Process

[David Mullen ASC]

You have to factor in that there were recording sync-sound, so any old 2-strip or 3-strip technology would require huge blimps, not to mention being stuck with a very low working ASA from filtering b&w stocks, plus having to use non-reflexed cameras. It's not like these movies have extra days added in the schedule to accomodate such limitations.

 

Personally, I would have done it the way they did, using digital technology and modern sync-sound cameras. No modern director or DP is going to put up with lighting interior sets to 10 ASA or working with giant blimps on non-reflexed cameras -- has little to do with a lack of bravery and more to do with being practical. Not to mention that all of this work still has to end up on color internegative stock for making release prints.

 

No, I didn't think the 3-strip effect was convincing, partly because it wasn't art directed and lit for that look, but the 2-strip effect was very striking and unusual, something you hadn't seen before in modern movies.

 

Clearly it wasn't the intent of the director and DP to be completely accurate to the period or else why shoot for a scope release print? It should have been in Academy 1.37. It was a hybrid approach.

 

And Robert Richardson was one of the first people to use a hand-cranked camera for shots in a modern movie ("Nixon") so it's not like he's a timid soul. Look at "JFK" which mixes Super-8, 16mm color reversal, b&w, and 35mm anamorphic all in one movie. I'm sure he thought long and hard about the most practical way of accomplishing what Scorsese wanted while accomodating Scorsese's shooting style.