positive to negative using computer software

[Assaf Hayut]

This was post earlier in the wrong forum so I copy paste it here. Apologize for mass publishing this.

 

Hello,

 

I'm in the process of shooting a short film (20-25 min).

I've started shooting on dbl-x which gives great results. I'm funding the project alone and I'll have about an hour if not more of film so obviously the costs of process, print and telecine scare me to death.

 

I'm working with premier to edit the film and I know that the 'Invert' function transforms the negs into pos. I have done it a couple of times but since I don't have a film telecined on both neg and pos I can't really compare.

 

Can anyone tell me if inverting the film on computer drastically damages the quality, and can anyone give me some technical advises about improving the invertion (if possible? I also have access to final cut, would that do any better? Does anyone have any online examples of film inverted using software?

 

Though I'm trying to keep low costs quality is important to me.

 

Thanks for your time, again.

 

Assaf

[Will Montgomery]

How are you actually transferring the film to video? Any transfer house should provide you positive video files (or on tape.)

[Assaf Hayut]

How are you actually transferring the film to video? Any transfer house should provide you positive video files (or on tape.)

 

I plan to send the film to Andec film in germany. I think they use scanning.Do you mean that as part of the scanning process the film is reversed?? (apologies for ignorance)

[John Sprung]

Do you mean that as part of the scanning process the film is reversed?

 

Yes, almost always. If you want a negative image, that would be a special order, but easy to do.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Assaf Hayut]

Yes, almost always. If you want a negative image, that would be a special order, but easy to do.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

 

many thanks.

another question- hopefully someone will pick up on it- i was led to understand that a scan of negative to negative will have more latitude and allow me more freedom in image correction on computer than scanning to positive. though it sounds reasonable i'm just checking if someone here had experience with it and can confirm it.

thanks again.

[John Sprung]

No, there's no latitude advantage to having a negative electronic image. The only thing that matters is what you do with color correction during the transfer. If you're going to do a subsequent electronic timing, you want to preserve as much dynamic range as you can.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Pavan Deep]

What version of Premiere are you using? What format of film are you using?

 

I use an older version Premiere Pro 1.5 and often convert negative to positive using kodak Super 8 and Super 16 film and the quality is very good. I know the newer versions of Premiere have a filter called cineon which is supposed to be good for color correcting, but I haven't tried this feature.

 

If you are wanting a positive image from the negative film then after you invert you must open the levels in effects and reduce the blue and you might have to inrease the red and green you have to pl;ay around.

 

Pav

[Will Montgomery]

If you plan on doing major color correction yourself you should ask for files on hard drive as uncompressed as possible. That will get you more information to work with when actually coloring it.

 

I would suggest finding a telecine house in the UK and actually being there for the transfer. You'll learn a ton, more valuable than film school and probably less money. Most colorists love to explain their craft (if you're not annoying) and their experience can help you understand the process. Much of their work is counter-intuitive and often these online video tutorials on what to do are no where near what a pro colorist actually does.