COLOUR FILM LENS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 139, 13 June 1936, Page 5 (Supplement)

COLOUR FILM LENS.

SAME PRODUCTION COSTS. Maurice Velle, an unassuming and dapper little Frenchman, who may, it is thought, revolutionise the whole business of colour films, has recently been in London, trying to market a new invention. M. Velle learned his business as a cameraman many years ago under Lumiere, inventor of the cinematograph. Not long ago he gave up work in French studios in order to work on his colour invention. He persuaded a studio to make a film a few months ago to enable him to demonstrate his invention. This picture, which was made in a few days, became one of the biggest successes in Paris, where it ran for four months. Douglas Fairbanks, sen., and Anthony Asquith both saw the film in Paris and Mr. Fairbanks advised M. Velle to bring his invention to London. He has now formed a company and will shortly exhibit his colour process to British film chiefs. Where M. Voile's invention scores over other colour processes is that by means of it a colour film would cost exactly the same as a picture in black and white, instead of three, four or five times as much. This is because the secret of the colour is not in the film but in the lens of the camera and cinema projector. According to M. Velle this special lens can be fitted to any projector and will only entail the exhibitor an extra cost of about £1 per week.

Incidentally, according to the Paris Press, this new process gives the effect of natural colours as they are seen in real life, without any of the gaudiness which has made, previous attempts at colour photography seem artificial.