COLOURING FILMS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1923, Page 20

COLOURING FILMS

HOW TINTING AND TONING

IS DONE

INTERESTING SIDELIGHTS ON

GREAT INDUSTRY

To satisfy a number of inquiries concerning what happens to a film after the director has finished "shooting" it, the "New York Times" has obtaining from Irving Stolzer, manager of the Universal Fort Lee Laboratories, information that may satisfy many of those who have wondered ho*, a film is developed, how it is dried, and how night scenes are made Wue and fire scenes red, and those depicting dawn a sort of pink. "First, two films are sent to me from Universal City, California, where the picture has been made," says Mr. Stolzer. "One is the precious negative, and the other a positive, with which to compare its sequencee. - The operator not only matches the two films, but also compares them at the same time with the director's continuity, to be certain that nothing is missing. Then the negative is divided according to the colours to be made in the positive print. The black and white film goes by itself, so also the amber, the blue and whatever colour is to be used to tone or tint certain sequences;

The majority of the film is, of course, to be printed black and white; this is divided into lengths of about 400 feet and wound into roles. This is because the printing machine takes this length more eaeily. The surface of the celluloid side of the negative is then cleaned to remove all dust and tiny specks of dart —which would reproduce in the positive greatly magnified—and is taken to the ' timing <i\»m.■', ■ There it goes into the hands of an expert, who marks' on" a continuity^ sheet the best eiposur* time for the different scenes or sequences, according to the density of "..the, negative. There are eighteen degrees of exposure and the film is notched on the edge when-1 ever the girl at the printing machine must make a change. ■ ■'„'- NEGATIVE DENSITY. "Armed with this continuity of light changes, the operator takes a card divided into columns and little round circles, and punches out, these circles, making them holes, under, the column head represented by the degree of light desired. Thus, if lie wants four degrees of exposure on the first,bit of film, he punches'on the top line in the fourth column. In this manner, for every, notch on the negative film denoting that there mußt be change in the degree 'of exposure, he punches out in the light continuity chart a corresponding hole, beginning with the first line and going down- as far as the thirty-ninth; line if necessary. ' - . "This automatic light change chart is sent down to the printing room, where a' row of operators sit at. machines, which in genera" lines somewhat suggest linotypes. The entire room' is lighted only by-the red lights on these machines. The chart is attached to a metal frame full of holes, by means. of metal pegs, which; fit through the cardboard into corresponding holes. The bar which operates this .machine' just touches the' top of the first peg in the top line. The strip.'of negative film is fitted in the machine face to face with an equal length of-positive raw film a-ndi in such a manner that the first, little picture is framed in a little glass look-out, and the machiney ; started'■'.-:in - ■ operation,-..sends both strips of -film ,downward. 'When the notched, sections-reaches a certain button,/,-it, pushes it; out and .this lets tne metal arm.drop down against thesecond peg,in ;the automatic light change chart, which nieans that -another -degree of exposure is now in operation for the coming length':of film.' V"' ' "When the entire.roll of film has been printed,; it looks, exactly,'the % yay it did in its.raw state; somewhat on the order of secret writing. Thegecretimavks' must be brought out, and this is done' by means of a bath of developing fluid Then when the film shows it has been developed long enough, it is put in a liquid known as a short-stop to arrest the process of developing. Next, it is immersed in^ the hypo to fix'it permanently and clearly, and, last of all, it is whirled.through a batli, of. cold water, bpread out on drums • after this", it is' allowed to dry. : " "The film is then assembled according to the story. The scenes which have', been photographed on coloured film are 1 spliced, in by an extraordinarily efficient machine. This joins, them neatly and -rapidly'without aiiy of- the rough edges so much dreaded on account of the friction,. which, sometimes ■■ -causes' fire, but always makes the celluloid break and the show to stop. "■ ' "The titles, sometimes very elaborate affairs by skilled'artists, are also added m their proper places according to the continuity and the film at last is a finished picture, patched arid divided into lengths of one thousand feet, \Vhieh constitutes the average'reel. Each Tee] is placed in its flat tin box and handed over to one of seven men who sit in a projection room, in order to try it out and be sure there are no scratches or errors. .... ...

This projection room differs from the ordinary room. There is no audience and there are seven : cameras all fieing ground rapidly by seven operators with one hand, while they gaze at the picture projected by their machine in mi^ature .size on a whitewashed square of wall in front of them,; .These men do nothing all day long: but run'moving ■picture films Yand watch foiy errors and only those with the keenest eyes are selected. ■ ..':.•'

: Two million feefc of; film are made in a week at our laboratories, so hands and:eyes, alike must bo quick and accurate inspecting it. -The output often ?2ot S 4 million feet a yearf and for IM6 will exceed .that amount. .

•(HAND-COLOURED SEQUENCES.

"Sometimes sequences are hand-col-oured-to get effects in dresses and so forth. This, is done by hand-painting each one of the tiny pictures, but no one nowadays touches up by hand to get a moonlight effect or, a sunlight effect; ■-This makes too uneryen an effect, and there are . seven colours of film-stock which give a.much better* effects! -The director marks the ■ one he wants-used in the printing on,tlie continuity,manuscript. •'■,.- . "■■' ■ -: ' '.'. . ■ .

"Amber film, one of the'colours used most often, gives, an -evening lighted effect for interiors. Tlie blue film is used to turn a scene shot in the daytime to a.night scene. Red ; is used for. fire scenes. Yellow for sunlight. Pink for beach scenes, dawns, sunsets. Lavender for soft effects. Green for water scenes, trees, and other similar 'shots.' ■

"Only experts are entrusted with the handling of the precious negative, which is heavily insured. :''Even 'the tiniest scratch on the negative will show on every one of the positive prints made from it, so it is easy to see what, care is: exercised. . ..'.-■. ■■.-.■ V ,

"In niost cases a simple positive is first printed and the expert' passes; his O.K. or changes the different ' degrees of exposure or 'lights' used in making it, until a perfectly smoothly developed lights, sequence is obtained. " . ■ ,"In molting films'for foreign countries, ths Unglish titlav ure cut out and

titles in the languages of the country where the picture is sent are patched in their places. An editorial staff is kept at work translating these. Sometimes two languages are-sent-out. r with one film—so that either may be used. Even the. clippings are saved. All ,the waßte 13 burned to ashes and refined for the. silver, which, is the chief ingredient in' the emulsion that -covers the side .of the film which' tak?a the printing. The hypo, in, which it has been bathed is also saved and precipitated with sulphurette. Then the water is drawn off, leaving mud, which is baked and then sent-to the refiners and sold. Out of a million feet of film waste, 750 to 800 ounces of silver are obtained. So it will be easily seen that this economy pays." .