The Hanoi
Cinémathèque
presents
Five
Innovations
that shaped
Cinema
Five Innovations
That Shaped Cinema
1. The Invention of Motion Pictures
2. The Introduction of Sound
3. The Development of Color Cinematography
4. The WideScreen Revolution
5. Computer Generated Imagery
Five Innovations
That Shaped Cinema
Innovation # 3
The Development of
Color
Cinematography
by
Mario Beguiristain, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Film
Miami Dade College
This presentation would not have been possible
without the graphic material and research
provided by
Martin Hart
Curator and Publisher
The American WideScreen Museum
www.widescreenmuseum.com
CG
The
Development of
Color
Cinematography
 Hand tinting of prints at the start of the 20th Century
 Principles of Color Photography:
Splitting the Light Spectrum
Additive Processes
Subtractive Processes
 Two-Color Technicolor: (Phantom of the Opera” and “Kid Millions”)
Three-Strip Technicolor (“The Technicolor Story”)
 Introduction of mono-pack negative film by Eastman Kodak in 1952
 Color Preservation: The Fading of mono-packed negatives and prints
 Color Experimentation: Use of Filters (“South Pacific”)
 Desaturation for “period” effect (“Once Upon a Time in America”)
 Desaturation for stylistic effect (“Playtime”)
 Oversaturation (“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”)
 Psychological use of color (“Juliet of the Spirits”)
 Psychological use of color (“Kwaidan”)
Precursors of Color Cinematography:
Hand Tinting of B&W Prints
This example of Pathé Color, circa 1905,
illustrates how film makers "mass produced"
hand colored films.
The left image is a print of the film with portions
cut out to use as a stencil for a print to be placed
beneath it. A separate stencil film was used for
each color. Each and every frame had to be cut
in this way.
Hand coloring evolved to a fairly high level
of sophistication, as can be seen in this frame
from The Last Days of Pompeii produced in
Italy in 1926.
Hand coloring of films continued into the
early 1930's, even while continually better
methods of photographing in "natural" color
were being developed.
Principles of Color:
Splitting the Light Spectrum
When white light passes through a prism, the light is diffracted and split into the seven colors
of the rainbow.
When this light strikes an object, part of it is reflected. It is this reflected light that we perceive
as the color of that object. A red apple absorbs all the colors of the spectrum EXCEPT red,
which is the color it reflects. That’s why it appears to us as red.
In order to work with color, the spectrum must be split and then re-constituted. There are two ways
of doing this, depending on the media:
1. The Additive Process
2. The Subtractive Process
Principles of Color:
Additive Color Process
The Additive Color Process is used when mixing lights, as opposed to mixing paints or inks.
Its three primary colors are Red, Green and Blue (RGB) which come together to form White.
Precursors of Color Cinematography:
Subtractive Color Process
The Subtractive Color Process is used when mixing paints or inks, as opposed to mixing lights.
Its three primary colors are Yellow, Cyan and Magenta (YCM) which come together to form Black.
Precursors of Color Cinematography:
Additive Color Film Processes
In the Additive Color Processes, the color elements are separate black and white images printed
consecutively on the same film strip. These images are then overlapped and combined through
color filters into one image on the screen. Additive systems required special projectors to combine
the two B&W images into one in color.
B&W record
of Green
information
B&W record
of Red
information
Combined
Color
as projected
on the screen
Colcim Color (1916)
Kinemacolor (1912)
Busch System (1930)
Additive Color Processes:
Kinemacolor
Kinemacolor was developed in England by ex-patriot American Charles Urban and his British partner
C. Albert Smith. It was a moderate success in the early 20th century and made millions in Europe but
was completely stymied in the U.S. due to the Patent Trust, an organization of film producers that
worked desperately to prevent outsiders from making an inroad in the film business.
The frame above is from the successful British documentary color film The Delhi Durbar (1912)
which recorded the Indian celebrations of the coronation of King George V.
Precursors of Color Cinematography:
Additive Color Process Projection
Additive systems required special projectors to combine the two B&W images into one in color.
Seen above left is a Kinemacolor camera with the rotating red/green color filter. Center, is the Kinemacolor
projector. At right is a close-up of the projector, which, like the other illustration, does not show the lamphouse.
Precursors of Color Cinematography:
Additive Color Processes
In the Additive Color Processes, the color elements are
separate black and white images printed consecutibely
on the same film strip.
These images are then overlapped and combined through
color filters into one image on the screen. Additive systems
required special projectors to combine the B&W images
and produce color.
Biocolor (1912)
Stained Frame Prints
Stained frame printing eliminated the need for a rotating
color filter in processes that used sequential color exposures.
Biocolor, a system dating back to 1912, used a photographic
system quite similar to Kinemacolor. The prints were then
alternately stained with red and green dyes. More conventional,
and less complex, projectors could be used
Precursors of Color Cinematography:
Subtractive Color Processes
Subtractive color processes proved far more practical to exhibit
than were additive systems. This is because standard projectors
could be used to show the films which had only one composite
color record for each frame. Color films, in other words, could be
handled exactly the same way that black & white films could.
Two Color Kodachrome (1915)
The First Successful Subtractive Color Process
This process had no relationship to Eastman Kodak's marvelous
single film color reversal process that was unveiled in 1935.
Like all other processes at the time, it recorded its color records on
separate frames, using a camera carrying two negatives. These two
negatives were printed on either side of a single 35mm film which
had an emulsion on both sides.
The film was then chemically treated to create a blue/green image
on one side and a red/orange image on the other. Color accuracy,
like any two color system, was compromised, but the results
were pleasant.
Subtractive Color Processes:
Technicolor System 2 (1922-1927)
When Technicolor adopted the subtractive color process, that
made all the difference. Additive systems used a black and white
image projected through color filters, resulting in loss of the
light absorbed by the filters.
Subtractive systems, however, carry the color information
in the image itself, with no need for inefficient filters and the
registration is as good as the maker can put it on the film in
the first place. Subtractive projection also has the ability to
reproduce colors a bit more accurately.
Negative with split “up
& down” color records.
Technicolor System 2:
“The Phantom of the Opera” (1925)
Carl Laemmle’s production was a lavish undertaking and one of the
most successful American silent films ever made.
The Technicolor Masked Ball sequence showed off the process to
a wide and appreciative audience.
Technicolor System 2:
“Kid Millions” (1925)
With the coming of sound, vaudeville star
Eddie Cantor signed a multi-million dollar
contract with producer Sam Goldwyn, who
put him in a series of lavish, yet stage-bound
motion pictures.
“Kid Millions” and its Technicolor “Ice-Cream
Dream” production number gives us a seldom
seen color look at a period we know mostly
through black & white films.
Subtractive Color Processes:
3-Strip
Technicolor
(1935-1953)
Finally, perfection arrives!
British Cinematographer Jack Cardiff with a 3-Strip
Technicolor camera in its sound-proof “blimp.”
Subtractive Color Processes:
3-Strip
Technicolor
(1935-1953)
At Right:
First 3-Strip Technicolor short:
“La Cucaracha” MGM (1934)
At Left:
First 3-Strip Technicolor feature:
“Becky Sharp” MGM (1935)
Directed by Rouben Mamoulian
…and now:
“The Technicolor Story”
A New Era Begins:
Introduction of “Mono-Pack” films
by Eastman Kodak
1935
KODACHROME Film was introduced and became the first commercially successful
amateur color film initially in 16 mm for motion pictures. Eastman Kodak’s most faderesistant stock, manufactured only for amateur 16mm and 8mm cameras.
1950
EASTMAN Color Negative film, 5247. 35mm. Daylight. First Kodak incorporated-colorcoupler camera negative film. Replaced by 5248 in 1952.
EASTMAN Color Print film, 5381. 35mm Incorporated color-coupler print film for printing
from color negative, 5247. Replaced by 5382 (nitrate for acetate base) in 1953.
1952
Kodak received an Oscar for the development of EASTMAN Color Negative and Color
Print films, introduced in 1950.
Conversion from Nitrate to Safety Base is completed. No more Nitrate.
1953
Technicolor is virtually discontinued for photographing motion pictures. But the printing
part of the process continues due to its lower cost in making theatrical prints.
However, this proved to be the arrival of a Trojan Horse…
Color Preservation:
The Fading of Eastman Color
Negatives and Prints
By the early 1960s, it became apparent that
Eastman’s color negative and print film stock
was fading with time.
In the 1980s, Martin Scorsese spearheaded
a campaign addressing the problem of color fading
in motion picture films. The campaign stimulated
public support for film preservation.
In 1994, while producing the documentary "Trinity
and Beyond," Peter Kuran developed a straight
forward and very effective method of restoring the
color to faded motion picture color negatives he
called "RCI" for Restored Color Image® process.
The RCI® process has been awarded an Academy
Award for 2002 by the Scientific and Technical
Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences for its revolutionary approach to
this problem.
However, the 3-Strip Technicolor “IB” printing
process has proven to be the most fade-resistant
color system ever.
Unfortunately, it was discontinued in the early 1970’s.
Coustesy of RCI® Process, licensed by VCE
to Cinetech
Color Experimentation:
Use of Sliding Color Filters
South Pacific (1959)
CAST: Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi, Ray Walston,
France Nuyen, John Kerr, Juanita Hall, Tom Laughlin;
DIRECTED BY: Joshua Logan
Logan and DP Leon Shamroy were looking for a “theatrical”
effect that would highlight the film’s musical numbers with
color lighting, as it was done for the play on Broadway. But
color lights on bright tropical locations didn’t come through
at all.
They chanced it by using sliding color filters in front of the
camera--an experiment which left the audiences baffled at
the time.
Years later, when the film was being prepared for DVD release,
lab technicians worked very hard to eliminate these effects,
attributing them to color fading! They had to go back and
“un-correct” the transfer when they were corrected by those
who remembered the original film.
Color Experimentation:
Desaturation and warm color
shifting for a “Period” effect
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
CAST: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern,
Treat Williams, Tuesday Weld, Burt Young, Joe Pesci,
Danny Aiello, Darlanne Fluegel, Jennifer Connelly
DIRECTED BY: Sergio Leone
This technique of draining color from the scene and giving
it an overall golden hue has become the conventional look
for films set in the past or that evoke memories.
It all probably comes from the look of faded sepia photographs
found in someone’s trunk--yet, how many of us have actually
seen that kind of picture? Or is that that’s the way we tend to
see in our brain the memories from our past?
Color Experimentation:
Desaturation for a “Stylish” Effect
Playtime (1971)
CAST: Jacques Tati, Barbara Dennek, Rita Maiden,
France Rumilly, France Delahalle
DIRECTED BY: Jacques Tati
Tati’s brilliant satire on Mid-Century Modernism pokes
fun at the style’s palette, as well as its architecture and
emphasis on minimalist sameness.
Color Experimentation:
Oversaturation for a “Stylish” Effect
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
CAST: Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon,
Marc Michel, Ellen Farner, Mireille Perrey;
DIRECTED BY: Jacques Demy
This romantic fable of love found
and lost is set in the boutiques and
apartments of a dream-like Cherbourg
in which every color is coordinated
and saturated to the Nth degree.
One gets the feeling that if one were
to enter that world not wearing
the right color scheme, one could
be arrested by the color police.
Demy’s world is not intended to be
taken as real, but sometimes his
choices seem a bit too precious,
too rich and too distracting; proving
that even the hand brandishing the
color wand, can go too far.
Color Experimentation:
Psychological use of color
Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
CAST: Giulietta Masina, Valentina Cortese, Sylva Koscina,
Mario Pisu, Sandra Milo, Caterina Boratto, Valeska Gert
DIRECTED BY: Federico Fellini
In his first color film, Fellini lays it on thick--especially when
it comes to the symbolic and psychological uses of color.
Notice how Juliet’s every mood is reflected, conveyed or
telegraphed by her color choices in wardrobe.
Color Experimentation:
Psychological use of color
to sustain a mood of
supernatural horror
Kwaidan (1964)
CAST: Michiyo Aratama, Rentaro Mikuni,
Katsuo Nakamura, Keiko Kishi, Tatsuya Nakadai,
DIRECTED BY: Masaki Kobayashi
The Development of
Color
Cinematography
The End
The Hanoi Cinémathèque