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Identifying 35mm
Films
By
Brian R Pritchard
© 2011
START
Is the image
Black and White?
To identify Formats go to Page 33
To identify Formats go to Page 33
NO
Go to Page 10
Go to Page 10
Meaning of Symbols
Meaning of Symbols
YES
Go to Page 2
Go to Page 2
Version 3.2 Jan 2013
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Black and White
START
Is Image
Positive
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Return to Start
Go to Page 9
Go to Page 9
NO
Go to Page 3
Go to Page 3
NO
YES
Go to Page 15
Does it have
clear perforation
area
YES
To check
perforations
Does the film
have edge numbers
in black and
neg perforations
Go to Page 5
Go to Page 5
NO
YES
Go to Page 13
Go to Page 13
NO
Is the
perforation
area black
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
YES
Go to Page 4
Go to Page 4
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Return to Start
Return to Start
Black and White Positive
Is there
picture only?
NO
Is there
sound only?
Go to Page 30
Go to Page 30
YES
YES
NO
Does it occupy
the complete
area between
the perforations?
Is there more
than one image
per frame?
NO
Combined Print
NO
YES
YES
Mute Print
Silent Print
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Go to Page 26
Go to Page 26
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Go to Page 21 for further identification
Go to Page 21 for further identification
Black and White Reversal Positive
Is there
picture only?
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Return to Start
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NO
Is there
sound only?
YES
Sound Print
YES
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Does it occupy
the complete
area between
the perforations?
YES
NO
NO
For further
information
on Reversal
prints
Go to Page 34
Silent Reversal Print
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Combined Reversal Print
If the maximum density is low
and the print reads through
the base it could be a direct
positve print. Used to make
'slash dupes' and dubbing prints
From cutting copies
Mute Reversal Print
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Duplicating Positives
Is the base
Lavender or Blue
NO
YES
Note printed
through (White)
Edge numbers
From
original negative
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Lavender Fine Grain
Duplicating Positive
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Fine Grain
Duplicating Positive
Positive Sound Tracks
Is the track
Variable Area
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Go to Page 7
Go to Page 7
NO
Negative tracks are black
where the positive are white
and white where they are black
YES
Twin Bilateral Negative track
Twin Unilateral
Single Bilateral
Unilateral Negative with shutter
noise reduction
Dolby encoded Stereo
Bilateral Multi-hump
Class B Push-Pull
Photophone
Leevers-Rich Twin Unilateral
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Twin Bilateral with centre septum
noise reduction
Visatone
Class A Push-Pull
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Sound Tracks
Is the track
Variable Density
NO
Go to Page 8
Go to Page 8
Twin Squeezed
Variable Density
YES
Variable Density
Variable Density on tinted
stock
Gasparcolor Variable
Density
Technicolor Variable
Density
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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Return to Start
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Digital Tracks
SDDS Digital Track
Control Track
Analogue Dolby Stereo
Dolby Digital
SDDS Digital Track
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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B/W Negative
Does it have
picture only?
NO
YES
Does it occupy
the complete
area between
the perforations?
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Return to Start
Does it have
Picture and Sound?
Sound Negative
NO
YES
Combined Negative
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Is there more
than
one image in
a frame?
NO
YES
YES
Go to Page 26
Go to Page 26
Silent Negative
NO
Mute Negative
Go to Page 23 for further identification
Go to Page 23 for further identification
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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Colour
Is Image
Positive
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Return to Start
Go to Page 11
Go to Page 11
NO
YES
Does it have
Clear Perforation
Area
YES
Go to Page 24
Go to Page 24
Go to Page 18
Go to Page 18
NO
NO
Is the
Perforation
area Black
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
YES
Go to Page 27
Go to Page 27
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11
Return to Start
Return to Start
Is the
Perforation
area Black?
NO
YES
Is the
Perforation
area Orange?
YES
Does it have
a sound track?
NO
Does it have
a sound track?
NO
YES
Colour Negative
YES
Colour Reversal
Intermediate
NO
Go to Page 17
Go to Page 17
Positive stock
used
as a leader when
making a colour
negative
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Combined
colour Internegative
Colour Positive
Is there
picture only?
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NO
Is there
sound only?
YES
Sound Print
YES
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
NO
Does it occupy
the complete
area between
the perforations?
NO
Combined Print
Go to Page 14 for identitication using soundtrack
Go to Page 14 for identitication using soundtrack
Go to Page 20 for identifying two colour systems
Go to Page 20 for identifying two colour systems
YES
Silent Print
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Mute Print
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Perforation Area Coloured
Image goes
from colour
to black
NO
Are the darkest
densities coloured?
YES
Tinted Print
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Tinted and
Toned Print
Image goes
from colour
of tint
(perforation area)
to colour of
tone (densest areas)
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Identification using sound tracks
Is the sound track
and any edge
printing
Black and White?
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Technicolor
Print
YES
NO
Is the track
black or
dark blue?
NO
YES
Is the track
Neutral/Brown?
NO
Likely to be a non-substantive
colour system; possibly
Gasparcolor, Dufaycolor
or a two colour system
Such as Cinecolor
YES
Colour print
Eastman, Agfa
Fuji
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Colour print
Orwo or Sovcolor
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Perforations
Neg
or
BH Perforations
Pos
or
KS Perforations
DH Perforations
Early Perforations
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Return to Start
Return to Start
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Cinemascope
Pathe
or
CS Perforations
Perforations
Return to Start
Return to Start
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Note
Blue Track
and Pink
Perforations
Check
For
Reseau
Dufaycolor Print
Cinecolor
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
The Dufaycolor reseau
is a series of crossed
red, green and blue lines
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Can you see
a reseau?
NO
YES
Dufaycolor Negative
Note the base
is clear. This sample
the image has
faded to magenta
Unmasked Negative
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Enlargement
of the reseau
The Dufaycolor reseau
is a series of crossed
red, green and blue lines
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Colour Interpos
Is the image
in colour?
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Go to Page 13
Go to Page 13
NO
YES
Go to Page 15
Go to Page 15
to
check perforations
Does it have
original black
edge numbers and
neg perforations?
YES
Colour Interpositive
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
NO
Go to Page 16
Go to Page 16
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Legend
Decision Box
Advice for
further Identification
Additional Information
About the illustrations
Hyperlink to
Hyperlink
to
return
to start
return to start
Film Type Identified
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Return to Start
Return to Start
Hyperlink
Hyperlink
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Two Colour Systems using tones (dye and metallic)
Duplex
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Technicolor (2 colour)
Look for traces
of the two colours
around the frame
or in and around
the perforations
Technicolor (2 colour)
Dascolor
Check also for
duplex films –
those with emulsion
on both sides
Cinecolor
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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Further Identification of B/W Positives
Are adjacent
frames identical?
NO
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YES
Are there two or three
rolls that are identical
but with density
differences for
the colours?
Look for differences
in densities of
things such as trees
or here, the colour
of the parrot
YES
Separation Positives
Go to Page 22 for further identification
Go to Page 22 for further identification
NO
Go to Page 29
Go to Page 29
Kinemacolor
21
Friese-Green
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Lee-Turner 3 Colour
Separation Positives
Do they have
Technicolor
CMY Logos?
NO
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Return to Start
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Separation Positives
YES
Red Green and Blue Separation Positives
Technicolor
Protection Masters
Are the
separations
of normal
density?
NO
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
If the matrices have been
used there will be traces of
Yellow, Cyan and Magenta
dye left in the emulsion
YES
Technicolor
RGB Matrices
Further Identification of B/W Negatives
Are adjacent
frames identical?
NO
Return to Start
Return to Start
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YES
Are there two or three
rolls that are identical
but with density
differences for
the colours?
Look for differences
in densities of
things such as trees
or here, the colour
of the parrot
Separation Negatives
YES
NO
Go to Page 25 for further identification
Go to Page 25 for further identification
Note the density differences
between the frames and
that alternate frames
are inverted. Also because
the frames are shot in pairs
the different framelines
Go to Page 31
Go to Page 31
Check page 25
if the negative
might be an
orphan
Separation
negative
Kinemacolor
2 colour sequential
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Lee-Turner
3 Colour Sequential
Technicolor system
2 colour red and green
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Toned Prints
Is the image
in colour?
(Is there more
than 1 colour?)
NO
YES
Go to Page 12
Go to Page 12
Edge printing,
Stock manufacturer
for example,
will also be the same
colour
Toning can either
be metallic
or dye toned
Toned Print
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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Return to Start
Return to Start
B/W Separation Negatives
YES
Do you have
three records?
NO
Look for information on the leader
that might identify for example
a red separation negative.
YES
Are there ink edge
numbers in the track
Area?
25
Technicolor Three Strip
Camera Negatives
Technicolor three strip camera
negatives have an ink edge number
printed in the sound track area
and the red record will read
through the emulsion, the blue
and green through the base
NO
Separation Negatives
Note the ink edge numbers printed in the track area
also that the numbers from the red separation
(the sample on the left) are reading the other way round,
this separation reads through the emulsion.
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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Mutiple Images
Are the images identical?
YES
Are the perforations
for another format?
NO
YES
NO
Stereo (3D) Images
Francitacolor
Horst
Early two and three colour systems
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Multiple printing formats
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Colour Reversal Systems
Film has emulsion on
both sides, track
is usually red
Gasparcolor
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Traditional
colour reversal
Anscochrome, Kodachrome.
Ektachrome Gevachrome,
Agfachrome
Look for the reseau
Look for edge printing
to identify manufacturer
Dufaychrome
The Dufaycolor reseau
is a series of crossed
red, green and blue lines
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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Return to Start
Return to Start
Is there only one set
of edge numbers?
The original negative
will have one set of
edge numbers and
will be dark on a
clear background
YES
Original Negative
NO
Duplicate Negative
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
The edge numbers will
be dark from the
original negative and
white from the interpos
and dark on the duplicate
negative
28
29
Return to Start
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Can you see moulded
lines on the base and
does the print read
through the base?
NO
Does it appear
to be very thin and
blueish by reflection?
NO
Can you see
scan lines in the
Image?
YES
YES
YES
Go to Page 31
Go to Page 31
NO
Normal B/W positive
but check with page 22
in case it is an orphan
separation positive
Go to Page 22
Go to Page 22
Viscalar Film
Lenticular Colour Print
Viscalar Film is a
non-silver base process
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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Is there
sound on
both sides>
NO
YES
Double-sided
Sound Print
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Sound Print
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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Return to Start
Return to Start
Is there
Sound?
Tele-recordings are
also called Kinescope
recordings
YES
NO
Mute Tele-recording Print
Note the frame
showing the
scan lines
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
31
Combined Tele-recording Print
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Return to Start
Return to Start
Is there
Sound?
YES
NO
32
Combined Tele-recording Neg
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Go to Page 6 for Sound track Identification
Mute Tele-recording Neg
Tele-recordings
are also called
Kinescope
recordings
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Note the sample
which shows
a scene change in
a tele-recording
35mm Formats
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Silent or Full frame
Technirama
Vistavision
Academy
Techniscope
Cinerama
Superscope
Three projectors were used
To show the three images
Side by side
Wide screen
Cinemascope
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
Return to Start
Return to Start
Notes on Black and White Reversal Prints
IMPORTANT!
The Sigma printer, unlike most printers, prints the area between the
perforations. This makes the print appear to be reversal. Look for
white original edge print (i.e. KODAK Safety Film) to confirm it as a
reversal print or find black original edge print to verify it is a positive
print. If the reversal print has been made from a normal print or a
duplicating positive then the print through of the stock edge print
from those stocks will be black on white.
If the film stock is polyester then it is very unlikely that the film is
B/W reversal there have not been any reversal processes in this
country since the 70's; before polyester stocks were introduced.
If you can find an area that has not been exposed then if it is normal
positive it will be white or black if it is reversal.
Return to Page 4
Return to Page 4
Copyright © Brian Pritchard 2011
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