Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1916)

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NATURAL COLOR CINEMATOGRAPHY By William V. D. Kelley On several occasions upon being attracted to a theatre where color motion pictures were advertised we were disappointed upon finding them to be black and white hand-colored films. There is, therefore, a rather small difference, in words, between the films that I have started out to discuss and the other films with a similar name. Color motion pictures may be said to be the usual type of black and white value films arbitrarily colored with dyes by means of stencils or hand work and painted to suit the individual taste. Natural color motion pictures for the moment and until a more distinctive description is given to the title, may be understood as being those photographed so that the colors are selected entirely by optical and mechanical means and reproduced again in a like manner. It is this type of film that I am to discuss with you. The subject is a massive one and as I have not the time this year to go into details as to the modus operandi of each of the steps involved, this paper is simply an attempt to introduce the subject broadly with the hope that the several other color workers in our Society, and the many members, not immediately concerned but who have shown that they are intensely interested in the subject, may continue the work at subsequent proceedings of the Society. Standards A successful commercial film in natural colors should meet our Society's standard in one respect: Film Speed. — A film movement of 60 feet per minute through motion picture mechanisms shall be considered as standard speed. (Standards adopted S. M. P. E.) Other standards already listed and which help to make for advancement in this color field: ia) Frame Line. (Standards adopted S. M. P. E.) (b) Perforations. (Standards adopted S. M. P. E.) Projection Probably all projectors in use today throughout the world are designed to operate at a film speed of 60 feet a minute with but small latitude for satisfactory operation at higher speeds. In order to enjoy to the fullest a commercial success and to give to the greatest number the enjoyment that color lends to so many subjects, we must first meet this requirement and produce a film capable of giving its best on these machines. Such films may be combined with the black and white subjects; joined, cut, assembled and in general behave so that the projectionist customarily handling film can use them without special instruction or training. Commercial positive films are those in which each image area is substantially complete as to color rendering. The colors are in the film in the form of dyes, metals or other color compounds. The black and 38