Home Movies (Jan-Dec 1948)

HERE'S ALL that's needed to tint those black-and-white titles to any desired color: a dime package of dye, some water, a thermometer and a pan. PROGRESS of the dyeing can be checked by inspecting the film. If it hasn't achieved a deep enough tone, just put it back in. Color For Film Titles A dime package of ordinary clothing dye is all that's needed to give the desired hue to blackand-white titles, and anyone can do the tinting. By MICHAEL BLAKE l^lOLORFUL titles add much to the I interest of any home movie, and it’s ^Jeasy to literally put the color into them. It’s so simple that even the most inexperienced neophite can do it effectively. All that’s necessary is to use positive film with a colored base, which, when finished, gives colored letters on a black background. Like any other positive film, this is easily developed and finished at home. Actually, however, it isn’t even necessary to use colored base film; ordinary clothing dye, available for a few cents at almost any ten-cent store, grocery or drug store, will enable the home movie maker to do his own title coloring, with an almost unlimited choice of hue. Such dyeing, or tinting, is easily done after the film has been exposed and developed. The film is first thoroughly washed to insure that no trace of hypo remains to cause streaks. A brief soaking of dry film to soften the gelatin may be necessary. The dye is dissolved in water — preferably distilled, although tap water in most localities is suitable for the purpose. Unless a good quality dye that will dissolve completely in lukewarm water is used, it’s better to boil the water while adding the dye. Inasmuch as the film color will depend upon the length of time the film is imrnersed, the quantity of dye is not important. A few tests will indicate how long the film should be kept in the solution to obtain the desired color. Temperature of the solution should be 65° F. Put in the film and watch the action of the dye. When the color desired is obtained, remove the film, wash it thoroughly in fresh water and hang it up to dry. If the color is too light, it can always be increased by soaking the film again and re-immersing it in the dye bath. This method is not confined to positive films, although they usually give best results. Reversal films, thoroughly pre-soaked in water before being put into the dye bath, frequently show good results, although streaking is more apt to occur than with positive film. This tinting process isn't confined to titles, but can be used for any scene in which a single color other than black is desired. Dark green dye adds tremendously to the beauty of moonlight scenes, and red makes fire pictures look alive and real. Another film coloring method is toning, which differs from tinting in that it colors the black portions of the film while leaving the white portions unaffected. Tinting, as indicated, colors the white portions which leaves the dark areas black. Toning, a chemical process, bleaches out the black areas and colors them with the desired hue. Toning solutions can be obtained from dealers or made at home from formulas available from the film manufacturers. There are several varieties of toning solutions, some requiring only one liquid and others using two or three baths. Most commonly used are the two-solution toners, in which the first bath bleaches out most of the image and the second bath restores it in color. An example of the two-solution toner is the following, which gives the popular sepia tone: Solution A: Potassium Ferricyanide 1 oz. Potassium Bromide Zz oz. Water to make 32 oz. Solution B: Sodium Sulfide, fused 1 3 grains Water to make 3 2 oz. Wash the film thoroughly in plain water and bleach it in Solution A until all trace of the black image has disappeared. Wash in running water for five minutes. Then place it in Solution B until it is completely toned and all action of the toner has stopped. Wash 10 to 15 minutes in running water, then hang up to dry. A few drops of hypo added to Solution B will improve the transparent quality of the film. Tinting and toning can be combined for two-color scenes. It is best to use a tinted base positive film, as some dyes are effected by certain toning formulas and may streak or blotch. A few tests will indicate whether dye and toning solution can be used together in each case. The two-color effects achieved by tinting and toning can closely resemble Kodachrome work. Inasmuch as tinting tends to darken film, it is wise to under-develop it slightly. Toning, with a tendency to lighten film, calls for slight over-devel• Continued on Page 409