International photographer (Jan-Dec 1935)

Eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, 1935 Flashes From the Color-Front By William Langton Prager {As Told to H. O. Stechan) 1p5§H§ljEVER have the hills of Hollywood been more ^,\3[s colorful to the eye than this Spring. In fact, » -'^H thev seem to reflect the general color conscious SsBbPk ness ()f Hollywood itself, which is here to sta\ for many months, if I am not mistaken ; for, of a certainty, Hollywood film production has become colorconscious in a "big way," all of a sudden, one might say. At this writing, every major studio is waiting breathlessly to see what is going to happen to the efforts of one pioneering color organization, in bringing a colorfeature of rational magnitude to the screen, within a fortnight. It is really a pregnant moment in the history of this great industry, so fraught with surprises. As I view it, the future of color depends largely upon the public's reception of this color-opus. If and when Mr. and Mrs. John W. Public acclaim the forthcoming picture a masterpiece and the press sings its praises, then watch the fun. Every major producing unit is almost certain to announce immediately an all-color feature program, in an effort to out-rival its competitors and the color-cycle will be on in full swing. Then, as was asked in a precious discussion entitled, "Color Cinematographv," appearing in THE INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER for February, 1935: just how will the demand for color production be met? Well, nobody knows for sure. But there is no harm in attempting to predict a thing or two, based on a possible or reasonable "out." Right here, I want to say that I still stand by my "color-cannon," that additive color (black and white images projected through filters) is not in such practical shape at present as to be applied successfully to this end, for reasons previously proved. Regarding the demand for color camera equipment and the color negative stock for the same, it may interest those who are not yet informed, that a bi-pack stock of very flexible texture — 1/3000 of an inch thickness — which has been sealed together on the sprocket-edges, previous to perforation, and of a super-color sensitivity is about to break on the market. It is the product of a local concern and can be used in any camera whatsoever, without the need of a special registration-pin or pressureplate insulation. This negative stock seems destined to be used extensively in time ; but I anticipate its adoption by color newsreel, travelogue and commercial film producers in the beginning. Then, there is another bi-pack negative, for which patents have been granted recently, where the filterelement is carried on the face of the panchromatic stock, giving added latitude to the registration of color values. All in all, it promises to be a colorful Spring; for California never had more to entice color production. The great and beautiful outdoors will come into its own once more, as the primary cause for the motion picture industry's very existence within California's borders— at any rate, the atmosphere is tax-exempt. Therefore, I honestly believe that, if producers will give less thought to state politics and focus their attention on solving actual film-producing problems, we will again see a lot more of the beauty of California on the screen pressions facing the industry. Color is going to do that very thing. It is as natural for the screen to go in for color, as it was for it to become articulate. We do not live in a silent world, or one of duo-tone images. Everything in it is dominated by the colors of the rainbow. To reproduce that world, its colors must be reproduced. Effective as black-and-white photography has been, it lacks much of the beauty of our environment. Having mastered most of the other technical aspects of cinematography, it is time now to conquer the colorproblem. None will deny that the talkies enlarged the screen's appeal immeasurably over the silents ; and there is no good reason to question that color-movies will not exert much the same influence — once they are perfected practically — as compared with black-and-white photograph). Color is logically the next step forward for the motion picture industry, with the stereoscopic screen stepping right on its heels. Producers across the Atlantic are taking up the matter of color seriously. The Kinematograph Weekly ( London) gave considerable space recently to a subtractive process called Gasparcolor. It is claimed for this system that the film can be processed by practical, normal methods. "The stock is coated with three layers of colored emulsion," according to the publication. "On one side is blue-green, on the other side pink on the top and yellow beneath it. The blue-green layer is sensitized to blue light only and the pink layer to blue light also ; the underlying layer of yellow is sensitized to red light. "By printing successively, or in some conditions simultaneously, with the appropriate printing lights, namely, blue and red, one can print these three layers independently of each other. Owing to the fact that that part of the emulsion exposed to light, namely, the area in which we shall get developed silver, is that part where the dye is going to be de-colorized in subsequent processes, there is a reversal of the image, so it becomes necessary to print Gasparcolor from a positive transparency, not from a negative. This presents obvious advantages in threecolor printing. Balancing, for instance, can be done before printing." The chemistry of the process is not revealed. Concerning the sound-track, this is printed with white light in an ordinary sound-printer, on the pink side of the film. For shooting Gasparcolor, a special camera has been built. It is equipped with registering pins. The consecutive frames of a single film are exposed through a disk filter. Thus far its use has been limited to advertising films and cartoons. No feature production has vet been made with it. Coming back to the matter of color on the screen, as with everything: The proof of the pudding is in the eating. No one knows how many different color systems have been devised ; but it may be said that there are literally hundreds of them — and more \et to come. In (Turn to Page 27) in the coming season and hear much less about the op Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.