International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1954)

VOLUME XXIX JANUARY 1954 NUMBER 1 1954 Seen as Biggest Year for Color Wide screen and 3-D systems need color to eliminate graininess and enhance entertainment values. This article covers the Eastman and Technicolor processes and discusses some projection and theatre lighting problems. By JAMES MORRIS DURING the year just past an important change has been taking place in the art of motion picture production, a change which has not received sufficient attention even from craftsmen within the industry because 3-D and CinemaScope have monopolized the limelight. Partly because the new processes require color to maintain their effects of depth and realism, and also because Hollywood is generally making greater use of its technical resources in order to lure lost customers back into the theatre, about 75 percent of all films now planned or in production at the major studios are in color. This, of course, is exclusive of black-and-white films for television. This estimate was made by Nick Tronolone, formerly president of Pathe Laboratories and now an independent consultant on motion pictures. Co/or is Needed "Use of color has been increasing at from 5 to 10 percent per year in the last five years with a big spurt during 1953," he said, "and its use will continue to grow." An interesting point with regard to color and the new processes is the fact that the technical nature of wide screen projection, whether it is accomplished by the CinemaScope system or merely by altering aperture plates and using a shorter focal-length lens, needs color to overcome the grainy effect resulting when 35-mm prints are blown up to giant screen sizes. This is in addition to the fact that color is needed for realism. Situation Complicated For the present at least, the color situation in Hollywood is complicated because the standard Technicolor "dye imbibition" method of printing cannot as yet be used to advantage on film photographed through a CinemaScope anamorphic lens. This and other events of the past year have brought increasing popularity to the new Eastman Color which can be used as a complete camera and printing system, or in combination with Technicolor or other color processes. Ansco Color, a single-film, triple-emulsion color process, as is Eastman Color, has also been achieving wider usage. Eastman Color has grown in popularity despite the fact that it is a more expensive process than Technicolor. At present if costs about $585 for a CinemaScope release print processed by Technicolor on Eastman Color film. Were Technicolor able to use its standard process on CinemaScope film, the cost would drop to $448 per print. However, the saving that Technicolor makes possible is true principally of heavy volume print orders. Eastman Color is the process used in filming such CinemaScope productions as "The Robe," "How to Marry a Millionaire," "Beneath the Twelve Mile Reef," "Knights of the Round Table," and other pictures. Because of the increasing importance of color, projectionists may be interested in a general description of the Technicolor and Eastman Color processes and how they function. Projection Problems But, since the projectionist works in a theatre, he is primarily concerned with the technical problems of putting on a good show with th^ product received from Hollywood. If color is to become all-important in the motion picture business, the first question to consider is what procedures should be followed in the theatre if the best color projection is to be achieved. Technicolor, which has had a great many years experience in the processing of color motion pictures, has dis INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST • JANUARY 1954