Colour film, 1927

[carllooper]

While researching effects work in Scorsese's The Aviator, discovered this gem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwahIQz0o-M

The camera is shooting at twice the normal speed on B&W film, with alternating red and blue filters. Not sure how it was subsequently printed and projected at the time. In any case it's an early attempt at colour film making. You can see, due to the difference in time between red and blue, that fast moving objects exhibit fringing.

In any case another remarkable glimpse into a simultaneously familar yet different world, courtesy of the spirit and energy of pioneering filmmakers.

Carl

[Charlie Blackfield]

As a matter of fact, this project started even as early as 1924. Claude Friese-Greene, son of cinema pioneer William Friese-Greene, developed this 'Natural Colour Process'. I've seen both an extract from an analogue VHS version of the unenhanced original footage, as well as a digitally enhanced version. The first has all sorts of colour bleeds which the film suffered from originally whenever there was any fast movement, whereas the digital version (which, by the way, is readily available on DVD, published by the British Film Institute) was made more audience-friendly (i.e. more watchable). Here's a quote from the DVD booklet:

Alternative frames were tinted red and blue-green. When projected at 24 frames per second the two colours combined to create the illusion of natural colour through persistence of vision. The major problems were flicker and fringing of the colour during rapid movements within a scene.(...) We remain true to the original colour whilst addressing the inherent flaws in the system. The image is now much clearer and the reduction in flicker and fringing is remarkable.

It's a good DVD, but works only on Region 2 DVD players. Not sure if there's an NTSC version around.

Charlie

[grainy]

Amazing! And in beautiful condition! it's almost surreal how contemporary it LOOKS considering how old it is.
That river scene, with the barge on the left is like a glimpse through a time machine.
thanks for posting!

[S8 Booster]

very interesting, being real an un-real at the same time. Just like us now in S8ish until one studies the cars an clothes in detail.

when i looked up the clip on YT there popped up several other and older efforts as well like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQSJKCkZ ... ults_video and>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcIvm0YW ... re=related
from 1903. read the comments - some of them are very interesting like how they had to expose the film to Hydrogen prior to shoot to make it sensitive to colour blue - if i recall correctly.
There were older efforts as well:
Kodachrome 1922 - truly unique original Kodak test.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_RTnd3S ... 9A4EC752D8


shoot......8