Black dot diffusion filters also help. Harrison & Harrison once made them. I made several variations and am stuck until I get a printer. Can post examples.
Black dot diffusion filters also help. Harrison & Harrison once made them. I made several variations and am stuck until I get a printer. Can post examples.
If you ever get a chance, and it's unlikely that you will, try to see a screening using one of the "approved" (fireproof and air conditioned) projectors, of an original cellulose nitrate print. It's reportedly best if you can see this on an actual "silver screen" (with silver strands woven in to reflect light), but it still works on modern screens. And yes, people who've seen it often describe the effect as "magical". Before around 1950 this was how all movies were seen.
Bruce Watson
Some of the best film noirs were shot with coated lenses (e.g. A touch of Evil) and even in the era of uncoated lenses the cinematographer would use a compendium or some other form of lens shade to protect it from stray light that might lower the image quality. Instead of shooting with uncoated lenses get something like a Tiffen Black Pro-Mist 1/8 or 1/4 close ups and medium shots of Leading ladies were rarely done without some kind of diffusion (if they were stars they had the power to get the DP fired) some of the Leading man somtimes got diffusion too but very rarely. Film noir is all about lightning controll and the story. Film noir is not only a look but also a theme, modern film noir is rarely shot like film noirs of the 30's to 50's but due to the story that is similar to the movies of old they are refered to as film noir or neo film noir. Theme Story not look.
A friend of mine is a film restorer and often talks about the difference between old cellulose nitrate and modern triacetate/pet films he feels that old film had/has more "depth" and looked better, another reason for modern B/W film not looking all that magical is that they are usually released on color stock and not B/W stock. Real B/W does look different and does have more depth than B/W in post.
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