Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 21 to 27 of 27

Thread: Film Noir film stocks

  1. #21
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Winona, Minnesota
    Posts
    5,413

    Re: Film Noir film stocks

    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.

  2. #22

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Dallas/Novosibirsk
    Posts
    2,205

    Re: Film Noir film stocks

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter J. De Smidt View Post
    How they lit the scene, imo, is more important than specific films or development.
    Yup. Cinematics + light.

    Bugger all is solved by having magic film characteristics, IMHO. Uncoated lens will help with backlight to create haze, but not all were hazy.

  3. #23
    Resident Heretic Bruce Watson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    USA, North Carolina
    Posts
    3,362

    Re: Film Noir film stocks

    Quote Originally Posted by SergeiR View Post
    Bugger all is solved by having magic film characteristics, IMHO.
    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

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    California
    Posts
    3,908

    Re: Film Noir film stocks

    Quote Originally Posted by brucetaylor View Post
    Just do some research on the motion pictures you're interested in, the information shouldn't be hard to find. And I believe Kodak Super XX was the stock of the time. I have to agree with the other comments that it's lighting. Here's the thing about most historical cinematography, the cinematographer worked with the best film that was available (and it was all very slow) and then created a lighting scheme that made the shot look a certain way. If films had a low dynamic range, the scene was lit to make the contrasts appear "normal," the same way they worked with orthochromatic films and compensated with make up tones to make faces look normal. Since you don't have access to the old materials you'll have to figure out how to get the look on set with what you have available (lighting!) just like the masters did. There is a book, "Painting With Light" by John Alton one of the greats of noir cinematography that explains exactly how it was done.
    More LIkely SUper X, not XX, it also could be an Agfa film which was also popular.

  5. #25
    Dominik
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    248

    Re: Film Noir film stocks

    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.

  6. #26

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Dallas/Novosibirsk
    Posts
    2,205

    Re: Film Noir film stocks

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Watson View Post
    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.
    Or till late 80s in USSR.
    I seen plenty of movies with projectors like that back in old days, including all the Felini's ones, nothing magical about it, apart from story in the movie, and movie itself. Then again, may be I was not pickish

  7. #27
    Dominik
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    248

    Re: Film Noir film stocks

    Quote Originally Posted by SergeiR View Post
    Or till late 80s in USSR.
    I seen plenty of movies with projectors like that back in old days, including all the Felini's ones, nothing magical about it, apart from story in the movie, and movie itself. Then again, may be I was not pickish
    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.

Similar Threads

  1. Who stocks Adox Ortho 25 in 8x10?
    By John Kasaian in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 20-Dec-2014, 09:41

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •