Bleach bypass for C41 and/or RA4

[pkr1979]

Hello,

Did anyone do bleach bypass with C41 and/or RA4? I guess Im wondering if this has the same effect as with motion pictures and ECN2, whats the difference on doing it with C41 versus RA4, and if the keeping properties are the same?

Cheers
Peter

[MartinP]

Haven't tried it, but one can surmise that leaving silver in the image, along with the dyes, would have a veiling and contrast-reducing effect in the denser areas. In other words, most effect would be seen in the final-image highlights when done in C41, and in final-image shadows (probably less visible?) if done in RA4.

Worth experimentation certainly.

[mewelein]

RA4 blix keeps surprisingly well both as a comcentrate and a working stock (the latter obviously less so than the former) and can easily be replenished. Hence, I personally see little benefit in separate bleach and MyColes fix steps, except if you want to do bleach bypass or bleach-redevelop. But yes, it's certainly possible. I haven't tried it with C41 chemistry on RA4 paper but it'll likely work.

[pkr1979]

Hi there,

And thanks for responding. I might have been more clear... I was curious on the difference on doing the bleach bypass on film developed in C41 or paper developed in RA4.

Cheers
Peter

[janhuff]

I don't know about bleach bypass, but if you do, then the silver will still be there. short life

RA-4 is similar to C-41, but I wouldn't use one instead of the other, just as I don't use Dektol for black and white film.
(I believe with appropriate dilution and time it will work, but isn't recommended.)

[Pere Casals]

I guess Im wondering if this has the same effect as with motion pictures and ECN2

It "traditional" cinematography bleach bypass could be performed in any step, it could be made in the original camera negative, in the interpositive, in the internegative, or in the final prints that were released for exhibition.

Usually it was not made in the camera negative because this had no way back, a common procedure was to develop camera negative in the regular way and later experimenting with bleach bypass in the interpositive film, this allowed a great flexibility because they could adjust an special exposure, and I guess also the "amount of bypass", you may shorten the bleach for a partial bypass... also you may modify the "color" of the light for exposing the interpositive to be bypassed... beyond the fact that a simple bypass had some different effects depending on the step in what was made.

So technicians could have a lot of fun by adjusting the bypass look to what the cinematographer and the director wanted, but a common practice was using a propietary bypass process from an ENC lab offering, delivering the "canned" standard look of a particular bypass processing.

Today first they do with film is scanning and if they want effects then they use a 3D LUT, with some weird exceptions. Also, if scanning, you may use 3D LUT Creator color matching to get the look from an sreenshot of the movie.

IMHO you won't obtain directly the "Saving Private Ryan" look, probably that particular look comes from very refined and calculated adjustments that only a "sick" like Janusz Kamiński is able to craft for a "lunatic obsessive-compulsive" like Spielberg to end in such an impressive artistic level. (sick and lunatic, figuratively, or not , but genius for sure)

Every time you see pictorial greatness in (post 1993) Spielberg's movies... Kamiński was not far...





Spielberg and Kamiński met at Schindler's List, it had to be "love at first sight", finally the right mads in the right cauldron. Spielberg was making the film for free, to allow more budget for the production, and he had to agree to make Jusaric Park first to be allowed to make the movie. Plus-X and Double-X, no cranes no steadycams... Oscar to best director and to best cinematographer, one Oscar for each and 5 more. Not only that Oscar for Best Cinematography, probably Kamiński nailed a result that has not been surpassed since 1993 by nobody.

Then 5 years later Kamiński made an incursion in the Bleach Bypass, that Saving Private Ryan. The bypass was made with total masterliness, if you viewed the movie then probably you have recorded in your brain several pictures, like the explosions in the bridge in the final scenes with stones flying. Only those two mads could make that work.