Survey of motion picture processing with emphasis on sound tracks for color film

87 Pages·04.013 MB·English

by  Bloecker, Victor

SURVEY OF MOTION PICTURE PROCESSING
WITH EMPHASIS ON SOUND TRACKS FOR COLOR FILM
A Thesi3
Presented to
the Faculty of the Department of Cinema
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
by
Victor Bloecker, Jr.
January 1950
UMI Number: EP42685
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This thesis, written by
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under the guidance of h.xs... Faculty Committee,
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and approved by all its members, has been
presented to and accepted by the Council on
Graduate Study and Research in partial fulfill­
ment of the requirements for the degree of
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Faculty Committee
Chairman
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
A sincere appreciation is extended to each of
the following gentlemen for giving their valuable time
as well as information that has been incorporated in
this paper:
Edward W. Hart, Cinecolor Corporation
V. P. Morin, Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation
G. 6. Schomaker, Eastman Kodak Company
Sidney Solow, Consolidated Film Industries
R. E. Withrow, Ansco Processing Laboratory
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE PROBLEM, DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED, METHOD
OF PROCEDURE AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE,
AND ORGANIZATION.................................. 1
The problem . ....................1
Statement of the problem. . . . . . . . . . . 1
The importance of the study....................1
Definitions of terms used ..................... 2
Processing.......................................2
Composite print ................... . . . . . 2
Sound track.....................................2
Gamma........................................... 2
Single operation contact printer............... 2
"Track" printer .............................. 3
Timing...........................................3
Method of procedure and review of the
literature.......... 3
Organization of thesis............................ 3
II. STANDARDS. FOR COMPARING EMULSIONS . . . . . . . . 5
Exposure ...........* ............................5
Processing.........................................5
Interpretation and evaluation of character­
istic curves.....................................7
CHAPTER PAGE
III. PRINTING .................................. 9
Types of printers.......... 9
Single and double operation continuous
contact printer. . . . . . . 9
"Track” printer.............. 11
Optical printer. . . . . . 16
System of printing....................... 19
Method of timing. . ............ 19
Manner of printing ....................... 20
IV. PROCESSING............ 24
Methods of procedure .......... 24
The Ansco dye track.......................... 24
The Eastman silver, sulphide, track........... 30
The Technicolor silver track ............... 35
The Cinecolor iron track................... 42
Types of processing machines................. 45
Sensitome.trlc control, of sound track
development. .......................... 49
Variable-area sound track............... . . 49
Variable-density sound track............... 51
Fixation and hardening................... 53
Wash water.................................... 54
Purified water supply. . ................. 54
Time of washing. ................... 55
Vi
CHAPTER PAGE
Temper a ture control......................... 56
Drying conditions . .......................... 56
Air circulation. . ....................... 57
Temperature and humidity control........... 57
Lubrication of film........................... 58
V. METHODS OF. PIOI INSPECTION . ................... 64
Visually.......................... ‘........... 64
Negative . ................................ 64
Prints................... . ................. 68
A u d i b l y .......... ........................... 68
Cross-modulation test....................... 69
Inter-modulation test....................... 70
VI. SUMMARY AND CQNCLUSIQNS....................... 72
BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................. 76
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM, DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED, METHOD
OF PROCEDURE AND REVIEW OF THE
LITERATURE, AND ORGANIZATION
The methods of processing sound track on color film
are varied and involved. Therefore, the purpose of this
thesis is.to give a better_understanding of the problems
of the motion picture laboratory in so far as they pertain
to the processing of sound track on color cilm.
THE PROBLEM
Statement of the problem. This paper has been writ­
ten because of the lack of concise, easily read and under­
standable information on the processing of sound track on
color film.. It was felt that a survey should be made of
the various laboratories In Hollywood (1) to determine what
methods of processing sound track on color film are avail­
able to the producer of motion pictures. It is also hoped
that the collection and centralization of this information
(2) will give the layman, an insight into the workings of a
motion picture laboratory.
The importance of the study. The importance is
readily understood when one considers the added popularity
2
of any picture produced in color. Box office figures indi­
cate that the paying public prefers pictures shot in color;
therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the producer
know, or at least be familiar with, the methods commonly in
use for processing the sound track which must accompany his
picture.
DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED
Processing. A method carried out in the laboratory
by which the sound track film is manipulated to produce
the recorded sound.
Composite print. That piece of film which contains
both the picture and the sound track.
Sound track. That part of the composite print which
produces the accompanying dialogue, narration, or sound
effects for the picture.
Gamma. The relationship between the density range of
the film and the brightness range of the original subject.
Single Operation Contact Printer. A printer in which
the sound track negative and ..the. picture negative are
printed simultaneously, in contrast to the Double Operation
Contact Printer which prints the sound track and the picture
in separate operations.
3
”Track” Printer, A printer whose only use Is to
print sound track.
Timing. A method for determining the step at which
the light change system of the printer should be set to
produce a balanced print.
MTEHQsD OP PROCEDURE AND REVIEW OP THE LITERATURE
There are approximately forty different companies
throughout the United States processing sound track on
color film; however, it was discovered that the resultant
sound tracks could be broken, down into four distinct types.
These are the iron, silver, silver sulphide, and dye tracks.
Contacts were made and interviews arranged with the represen­
tatives of the laboratories processing the four distinct
types of sound tracks,. Patents assigned to these companies
were studied, and various technical manuals, journals, books
and magazines investigated. Of special value to the writer
were the monthly issues of the Journal of the Society of
Motion Picture Engineers. The reader should understand that
none of the Information presented in this, .paper Is of an
original nature; it has been collected from the various
sources previously described.
ORGANIZATION OP THESIS
This paper ha3 been organized In such a manner that