Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Titus in dye transfer?

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Posted by Jeff Joseph (Member # 511) on 06-20-2000, 11:17 PM:

Has anyone heard of a credit on prints of "Titus" that says "dye transfer by Technicolor"? Are there indeed dye transfer prints of this film?

Thanks,

Jeff Joseph
SabuCat Productions

Posted by Christopher Seo (Member # 7) on 06-21-2000, 07:48 PM:

The print I saw listed two conflicting credits. One was the "dye transfer by Technicolor" credit and I believe the other one listed the release prints by Deluxe! The print did strike me as dye transfer before I saw the credits, but the projectionist I talked to said it didn't have the gray soundtrack. I still suspect it may have been dye transfer, although this is the only movie I've seen projected with carbon arcs, so that may have accounted for the nicer image quality.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-22-2000, 04:51 AM:

Were the cue marks at the reel changes green?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-22-2000, 07:44 AM:

Carbon arc light differs from xenon light in a couple of ways: it is a "whiter" light in that it is very close to the color temperature and wavelengths produced by the sun. By contrast, xenon light is usually a bit "bluer," particuarly as the bulbs age. I've always hated seeing movies in changeover houses where the bulbs are mismatched (one new, one old)...having the color temperature change every 20 minutes is quite annoying.

Also, carbon light seems to produce an on-screen image that is slightly less contrasty than one produced with a xenon light. I can't explain why this would be the case, but it probably does explain why IB prints (which are on the contrasty side to begin with) look so beautiful when shown with carbon arc lamps.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-22-2000, 08:32 AM:

The February 2000 issue of "American Cinematographer" has two articles on Luciano Tovoli's dramatic cinematography of "Titus", which was beautifully shot on Kodak film (mostly 5298, 5297 and 5289). AFAIK, a few hundred prints were made on Kodak VISION Color Print film by Deluxe Hollywood. Don't know if Technicolor made any dye transfer prints. The distributor, Fox Searchlight films, usually has prints made by Deluxe Laboratories.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-22-2000, 10:26 AM:

Scott
Xenon arcs do not produce a continous spectrum but like all discharge lamps are a set of lines of energy. Because High pressure Xenon discharge produces so many lines almost side by side it appears to the brain as contious much like the way the staircase reproduction of digital sound is.
It has been noted that people who due long shifts watching a xenon image have more fatigue and eyestrain probably because the brain is doing more work
Carbon Arc is a continous spectrum because the light is generated from the incadenscent black body properties in the crater of the positive carbon where carbon and rare earths actually undergo sublimation from a solid to gaseus state.
Also becasue a xenon lamp is closer to a point source than a carbon arc they tend with newer lens to produce a sharper contrasty picture
There was an article published years ago how certain pre xenon lens suddenly looked very soft when the machines were converted to xenon from carbon

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-22-2000, 12:18 PM:

For you Xenon Arc history buffs:

A paper by Heinz Ulffers of Zeiss Ikon AG introduced xenon arc lamps to the world of theatres. The paper "Xenon High-Pressure Lamps in Motion-Picture Theaters" was published in the June 1958 SMPTE Journal.

The June 1958 SMPTE Journal also has a paper by Warren B. Reese of Macbeth Corp. (Osram): "The Xenon-Arc Projection Lamp".

The various xenon lamp manufacturers have information on the technology of xenon short-arc lamps, and how to properly handle and maintain them. For example, the Photo-Optic Division of Osram Sylvania has a short videotape "Getting the Most From Your Xenon Lamps". NASA has a comprehensive xenon lamp safety manual at their website:
http://osat.grc.nasa.gov/GSM/GSM-26.htm

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-22-2000, 01:06 PM:

John NASA is wrong on how to change a lamp Joes video show how it should be done

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-22-2000, 01:25 PM:

Sorry, I learned the NASA way. But I still have my eyesight and most of my blood. I don't like the thought of having quartz shrapnel in my body.

Joe's enjoyable video pokes fun at the need for precautions, but reading the NASA safety manual or watching the Osram video shows that handling xenon bulbs is serious business. I fear for those who handle xenon lamps without the proper safety procedures and equipment.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 06-22-2000, 04:34 PM:

FYI, development on xenon high-pressure lamps for film projection began in the late 1930s.

------------------
Better Projection Pays!

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-22-2000, 04:57 PM:

Gaumount Kallee had 3 electrode xenon lamps in testing in some british theatres in the late 30's THey apparently exploded so frequently they said you could set your watch by them

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-23-2000, 03:03 AM:

I think I'd rather just call 'Mr. Time'.

Posted by Christopher Seo (Member # 7) on 06-23-2000, 11:32 AM:

No, the print didn't have green changeover cues, that's right. So it wasn't dye transfer after all.

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 06-23-2000, 12:09 PM:

The Osram video is informative. It's a homework assignment to all the newbies who attain promotion to the booth.