http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/news/5242release.shtml
The few occasions when I have been privileged enough to see "show", "EK", or dye-transfer prints, I have been stunned at the difference between what I saw then, and what I normally see in standard release prints. Because of that, I am convinced there is a tremendous amount of loss associated with the normal process of duplication for release prints.
I hope this new stock will help to offset some of that, but -- and I guess this question is mostly for John Pytlak -- does anyone know if it is already in use? And if some of the big releases coming later this year (i.e., Harry Potter, Fellowship of the Ring) are likely to be printed using it?
Image quality can be degraded by the practice of using continuous contact printing for all stages of duplication. Continuous contact printers (even very high speed ones used for release printing) can produce EXCELLENT results when printing a short pitch original (0.1866 inches between perforations) to a long pitch raw stock (0.1870 inches between perforations). But using a continuous contact printer to print a short pitch original to a short pitch raw stock can result in slippage between the two films, causing unsteadiness and a loss of sharpness. Proper procedure is to use a long pitch (DH-1870 perfs) for the master positive, then use a pin-registered STEP PRINTER (optical or contact) or "Digital Intermediate" to make the short pitch duplicate negatives for release printing. Unfortunately, labs are often not given enough time to use this preferred (but slower) method, since distributors often deliver the final cut negative only days before thousands of prints need to be in theatres.
Here are some links to Kodak information on this subject:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/h1/printing.shtml
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/h1/sizes.shtml
Which says:
"Optimum Pitch for Printing.
Continuous printers used for motion picture film are designed so that the original film and the print raw stock are in contact (emulsion-to-emulsion) with each other as they pass around the printing sprocket, with the raw stock on the outside (Figure 43). To prevent slippage between the two films during printing (which would produce an unsharp or unsteady image on the screen), the original film must be slightly shorter in pitch than the print stock. In most continuous printers, the diameter of the printing sprocket is such that the pitch of the original must be 0.2 to 0.4 percent (theoretically, 0.3 percent) shorter than that of the print stock. With nitrate film and early safety film, this condition was achieved by natural shrinkage of the original during processing and early aging. However, the substantially lower shrinkage of present safety films makes such a natural adjustment impossible; therefore, film used as printing originals is now manufactured with the pitch slightly shorter than the pitch of the print film For 35 mm film, the pitch dimensions are 0.1870 inch (4.750 mm) on print film and 0. 1866 inch (4.740 mm) on original film; for 16 mm film, they are 0.3000 inch (7.620 mm) on print film, 0.2994 inch (7.605 mm) on most camera film."
Kodak is working to improve the duplicating procedures, and developing new ones (enhanced "Digital Intermediate") that offer the possibility of "direct print" quality, even for release prints. Dr. Roger Morton of Kodak just presented a paper "Using Digital Intermediate to Provide the 70mm Quality in Theaters -- A Progress Report" on Tuesday, November 6, at the SMPTE Technical Conference in New York City on this very subject!
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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
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Ray Derrick
President
Panalogic Corporation Pty Limited
44 Carrington Road
Castle Hill NSW 2154 Australia
Phone: 61 (0)2 9894 6655 Fax: 61 (0)2 9894 6935