Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 'The White Ribbon' cinematography

This is topic 'The White Ribbon' cinematography in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 08-08-2010, 09:02 AM:

Hey folks!

I looked up the technical specifications for the movie 'The White Ribbon' and apparently the movie was photographed on colour stock (Kodak 250D/500D) then printed onto Kodak 2302 Black & White release print stock. The movie also went through a digital intermediate.

Can anyone suggest a reason why it would not have been better to shoot on black and white camera negative stock to begin with? Why shoot on colour stock for a movie that will be seen in black and white anyway?

Posted by Richard P. May (Member # 3598) on 08-08-2010, 11:09 AM:

I have read that the producers had TV committments in Europe to deliver a color movie. Shooting on color stock then gives them both capabilities.

Posted by Christian Appelt (Member # 1067) on 08-09-2010, 12:49 PM:

A distributor who is also in international sales told me that some foreign markets do not accept b&w any more, so if you want to sell TV & DVD rights, you have to shoot in color.

I don't like fake black & white, it looks strange to me. Some exceptions, I recall that THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE (2001) shot by Roger Deakins on colour negative looked quite good, and a few french films like THE GIRL ON THE BRIDGE (1999).

Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 08-09-2010, 01:14 PM:

The main reason films that are finished to Black and white are shot on colour is the fact that colour has more stock options including high speed stocks for low light shooting. Kodak only sells two black and white camera stocks so the options are very limited.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-09-2010, 01:58 PM:

quote: Christian Appelt
I don't like fake black & white, it looks strange to me.

Different approaches are used for setting the exposure for color and black & white photography. When shooting on black and white film you're supposed to adjust your exposure settings for the darkest parts of the image. In color photography you set the exposure according to highlights.

True black and white film projection looks different from B&W material on full color print stock. The color stock always seems to have some sort of color cast to it and perhaps a bit less contrast.

With a good enough scan (and 16-bit per channel color bandwidth) the digital intermediate approach could overcome some of the problems of converting native color photography to black and white.

Posted by Christopher Seo (Member # 7) on 08-11-2010, 01:47 AM:

Color original would also give many options for timing to B&W, by varying the primaries separately. I wonder if this was ever done before digital intermediates? It would still be possible by printing the color negative to panchromatic separation film, although I'm not sure that the separation film can produce an image suitable for projection.