Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

B

Barry_S

Moderator
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Well if you're looking to duplicate something like Ektachrome stock ( a la the storming the village scene in Three Kings), you want to jack up the contrast so your whites blow out and your shadows block up a bit.  Bias the gamma adjustment more torward your shadows blocking--the traditional way to expose reversal stock.  Slide film only has 4-5 stops of lattitude.  Also, crank up the saturation, especially in the blues for that traditional Ektachrome look.  Finally, throw in some grain--not too much, but it should be noticeable, especially in flat areas like open blue sky.
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

i definatly just bookmarked this post. you rock.

p.s. how do i artificialy add gain in FCP4?
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Michael,

I've almost exclusively switched to Vegas, so sorry if this explanation is a bit hazy. Drag the noise generator over to your clip and adjust the amount of noise to taste. You can also make a duplicate of your track and apply the noise generator to the upper track and apply the composite mode to blend it with the lower track.
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Can all of that be done in Vegas 4 or will I have to upgrade to Vegas 5 (I know this is a Vegas Question but....)
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Just to be clear about terminology, the three kings scene was indeed shot on color reversal…but it was shot in a method called cross-processing, where a reversal film is processed as a negative. This screws greatly with the color rendering, depending on the maker of the film.

Furthermore, emulating reversal film really depends on what specific look you’re going for. Velvia looks completely different from Provia, which looks completely different from Astia, which looks different from Ektachrome.
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

For the sake of a film-neophite could you perhaps direct me to a website with screenshots of these different film types and explain what cross-processing does?
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Hmm...well as far as viewing color reversals, there aren't many great sites on the net.  Images that show subtle differences between stocks are typically very high resolution and very taxing on bandwidth...

Here's a short article about fuji velvia: http://www.photographicage.com/content/issues/volume_01/issue_09/review_1.htm?=review_txt_1.htm

Here's Fuji's color reversal page: http://www.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoProductsFilm.jsp

Kodak isn't much into still film these days, so they've got limited resources on their site.  But here's a quick page with cross processing examples, both slide to negative and negative to slide...

http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/99/23/index3a_page4.html?tw=design

Hope that helps.  You can do a google search on cross processing and get a pretty good explaination of what happens to the film.
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Thanks a bunch J_Barnes. It's greatly appreciated :)
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

The combination of cross processing and color timing can achieve anything from slightly altered film stock to some very funky effects. In T3K, the essential qualities of Ektachrome were left intact--so I stand my recipe (if that's what you're trying to achieve). In general, most reversal films have narrow lattitudes, high contrast, and high color saturation. Most of the variations would be in how you tweak the color saturation and overall hue. Traditionally, Ektachrome has shifted tones a bit to the blue. In the type of cross-processing typically done on Ektachrome stock (for motion pictures), the blues are also intensified and there is a small increase in contrast and grain.
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

(said with all seriousness)...I'm really going to miss film...

Screwing with chemicals and stock differences is so much more magical sometimes then a point and click. While I don't miss the hours I used to spend inhailing chemical fumes while I tried to produce a single split-toned fiber print, I can say that I don't get the same satisfaction from layers and channel mixing.

...ahh, so wistful.

As far as achieving the gallo look. I dunno...looks grainy, dark, restricted colors and nice lighting. I'd start with the lighting and work back from there. Identify the lighting style, some of the common setups, where they key and fills are, what the color tone is. Next, wardrobe to compliment the story, characters, scenery and lighting. Then set decoration.

Maybe once youv'e got that, you won't want to do anything in camera. A little level crushing, color balancing and noise in post might get the rest of the look...but I've honestly never tried to get that look myself.
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

it's beautiful. It's exactly what i want to shoot my film on, but budget restricts and instead of saving 10,000's$ i bought a mac and a dvx100. I'm glad i could get some pointers in how to maybe mimic color reversal a bit.
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Let us know how it turns out :). I'm interested in seeing some screen grabs!
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

it wont be finished till around new years. keep you guys posted!
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

I never did it, but I guess if you really wanted to be precise, you could have someone photographing your angles in a still slide camera, and then bringing those as a reference for your color correction... Although I just came up with that, it really seems like a swell idea...
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

[quote author=taubkin link=board=Events;num=1096503718;start=15#16 date=10/02/04 at 07:18:57]I never did it, but I guess if you really wanted to be precise, you could have someone photographing your angles in a still slide camera, and then bringing those as a reference for your color correction... Although I just came up with that, it really seems like a swell idea... [/quote]

oh man... great minds think alike. yesterday i bought fugi slide film and i'm gonna shoot my shots with them, and model from there. anyway, i'm going to do some test shooting today and then try and play with it, i'll keep you posted.
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Cool. Provia or Astia?

Cheers!
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Wow, I can't even find those around... Sometimes I get a hold of a velvia, if I'm lucky.

It this getting a little crazy? ;D
 
Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

Re: Replicating Color Reversal Film

I'm pretty sure Sensia is the identical emulsion as Astia--only with consumer packaging and marketing. Extremely fine-grained and not as brutally contrasty as Velvia or Provia, it's pretty good for portrait work.
 
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