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Eastman Color

Year

1950

Principle

Subtractive 3 color: Chromogenic monopack

Invented by

(Eastman Kodak)

Description

“The Eastman Colour Films are multilayer films of the type in which the layers are not separated after exposure. Films of this class are known as Multilayer, Monopack or Integral Tripack. “Multilayer” is descriptive not only of this particular group of films, but also those in which the layers may be separated after exposure, while “Monopack” is liable to be associated with a particular process which has been quite widely employed by Technicolor. “Integral Tripack” is therefore adopted as the most convenient term for describing the Eastman Colour Films.

Three types of Eastman Colour Film are manufactured. These are the Colour Negative Film, intended for use as the picture negative material in the camera; the Colour lnternegative Film, used for a similar purpose to black-and-white duplicating negative film; and Colour Print Film, which may be employed in preparing prints from either the Colour Negative or Colour lnternegative. A special black-and-white Separation Positive Film is also provided and this is intended for use in preparing three separation positives from the Colour Negative. The separation positives form an intermediate link with the Colour Negative when making a Colour Internegative, so that their function is similar to that of a master positive in a black-and-white system.

Integral tripack camera films have the advantage that they may be used in a standard black-and-white camera, and apart from a check on the colour correction and focus of the lens, no special precautions are necessary. It is of interest to note that the colours of integral tripack negatives, as well as the densities, are reversed compared with the original scene.

The coloured images in Eastman Colour Films are produced by a method known as dye-coupling development. For this a special developing agent is used in conjunction with a second compound known as the colourforming coupler. Photographic development is a process of chemical reduction brought about by the developing agent, which is oxidized in proportion to the amount of silver formed. The oxidized developing agent combines with the colour forming coupler to create a dye of appropriate colour, the concentration of which is proportional to the amount of silver in the image. The dye thus formed must be insoluble in water so that the reaction shall be quite local and a dye image of high resolution obtained. The silver image is removed at a later stage of the process.

Three colour-forming couplers provide the appropriate dyes and are incorporated in the relevant emulsion layers.”

(Craig, G.J. (1953): Eastman Colour Films for Professional Motion Picture Work. In: British Kinematography, 22,5, 1953, pp. 146-158.)


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    • Eastmancolor Illustrations
    (2 Images)

Two illustrations show the composition of Eastmancolor film stock.

Credit: Photomicrography by Silvana Konermann.

and illustration from

Craig, G.J. (1953): Eastman Colour Films for Professional Motion Picture Work. In: British Kinematography, 22,5, 1953, pp. 146-158.

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    • The Last Emperor (1987)
    (101 Images)

Comparison of two film prints of The Last Emperor (FRA / ITA / GBR 1987, Bernardo Bertolucci).

Credits: Academy Film Archive and Library of Congress.

Photographs of the two Eastman Color Print Films by Barbara Flueckiger and Joëlle Kost, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.

 

 

Selected Analyses:

Bergery, Benjamin (1989): Reflections 10. Storaro, ASC. In: American Cinematographer, 70,8, pp. 70–74, on pp. 70–73. View Quote

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    • The Sheltering Sky (1990)
    (16 Images)

The Sheltering Sky (GBR / ITA 1990, Bernardo Bertolucci).

Credit: Library of Congress.

Photographs of the Eastman Color print film from 1991 by Barbara Flueckiger.

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    • The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
    (18 Images)

The Man Who Fell to Earth (GBR 1976, Nicolas Roeg).

Credit: UCLA Film & Television Archive.

Photographs of the chromogenic safety print by Barbara Flueckiger.

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    • Das Boot (1981)
    (37 Images)

Das Boot (GER 1981, Wolfgang Petersen).

Credit: Library of Congress.

Photographs of the Eastman Color Print Films from 1981 (CQA-0095 and CQA-0104) by Joëlle Kost, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.

 

 

Selected Analyses:

Block, Bruce A. (1983): Oscar Nominees for Cinematography Das Boot. In: American Cinematographer, 64,4, pp. 64–66, on pp. 64–66. View Quote

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    • I Want You (1998)
    (73 Images)

I Want You (GBR 1998, Michael Winterbottom).

Credit: Library of Congress.

Photographs of the Eastman Color Print Film by Joëlle Kost, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.

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    • Jaws (1975)
    (39 Images)

Jaws (USA 1975, Steven Spielberg).

Credit: Academy Film Archive.

Photographs of the faded Eastman Color Print Film by Joëlle Kost, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.

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    • Alien (1979)
    (42 Images)

Alien (USA 1979, Ridley Scott).

Credits: Academy Film Archive and Library of Congress.

Photographs of the Eastman Color Print Films from 1979 by Joëlle Kost, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.

 

 

Selected Analyses:

Vanlint, Derek (1979): “Alien” and its photographic Challenges. In: American Cinematographer, 60,8, pp. 768–771, 806, 812–813, on pp. 768–769 View Quote and on pp. 806, 812. View Quote

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    • Cinerama Samples (Kodak Film Samples Collection)
    (19 Images)

Cinerama samples on Eastman Color Negative from the Kodak Film Samples Collection at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford.

Credit: National Science and Media Museum Bradford.

Photographs by Josephine Diecke, SNSF project Film Colors. Technologies, Cultures, Institutions and Joëlle Kost, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.

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    • Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    (32 Images)

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (USA 1980, Irvin Kershner).

Credits: Academy Film Archive and Library of Congress.

Photographs of the Eastman Color Print Films by Barbara Flueckiger and Joëlle Kost, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.

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