Color...Film exposure and timing...generation loss...Media......Indy Gear Accuracy and other musings

Posted by mlif from AC9CA182.ipt.aol.com on September 14, 2000 at 21:52:29:

I have no idea if this information is useful to any Indy Gear Scholars, but I thought I would mention it, though I'm sure it's been talked about already.

Determining the correct color of an item may be very difficult if you are basing the information off of a photograph, a video tape or motion picture film.

Before I get in to it, the basic point I'm making is that what looks a certain color (or shade of color) on film, might actually be a very different color in real life. (I think the recent viewing of the real Indy Jacket by Patterson, Brody, et. al. might attest to this fact).

There are a lot of reasons for this. 1) Color Temperature of light used in the shot, 2) Exposure setting of the shot, 3) Color timing fo the print or video, 3) What medium it is (video vs. film or what kind of film is used), e.g. Video cannot represent the same colors as film can, and film can't represent the same colors as reality (so if your looking at a copy of a film to video transfer, you've got at least 3 or 4 or more levels where the color may have been altered from reality). and 4) is this image a copy of a copy of a copy etc. I won't bore you with the specifics unless you really want to know.

I recently saw a great example of this on the new T2 DVD. If you dig down into the supplemental materials there are a bunch short pieces on the making of the film, some of which are shot on video. When they show the video matched with the actual film, is pretty amazing how different the same costumes and sets look.

Here's another good example: compare the "look" of the class room scene in RoLA with the one in LC. They are very different. Why, well amoung other reasons: New film stock, not available when RotLA was shot, Better lenses, and Film to Video transfer technology had improved as well.

This stuff may account for why things look differnly from one scene to the next, and especially from one film to the next.

In other words, unless the thing is really sitting in front of you (and you're in daylight or tungstun light) you really can't be too sure exactly what color or shade something is.

This is not to say that there aren't other more tangible reasons for differences such as availablity of textiles, etc, but I think that a lot of people take what they SEE for granted, especially if it is on film or tape. These images are EXTREMELY manipulated at every level of production, from when they are items are built in the costume shop, to when they are photographed, development, printed and then transfered to video.

OK, enough of my dissertation. I hope this is helpful in someway.

Regards,

Troy

Follow Ups:

Re: Color...Film exposure and timing...generation loss...Media......Indy Gear Accuracy and other musings Michaelson 12:27:34 9/15/2000 (0)
Great observations... Patterson 12:17:55 9/15/2000 (0)
Excellent topic and good points! Ulla 23:43:48 9/14/2000 (4)
- Colors!!! Cueball 08:16:33 9/15/2000 (3)
  - What the...?! Ulla 18:36:28 9/15/2000 (2)
    - Okay, sorry... Cueball 21:20:25 9/15/2000 (1)
      - A YOUNGSTER?!! Ulla 20:01:49 9/16/2000 (0)

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: I have no idea if this information is useful to any Indy Gear Scholars, but I thought I would mention it, though I'm sure it's been talked about already.

: Determining the correct color of an item may be very difficult if you are basing the information off of a photograph, a video tape or motion picture film.

: Before I get in to it, the basic point I'm making is that what looks a certain color (or shade of color) on film, might actually be a very different color in real life.  (I think the recent viewing of the real Indy Jacket by Patterson, Brody, et. al. might attest to this fact).

: There are a lot of reasons for this.  1) Color Temperature of light used in the shot, 2) Exposure setting of the shot, 3) Color timing fo the print or video, 3) What medium it is (video vs. film or what kind of film is used), e.g.  Video cannot represent the same colors as film can, and film can't represent the same colors as reality (so if your looking at a copy of a film to video transfer, you've got at least 3 or 4 or more levels where the color may have been altered from reality). and 4) is this image a copy of a copy of a copy etc.  I won't bore you with the specifics unless you really want to know.

: I recently saw a great example of this on the new T2 DVD.  If you dig down into the supplemental materials there are a bunch short pieces on the making of the film, some of which are shot on video.  When they show the video matched with the actual film, is pretty amazing how different the same costumes and sets look.

: Here's another good example:  compare the "look" of the class room scene in RoLA with the one in LC.  They are very different.  Why, well amoung other reasons:  New film stock, not available when RotLA was shot, Better lenses, and Film to Video transfer technology had improved as well.

: This stuff may account for why things look differnly from one scene to the next, and especially from one film to the next.

: In other words, unless the thing is really sitting in front of you (and you're in daylight or tungstun light) you really can't be too sure exactly what color or shade something is.

: This is not to say that there aren't other more tangible reasons for differences such as availablity of textiles, etc, but I think that a lot of people take what they SEE for granted, especially if it is on film or tape.  These images are EXTREMELY manipulated at every level of production, from when they are items are built in the costume shop, to when they are photographed, development, printed and then transfered to video.

: OK, enough of my dissertation.  I hope this is helpful in someway.

: Regards,

: Troy

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