Color in Silent Film

1. Why do you think modern day people perceive early film as ONLY black and white? What do you think has led to this perception? How do you think color was perceived by audiences back in the dawn of cinema?

Color in cinema was largely disregarded in the process of preservation because many believed this aspect to be an "add-on." This is especially the case for tinted and toned films, because they were relatively easier to produce compared to stencil and hand-colored films. In addition to lack of motivation to preserve the colors, colors themselves were hard to preserve due the film's poor shelf-lives. Thus, as a result of fading, attempting to preserve color films were ineffective. Ultimately, many assume that the majority of silent films are monochromatic. Back in the dawn of cinema, the bright colors incorporated into the silent films grabbed the audience's attention. The colors made the films seem to be magical, enhancing the film's tone in most cases. 

Color P. 1

Answer the following questions in an in depth - paragraph:

1. What is color? What principle did James Clerk Maxwell discover?

2. How was color used in early filmmaking? What were the two major types of colorizing film?

Color is a function of light, and the span of color, or the visible light, can be examined through the Electromagnetic Spectrum. As a result of his experiment, Isaac Newton discovered that all of the color combined can create white light. James Clerk Maxwell, founder of electromagnetism, refined the color theory created by Thomas Young and Herman von Helmholtz by using a colored spinning wheel. In this experiment, Maxwell discovered that the primary color are red, green, and yellow, instead of blue. Before digital colorized film, hand-tinting was a popular in the industry. Because these films were only roughly ten minutes long, though a daunting task, it was a viable option. Some examples of color used in film include Le Voyage Dans La Lune (The Man on the Moon). As films became more produced and hand tinting became a less viable option, toning rose in popularity.

Frame Rates P.2

Answer the following questions in 2 in depth - paragraphs:

1. What were tee reasons why 60 frame interlaced chosen for over the air broadcasting? How did the introduction of color factor in?
The interlaced format was introduced as a result of the attempt to reduce the necessary bandwidth. The increasing popularity of television in modern society meant that letting the VHF die off was impractical. Thus, the race to achieve the certain color standard began. Color TVs adopted the separation of luminance and chromas which means the separation of colors versus their brightness. I order to prevent the color standard from interfering with the audio signals, the frame rate was reduced by 0.1%. Therefore the common frame rate is in fact not exactly 60 frames per second, but rather 59.94 fields per second.

2. How do you convert a film to television? What is 3:2 pull down?]

In order to allow 24 fps to fit into a 60 i video format, it must be split up into fields known as the 3:2 pulldown. However, this is not a completely practical way of converting files because they lead to jitters every 2 frames per 4 frames. Thus, in order to maintain the quality of the video, it is optimal that one shoots in 24 fps to begin with.

Frame Rates P.1

1. What were three reasons why 24 frames per second chosen as the modern standard frame rate for filmmaking?

24 frames per second was chosen as the modern standard frame rate because it was a number that was easily divisible by six numbers, including 2,3,4,6,8, and 12. Although other numbers have similar aspects of being easily divisible, 24 was chosen because it was the most financially efficient, requiring the least film as possible. Sound was what drove the introduction of the 24 fps second standard, however. Because of this new introduction of audio waves on the side of the film strip, the films had to be in rigid format. In order to achieve the desired 48 projected frames per second, 24 was a convenient number that required 2  blades to run the film.

Frame Rate

1. Define what shutter speed is and what frame rate is.
2. What is frame rates relationship with shutter speed? How do each affect the image?
3. How could you use these principles to artistically affect your images going forward?

Shutter speed is "the amount of time that each individual frame is exposed for" while frame rate "refers to the number of individual frames that comprise each second of video" recorded. The shutter speed must be the double the frame rate. Different frame rates can either create a cinematic look a video look. For example, a filmic look would be shot in 24fps, while a video look would be composed with 30fps. Frame rates can also be altered accordingly to the application in post production such as slowmotion or creating realistic motion blur.

Under and Over Cranking the Camera

1. Think back on what you've learned about filmmaking. What is overcranking the camera? What does it do? How is it done?
2. What does undercranking the camera do? How is this done?
How does this affect the image artistically?

Over-cranking the camera refers to slow motion and under cranking a camera refers to a timelapse.  Slow motion can be used to capture every detail of a fast motion. By slowing down the time, the audience will pay more attention to the activity on the screen. This effect is typically done by increasing the frame rate in order to obtain a smooth image. On the other hand, undercranking a camera allows the filmmaker to convey the passage of time. This is typically done by setting a camera down and letting it sit still for a long period of time. Artistically speaking, they create variations in the image, capturing the attention of the audience. They can be useful and effective in small amounts.

Pan and Scan

1. What is pan and scan? Why was it created? How does it affect a film when it's transferred from the theatre to home video? In your own words explain 3 examples from the video on how pan and scan changes what the filmmakers intended.

Pan and scan technique is used when a wide screen needs to be cut into an aspect ratio with a shorter width. This allows the film to be redirected so that the film has a different emotional appeal. Readjusting the frame of the film allows more flexibility in post production. Although this technique has a tendency to ruin the creativity that went into composing a certain shot, it can add new creativity as well. The aspect ratio is often that intended look of the director, and can be damaging to the storytelling process when done incorrectly. Sometimes, seeing a portion of the picture loses an important aspect of the original production.