How Do I Identify Motion Picture Film Formats? Show
Most people and institutions do not have the equipment necessary to view motion picture films. If you have access to a projector, be sure to evaluate both the projector and the condition of the film before you consider using it. Film may be easily damaged by a projector if it hasn’t been maintained regularly or if the film has condition issues. If you wish to preserve and protect the content of the film, we recommend seeking out a service provider with experience working with archival motion picture film. The service provider will be able to help stabilize your film and create a digital copy for viewing or preservation. Once you have confirmed that you have a film (refer to our Film Characteristics page) you can identify other properties that will help you talk to a service provider about it. You can do this even if you do not have film handling or viewing equipment. You should gather the following information about the film and then may use our Determining Condition webpage to perform a quick condition assessment in order to assist the service provider in planning a course of action.
Prior to modern color film processes, film was sometimes hand-painted, tinted or toned in order to add color. There are also many early processes that required extra equipment to present the image in color. More modern color processes embed dyes or pigments in discrete layers within the emulsion to create successive layers of cyan, magenta and yellow that combine to create full color.
Sometimes you will see a piece of film that only contains the soundtrack and no picture. These may also be optical or magnetic. In other cases, sound was recorded on disc or some other media meant to sync with the film during playback.
Where can I find more information?
What are the two basic types of film stock for feature films?There are two types of film stock, color positive and color negative. Both are used for photography, but the colors are reversed for each film type. Film stocks have different colors to represent specific wavelengths of light.
Which of the following is the measure of how sensitive film stock is to light?ISO (Film Speed)
ISO is the measurement of a film's speed, defined by its sensitivity to light. The lower the film speed, the less sensitive to light and the finer the grain in the resulting image. The higher the film speed, the more sensitive to light and the larger the visible grain in the final image.
Which of the following is the key difference between digital and analog filmmaking?So the difference between digital and analog media is that digital media is translated and stored as code. Analog isn't. Analog media is basically stored the same as it actually is. Records are just etched sound waves; pictures are things you can look at, etc.
Which of the following are elements of a film's design?Under the heading of design, all the elements of a picture's setting may be included—art direction, scenic composition, set design, costume, and makeup.
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