The History and Science of Color Film: From Isaac Newton to the Coen Brothers

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Take the full Filmmaker IQ course on the History and Science of Color film with sauce and bonus material at: filmmakeriq.com/courses/histo...
Color is a subtle tool that can transport us from our ordinary lives to extraordinary worlds of cinema. Peel back the layers of history and look at how color was first understood and implemented in the world of film.
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[@rushfari]

Dear Mr. Bearded talking guy: I don't know why, but I sit for hours and watch your videos. I find it fascinating, and I greatly appreciate learning real information with depth. You have a gift of teaching in a way that few do. Thanks.

[@tardistardis8]

His name is John Hess

[@chris72gross]

+lainbotham: Very funny...

[@FilmmakerIQ]

No one posted this yet?? kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5-wg5h5esh7n68

[@superdupergabe9584]

@@FilmmakerIQ I enjoyed watching your videos because your videos really made me want to learn more about the history of how movies were created over time. I'm going to subscribe to your channel because I'm interested in watching your videos about the history of movies that you explain about in your videos. I have two questions that I'd like you to respond to? If you were going to watch a movie that you would want to watch again, What would that movie be? Why were you interested in creating videos about the history of movies in the first place? Many Thanks! Super Duper Gabe!!

[@longmondays]

His name is Robert Paulson

[@StepbyStepPhotographyandVideo]

There are many trolls on KZbin, but the one's who dislike Filmmaker IQ videos are some of the most unreasonable of all. I have a fine arts degree and these videos dig deeper than the more lab based courses out there.

[@PictureHouseCinema]

Quite likely the dislikes come from people who think they know about making films and realised they know nothing after watching this video.

[@Daashkira]

Just wanted to say thank you. I use your lessons in my High School Course: History and the Appreciation of Film, to build in the technical aspects of film with its historic and cultural developments. I really appreciate what you do and so do my students.

[@martyjackson4166]

Man you were lucky you got to have a class about film in high school

[@JSB1882]

That was so well explained! And I agree about the 1938 version of "Robin Hood". That is a beautiful film. No Robin Hood ever came close.

[@moustikdu91]

Pathecolor was developped by the French "Pathe" company, one of the biggest film equipment and production company in 1908. It is one of the oldest cinema company still in action. Nowadays in France we can still see movies in Pathe Cinemas, I was amazed to discover that they had such an impact on color films! Great videos as always

[@BenPotts]

Pathecolor looks shit

[@sterstam9185]

in my top 3 education channels on KZbin

[@minuscolochao1557]

John Hess is amazing

[@minuscolochao1557]

btw which are your other 2 top 3 educaton channels ?

[@storm1968eu]

Crash Course is my n° 1. But Filmmaker IQ is indeed one of the best.

[@TheRootsRiders1]

1 - Jake Paul, 2 - WorldStar HipHop, 3 - Filmmaker IQ

[@Davidalp1]

Just to say that actually the first Two Colour Technicolor (process number one) movie first produced and shot in the USA was: "THE GULF BETWEEN" in 1917 starring Grace Darmond and Niles Welch. It was shot completely out of doors (using natural light) in sunny Florida. It is sadly now a lost film with only a couple of frames extant that we can examine, but the colour looked pretty good. "THE TOLL OF THE SEA" was five years later, and still exists to this day. (apart from the last reel)... Plus, the first feature film to use 3-Strip Technicolor was MGM's "THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE" in 1934; although it was only utilized in one musical number. There were several other 1934 productions in 3-strip Technicolor, featuring either Technicolor "sequences" - or 20 minute short subjects: For example: "SERVICE WITH A SMILE", "LA CUCARACHA", "THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD" and "KID MILLIONS".

[@jknuttel]

Amusing: Around the 8:20 mark this gentleman talks about William Friese-Greene and we see a picture of Robert Donat, who played Friese-Greene in a 1951 British film called "The Magic Box".

[@briannakadlecik1903]

This video is so helpful! I am talking a film history class and your videos are really helping me visualize what is written in my text book.

[@davetee1976]

I only just discovered your channel few days ago and already watched few of your videos. I never knew there was so many different ways film colours was made.

[@JarrodTetreault]

I know you don't need to hear it again, but I can't help myself. I just love your delivery! There is something that is just so old school in how you deliver your lines. Don't listen to anyone who asks you to memorize. I grew up as a kid in the 70's and a teen in the 80's... back when the news anchors would read from giant cues or feeds beside the camera.... the important thing is that you read everything with GREAT vocal inflection, and I can never turn away once I start watching

[@antonnym214]

Fantastic work. Beyond brilliant. I love this channel. I'm encouraged that the great old films are being preserved, too.

[@2foodtrippers]

I'm so glad I found your channel. I really love your videos.

[@curtchiarelli8957]

This is a well-produced and researched history of color technology in motion pictures. A lot of fascinating information is packed into its relatively brief running time!

[@littlemascara599]

Always curious as to films history of color. Great info, thanks and well done!

[@stolenhal0]

My grandfather worked under the owner of technicolor, who also happened to own the patent on the Bic ballpoint pen. They were the first to bring full feature length films to the airline industry. It involved the creation of a micro film to prevent change overs, self projecting sound and most importantly silent projectors.

[@mychalsimmons4177]

John!!! You are the dude!!!!! Fascinating information...... love this channel

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Good point! Its amazing how many even mainstream films we're losing as the prints fade.

[@andrekgerber]

You are an extremely talented speaker. Learnt a lot from this video! Very educational.

[@MysteriousElliT]

Thank you so much for this video and your work! This was a lot of help and really informative! Big thank you !!!

[@relsewards7276]

one of the best explanations i've seen.

[@forrestdean8665]

I revisit these often. Even though I "should" know this stuff. Thank you for this content.

[@southernbiscuits1275]

Well presented. Great historical information.

[@funnymono]

Thanks. Amazing educational series.

[@erett2000]

Your videos are better than the film school I attended! I could have saved a lot of time and money watching your videos and spending time shooting. Keep it up!

[@sadiqmohamed681]

Just discovered this channel via this video. Not a bad history of colour film. Obviously not exhaustive, but enough to cover the highlights and point the viewer in the right direction to find out more. I have personal knowledge of Martin Scorsese's preservation project, as I saw his lecture at the BFI in London. He showed two trailers for "Gone With The Wind". The first was on Eastman stock and was what we had come to expect. Faded and mainly pink. The other was an original Technicolor print released to first run theatres in the US in 1939. It drew audible gasps from the audience. The colour was all there in full and the film looked almost 3D. Another think he showed us was clips from "The Leopard" (1963) with Burt Lancaster. Again the difference was astonishing. Eastman Kodak, thankfully, got such a fright they did the work and produced more stable chemicals for both the film base and the colour layers so film stock is now much more stable. They also invested heavily in Digital Imaging and produced some of the earliest CCD image sensors. Now the main aid to preserving film is the digital intermediate, and this in fact is the only way to preserve the old 3-strip Technicolor movies. Technicolor no longer have any die-transfer printers, and I haven't been able to find out what happened to the equipment they sold to China.

[@isbestlizard]

Amazing how quickly technology advanced, between the 1920's and 1930's.. barely a generation to go from blurry black and white silent films to rich full colour :D

[@dgb751]

Excellent doc. Very interesting

[@stolenhal0]

I find it amusing that I just rented Citizen Kane from the local library and it's actually the reason I searched the invention of color film and found this video.

[@sethscreativefilms]

I can't wait for next weeks episode!

[@allanbroadfield9177]

That wasn't a pic of William Friese Green, it was actor Robert Donat playing him in the film 'The Magic Box'!

[@denissanchez2475]

You make really great videos, thank you !

[@sparkybluefox]

Bravo! Great video Mr Hess !

[@TheDaddyO44]

Learning so much from your channel, thanks :)

[@PaulKretz]

13:18 - *I can't believe this is 1938!* So good in colour and action cutting and DOF and camera moves... O_o

[@DiegoH23]

keep up the good work John. cant wait for the next video

[@rachitsah8305]

Love all this information. Thank You!

[@atroche1978]

Extremely informative.

[@teashea1]

so excellent as always

[@johannes914]

Excellent job... As always. Thank you.

[@tristanfoss7469]

I turned my device on grayscale and I'm watching a video about the history of color.

[@YeCreme]

You're a madman

[@PictureHouseCinema]

Well that defeats the point

[@Brony22]

thanks to this video i found a movie i been trying to find for 5 years.

[@GDF2]

It's interesting how things are cyclical in cinema history. Just as silent films used the tinting or toning process, your video illustrates how modern day filmmakers like the Cohen brothers with "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and Spielberg with "Saving Private Ryan" used special processes to set a 'color tone' with their films. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your series and the website! You ought to consider doing something with TCM, like the current "The Story of Film" series!

[@chloealexa189]

You leave out a very important bit here as many do. Films were in color and gave the audience important information. Green tint was outdoors in daylight, purple at sunset, Pink for bedroom, Red for fire, Sepia indoors at night, with Blue as night. Look at an original 1922 print of Birth of a Nation and you will understand. You had many stencil tints used up to the Thirties, checkout Hells Angels for some as well as a Technicolor section. Also you leave out a double emulsion system used for films in the thirties and forties one side red the other blue.

[@TCfoxs]

Thank you for making these videos.

[@kitohol]

This is great, thanks :)

[@mathiasdodin]

Very clear and interesting, I love your videos :-)

[@jonathangolan8527]

thank you very nice informative video

[@DilipSingh-gn7jo]

Great explanation

[@yamarhabawahalla3237]

I doesn't know they've been through all this complicated process till we get the right color for all films today they are really great people who work in this industry to put the Cinematic film today up to IMAX

[@clisboa]

Really thanks, teacher!

[@MrLuvOldies]

Thanks. Great Video.

[@jonedgar1981]

Dude. You're amazing.

[@Moneytane1976]

Very helpful, now I know why so many 1980s and 1990s TV show repeats have faded washed out colour, where as BBC colour series of 1970 - 74 are still sharp colour as they are likely Technicolor and later ones Eastman colour, and then Digital colour in the 2000s means later colour remains warm.

[@JCMaldonado13]

This was great thank you!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Thank you so much Jarrod :)

[@hemantbUtube]

Thank you!

[@eXtremeDarian]

These are really, really good! Why aren't these on the Discovery channel or Turner Classic Movies raking in big $$ for you guys??

[@keithnaylor1981]

Quite Interesting! There's some lovely examples of two-strip Technicolor in: Ben Hur 1925 and Cecil B DeMille's King of Kings 1927. Brilliant early silent epics. KAN 6.19 UK

[@jwt242]

Great job.

[@jenka05]

+filmmakeriq, could you do an episode elaborating on how Monopack and Eastmancolor actually work in a single film strip? And perhaps the developing process, of how the composite colours are developed separately, similarly to the indepth look as CMOS sensors and their quantum inner workings? Cheers! Jamie

[@charanckck]

Great one mate. Very good documentation. But felt you speeded it up after 1980's.

[@JeremyRatzlaff]

This is so much better than film school.

[@Graizzz]

Heyy love the video, I was wondering if you had any sources for students who watch this video❤ I want to use you as a source but would appreciate a place to read further into the topic .

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Yes... we'll have a lesson on Digital color correction and grading next week.

[@elephantgrass631]

Make a part 2 of this. Talk about grading.

[@truefilm1556]

John, great video as always! Of course you know everything I am going to say - much better than I do :-) Hope you don't mind: Please let me just add (I know you had to simplify things for the sake of time - your video is still very comprehensive!!!) Kodachrome reversal. During the 1940s, '50s and part of the '60s 35mm negative black and white stock was widely used, but 16mm (besides black and white) used the reversal (= positive image, ready for projection) Kodachrome - same as slide stills photography, a fantastic looking fine grain film stock with excellent archival qualities (IMHO the very best color reversal stock ever made! It's that beautiful!). That's why we still have 16mm color footage from the 1940s in fantastic looking colors, and regular 8mm from the 1950s and Super 8mm from the 1960s and '70s on slow (often just 40 ASA/ISO) which hardly faded at all if stored properly. Later a "family" of easier/simpler to develop reversal stocks was created: Kodak Ektachrome. Not quite as gorgeous looking - depending on the emulsion (16mm VNF for example, made for TV news gathering was rather grainy and muddy but fast to develop and O.K.-ish for the purpose), but the Ektachrome 100D (E-6 process) for example is wonderful and rich and almost as great as Kodachrome, It was produced in 16mm (and for stills slide photography) until 2009 and is now much sought after by film enthusiasts such as myself. I actually still have a few 100ft rolls of E 100D, 16mm single perf in my fridge. Should look great after processing with E-6. I wonder if Kodak reversal film stock was ever used for 35mm feature film production. The fantastic look probably would have been lost through the intermediates, print negs and release prints..... (?) back in the day. It was the infamous Eastman print stock (= negative copied through optics or by emulsion to emulsion direct contact from a fine grain negative) - and even Fuji - that lost its very unstable cyan layer in a matter of just a few years, the yellow started to go next and only magenta remained. Still many "red/magenta" film prints from the '70s in all formats from Super8mm to 70mm are around. Some can and have been saved by skilled colorists in digital image post production - for many it's too late (if the original camera negative is lost or faded as well). Thanks for reading my long comment :-) Thanks so much for sharing all your great insight!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

+truefilm Always appreciate comments that add to the discussion! Thank you!!

[@IanHollis]

If you guys haven't done a video like this on the history of 3D in cinema, could you? I think it'd be great!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

+Ian Hollis Not yet - but it would be a great topic!

[@IanHollis]

It sure would. Especially considering that "The first presentation of 3D films before a paying audience took place ..., on June 10, 1915". (www.3dgear.com/scsc/movies/firsts.html) My mind was blown when I first read that. Anyway, I look forward to it. ^_^

[@suupaauozaden3463]

+Ian Hollis There are stereo photos of samurais dating back as far as 1895. Google "stereoscope samurai", it's an experience.

[@jfmezei]

Question about early technicolor: Your graphic implied red went on frame 1 and green went on adjacent frame 2. For subtractive, would it be more correct to shoot on 2 separate rolls, develop and tint them separately, and then project them with the 2 rolls sandwiched together througth the shutter/light so that it becomes subtractive?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

The frame 1 red and frame 2 green wasn't technicolor, that was a sequential color system that predates Technicolor

[@toccata33]

Awesome video

[@aimeiraba]

Great video

[@DethronerX]

It hurts my brain that there is not a single video on KZbin that shows the oldschool way of color timing, not even from Kodak

[@grafikdrummer]

Does anyone know something about the score of "The Toll of the Sea" in the short clip? I have the impression that it wasn't composed especially for the movie, because it sounds so familiar, like a classical piece I heard elsewhere. But I can't get what it is.

[@MarioHemsley]

EXCELLENT!

[@surajsonkar2855]

from where did you get all this knowlegde. please tell me. it will help me alot!! please

[@FilmmakerIQ]

A lot of it from Wikipedia and other online sources. But a lot of it also came from David A Cooks "A History of Narrative Film"

[@timespace.productions7513]

Mr. Hess, do you color-correct your episodes?

[@jknuttel]

At 8:24, the picture shown is not of William Friese-Greene, but rather of actor Robert Donat, who portrayed Friese-Greene in the 1951 film THE MAGIC BOX.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Yeah - I didn't realize it at the time

[@camhan1151]

Hope I could have a friend like john, whom knows literally everything...

[@mastercheif1989]

Question FIlmmakerIQ, How do you guys move frame around the presenter like to include all the additional images? What technique was used?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

+mastercheif1989 We shoot on greenscreen and then move John around using After Effects

[@Crlarl]

George Lucas fought against the tampering of films in the late 80s but he himself destroyed Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in 1997. The Special Editions, DVDs and BDs taint that otherwise pristine heritage. The only things that can save those films are fan preservations, fan recreation and Disney.

[@Gamganca]

I hate to do this but I have to speak my mind. I prefer the Special Editions because it's closer to Lucas's original vision. He had to change it because of the technological limitations of the time. That's also why he did the prequels last. He didn't "destroy" Star Wars, technology did before the films were even released by forcing him to do things differently. I assure you, if he was able to start with Episode 1, and nothing else changed, except how the movies were made, it would seem much better.

[@Crlarl]

Gamganca A bad carpenter blames his tools. Technology should never be the limit for creativity. It's fine to prefer the SE's but I don't think that it was Lucas' original vision. There were tons of audio changes made that wouldn't have required any updated special effects and could've been in the originals if he wanted. I would be fine with the new releases if he also had all the previous versions available. As it is, only the 2011 BD versions are available for purchase.

[@Gamganca]

I have the "complete saga on bluray set" and I 100% agree with you on the sound. Especially in episode four where we first see Obi-Wan and he makes that howling noise. The sound used in both the original and special editions sounded cool, like an actual creature. But the sound used on the Bluray just sounded like an overenthusiastic guy going "AWWOOOOOOOEEEE!!!!!" and it rendered me speechless going "What?" And in episode 2 when Anakin is having that nightmare, the BD version has his mother Shmi calling out to him. I can live without that.

[@Crlarl]

Gamganca The colour is all mucked up too. Ever notice people looking redder or lightsabers changing colour? That's just bad.

[@Gamganca]

Am I seriously the only one who enjoyed the movies either way?

[@allissondiego1989]

I love this channel

[@robsemail]

I'm watching this video again, as it's been about a year or so since I first watched it, and a thought occurred to me as you said that in the early 30s, Kodak introduced a new panchromatic film that produced great results and was much cheaper to use than two-strip Technicolor: was this new film something Technicolor had been waiting for, and what was new about it? Was it faster than previously available panchromatic films? I'm wondering if this new film was needed to make 3-strip Technicolor practical.

[@whyrural]

Awesome!!!!

[@cratedigger89]

A great documentary on film preservation (with a bit covering Ted Turner's colorization), check out "These Amazing Shadows." I believe it's still up on Netflix.

[@JacquelineMoleski]

Thank you for this - what a fascinating video on film color - both the history and the technology. So, was the new film stock that faded fast acetate film, aka "safety film"? Just wondering.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

I'm not that versed on film stocks themselves but I Believe safety film came out before Eastmancolor. It was the dyes in Eastmancolor that were prone to fade fast at least in the original formulations

[@JacquelineMoleski]

@@FilmmakerIQ Thank you for answering. I know acetate film replaced Silver Nitrate film because silver nitrate burns - even in water, it's some sort of chemical reaction thing, but I don't remember when it was introduced. Ironically, silver nitrate films, as long as the prints themselves don't burn, are easier to restore than the acetate films.

[@conscriptanrssaws3086]

You should go on the photograph in three strip technicolor process with the modern movie.It may be the short films with originally three strip technicolor process.Then compare with the modern digital colour process.Which is more beautiful picture than?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Technicolor three strip has been made pretty much obsolete with monopack color films starting around 1950s-60s. There's been a lot of film vs. digital side by side tests - frankly the difference has become so minute that you have to really work hard to spot the differences.

[@stevecozzens5023]

You really should make a history lesson video on Movie Sound because it was evolutionary like color film.

[@cpt_nordbart]

Reminds me of Nitro Cellulose Film. It's da Bomb I tell ya.

[@NipkowDisk]

LOLOL!!

[@massetozacarias5693]

i remember almost suffocating myself by these chemical fumes, trying to develop a 5 second coloured film roll.

[@cainster]

No mention of 'Pleasantville'?

[@johnmonkus4600]

Why LCD screens give the best color. They use the additive process for the picture, but achieve it using the subtractive system for the filters of the underlying black and white pixels.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

I think OLED beats LCD... Better blacks and brighter too

[@PictureHouseCinema]

This is a good instructional video but where are the lenticular colour systems like Dufaycolor? These monochrome colour films which render excellent colour pallets on otherwise regular black and white film are worthy of mention. Generally used on the domestic market Dufaycolor did also make commercial features. Colour reversal processes should also be mentioned as they are integral to colour film history.

[@RXP91]

Would love to get a lesson in 3D cinema history from you :)

[@AlexHalfordFilms]

Interesting

[@Foetestour]

one of the films that faded badly because of the eastmancolor film stock was star wars. so when they did the restoration some of the color was really off. i think that the first strip that started fading on the star wars negative was the yellow so darth vader was turning from black to a light blue

[@gerardodd2086]

It was interesting how you made your viewers look up Panchromatic film to realize that there was a color sensitive black and white film.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Everything is black and white, color is just our brains way of interpreting frequencies

[@DDBurnett1]

Two color film processes could also produce red and blue at the exclusion of green, correct? I assume that green was chosen because blue is relatively rare in nature.

[@Tmanaz480]

Correct. Especially skin tones, they have very little blue.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Blue is the color of the sky so it's not rare at all. The answer lies more in the spectrum and how certain films are sensitive to different wavelengths

[@xcrossxbonex]

Doooooo Moreeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@codeclover3167]

Can you release a video about color film in cameras

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Everything old is new again :)