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From: reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: B&W vs. Computer or hand tinted colo
Message-ID: <5409@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 14-May-85 02:26:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.5409
Posted: Tue May 14 02:26:55 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 16-May-85 23:36:21 EDT
References: <244@spock.UUCP> <13900040@haddock.UUCP>
Reply-To: reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP (Peter Reiher)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 28
Summary: 

In article <13900040@haddock.UUCP> jimc@haddock.UUCP writes:
>
>I am curious:  were directors of black and white films attentive
>to color when they were filming?  I would think that the directors
>of old-time color features were certainly more attentive to it than
>black-and-white directors.  The result might be some strange-looking
>colors revealed to us through this new process.  Or am I wrong?

The computerized coloring process doesn't magically guess what the original
colors were.  A designer chooses what colors to put into the black and
white film.  Thus, you won't see bizarre colors unless the art director of
the coloring effort had something slipped into his coffee at lunch.

The actual colors of objects in black and white films can be surprising.
Almost any set that looks white before the mid-thirties was actual a pastel
color, often pink.  In the mid-thirties, cinematographers figured out a way
to light a pure white set so that it would look good.  This contributed to
the art deco look of many 1930s films.  RKO, and the Astaire-Rogers musicals
in particular, became famous for always including a BWS - a Big White Set.

Doubtless those involved sought to make sets and costumes pleasing to the 
color-distinguishing eyes of the cast and crew, but only secondarily.  The 
primary goal was producing interesting contrasts when converted to black 
and white film.
-- 
        			Peter Reiher
        			reiher@ucla-cs.arpa
        			{...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiher