Movies for TV - Early Television Foundation

COLOR 777
toward red for day use is wrong for tungsten (Ansco artificial
light designation) use (so-called from the old tungsten filaments)
and will produce a reddish image. It is possible to use daylight
film at night, provided a bluish light is used from a blue photo-
flood or similar lamp fitted with a blue filter.
In general, a color film may be used over the television film
camera chain without any deterioration of definition or contrast
provided there is not too much blue in it. In fact some producers,
all their films in color so that
notably Bud Gamble, are making
they can reach a double market in the home movie and 16 mm
theatre libraries as well as the television stations. There is no ob-
jection to doing this provided the cost is not excessive for the pur-
pose at hand. It is also extremely good practice in using color film.
The focus of Kodachrome commercial stock should theoretically
be better than the type of film with emulsion on each side due to
more precise focussing.
All the precautions taken in connection with lighting for black
and white film apply even more particularly for color work. The
user of color will be familiar with the effects produced by improper
exposure, and the beginner will do well to read the instructions
which come with the film package. However, it will not be out of
place to mention a few points which sometimes cause grief for be-
ginners in color photography. Supplementary lighting
more important in color work than black and white since the
is much
contrast range, or range of subject brightness, is more limited. As
a rule, softer contrasts are required for color, but because of the
contrast obtained by color itself the lighting contrast can be re-
duced. It is important to have adequate lighting in the shadow
parts of the scene; otherwise, they may lack detail and appear as
solid blobs of very dark color or even muddy black.
When color television arrives, there will be a place for color
directors to do the job that Natalie Kalmus does for Technicolor
today in advising producers on colors for their shows. Most of the
usual rules, such as avoiding busy backgrounds especially with
vivid colors, apply. Cognizance of the fact that color is only an aid
to the picture and that the picture is not a vehicle for artistic