History Film stock

1 history

1.1 1888–1899: before standardization
1.2 1900–1919: towards standard picture film
1.3 1920s: diversification of film sensitivity
1.4 color films

history
1888–1899: before standardization

early motion picture experiments in 1880s performed using fragile paper roll film, difficult view single, continuously moving image without complex apparatus. first transparent , flexible film base material celluloid, discovered , refined photographic use john carbutt, hannibal goodwin, , george eastman. eastman kodak made celluloid film commercially available in 1889; thomas henry blair, in 1891, first competitor. stock had frosted base facilitate easier viewing transmitted light. emulsions orthochromatic. november 1891 william dickson, @ edison s laboratory, using blair s stock kinetoscope experiments. blair s company supplied film edison 5 years. between 1892 , 1893, eastman experienced problems production. because of patent lawsuits in 1893, blair left american company , established in britain. eastman supplied edison film.

blair s new company supplied european filmmaking pioneers, including birt acres, robert paul, george albert smith, charles urban, , lumiere brothers. 1896 new movie projector required transparent film base blair s american operation not supply. eastman shortly thereafter bought company out , became leading supplier of film stock. louis lumiere worked victor planchon adapt lumiere blue label (etiquette bleue) photographic plate emulsion use on celluloid roll film, began in 1896. eastman s first motion picture film stock offered in 1889. @ first film same photographic film. 1916, separate cine type films offered. 1895, eastman supplied motion picture roll film in rolls of 65 feet, while blair s rolls 75 feet. if longer lengths needed, unexposed negative rolls cemented in darkroom, largely undesirable narrative filmmakers. makers of actuality films more eager undertake method, however, in order depict longer actions, , created cemented rolls long 1000 feet. american mutoscope , biograph first known company use jeffries-sharkey fight on november 3, 1899.

1900–1919: towards standard picture film

as quantity of film , filmmakers grew, demand standardization increased. between 1900 , 1910, film formats gradually became standardized , film stocks improved. number of film gauges made. eastman increased length of rolls 200 feet without major adjustments emulsion, retaining large market share. lumiere reformulated stock match speed of eastman film, naming etiquette violette (violet label). blair sold english company pathé in 1907 , retired us. pathe began supplement operation in 1910 purchasing film prints, stripping emulsion film base , re-coating it. 35mm film began become dominant gauge because of popularity of edison s , lumière s cameras. consumers purchased unperforated film , had punch perforators imprecise, causing difficulty in making prints opposite perforation format. in 1908, perforators began made bell , howell. eastman kodak used bell , howell s machine perforate films. in 1909, edison s organization of motion picture patents trust agreed become standard: 35 mm gauge, edison perforations , 1.33 aspect ratio.

a silent home movie on 16mm black-and-white reversal double perforation film stock

agfa began produce motion picture film in 1913, remained largely local supplier until world war boycotts of popular french, american , italian film stocks allowed ufa film studio flourish, boosting agfa s orders. film stocks manufactured on nitrate film base, highly flammable. nitrate film fires difficult extinguish. significant number of fatal accidents occurred in theatrical projection booths, heat of projector lamp made ignition likely. amateur filmmaking (home movies) developed during period. kodak developed heat-resistant safety base home projection. in 1909, tests showed cellulose diacetate viable replacement base, , kodak began selling acetate-base films following year in 22 mm widths edison s work on home kinetoscope, commercially released in 1912. eastman kodak introduced non-inflammable 35 mm film stock in 1909. plasticizers used make film flexible evaporated quickly, making film dry , brittle, causing splices part , perforations tear. in 1911 major american film studios returned using nitrate stock. more amateur formats began use acetate based film, , several, including kodak s own 16 mm format, designed manufactured safety base. kodak released cine negative film type e in 1916 , type f (later known negative film par speed type 1201) in 1917. both of these orthochromatic films no faster previous offerings; improvements in granularity , sharpness.

1920s: diversification of film sensitivity

film stock manufacturers began diversify products. each manufacturer had offered 1 negative stock (usually orthochromatic) , 1 print stock. in 1920, variant of type f film known x-back introduced counteract effects of static electricity on film, can cause sparking , create odd exposure patterns on film. resin backing used on film, rendered film opaque allow focusing through of film, common technique many cameras of era. x-back stock popular on east coast of us. other manufacturers established in 1920s, including american e.i. dupont de nemours in 1926 , belgian gevaert in 1925. panchromatic film stock became more common. created in 1913 use in color film processes such kinemacolor, panchromatic first used in black-and-white film exterior sequences in queen of sea (1918) , available special order product. stock s increased sensitivity red light made attractive option day night shooting. kodak financed feature in 1922, shot entirely panchromatic stock, headless horseman, promote film when kodak introduced standard option. panchromatic film stock expensive , no motion pictures produced in entirety on several years. cross-cutting between panchromatic , orthochromatic stocks caused continuity problems costume tones , panchromatic film avoided.

orthochromatic film remained dominant until mid-1920s due kodak s lack of competition in panchromatic market. in 1925, gevaert introduced orthochromatic stock limited color sensitivity , panchromatic stock, pan-23. in 1926, kodak lowered price of panchromatic stock parity orthochromatic offering , panchromatic stock began overtake orthochromatic stock s market share within few years. similar panchromatic film stocks manufactured agfa , pathé, shift panchromatic stocks had largely been completed 1928, , kodak discontinued orthochromatic stock in 1930.

color films

experiments color films made late 19th century, practical color film not commercially viable until 1908, , amateur use when kodak introduced kodachrome 16 mm in 1935 , 8 mm in 1936. before 1941, commercially successful color processes used special cameras loaded black-and-white separation stocks rather color negative. kinemacolor (1908–1914), technicolor processes 1 through 4 (1917–1954), , cinecolor used one, 2 or 3 strips of monochrome film stock sensitized primary colors or exposed behind color filters in special cameras. technicolor introduced color reversal stock, called monopack, location shooting in 1941; 35 mm version of kodachrome used in standard motion picture cameras. eastman kodak introduced first 35mm color negative stock, eastman color negative film 5247, in 1950. higher quality version in 1952, eastman color negative film 5248, adopted hollywood color motion picture production, replacing both expensive three-strip technicolor process , monopack.