Glorious Technicolor

[ando775]

has anyone found or have a filter plug-in or found some good settings to use to get that 1940's and 50's Technicolor film look? I've played around with a few of the filters, but can't seem to quite get something that looks right.

[Devil]

I doubt whether you could. There are several problems. The original Technicolor camera used three panchromatic films with imperfect trichrome filters and the prints were made by an equally imperfect dye process with three stages. This necessitated very flat lighting and the colour rendering was haywire and had to be compensated by all sorts of tricks. For example, the Max Factor Technicolor Pancake makeup actually painted skin a fairly deep lilac colour to compensate an over-emphasis of green. Without this, the actors would have looked seasick. Even men's lips were deep purple. It would be extremely difficult to do this, even if you got the lighting right.

Does the name Natalie Kalmus mean anything to you? She was the second Technicolor consultant (I've forgotten the name of the first who used a 2-film camera in the late 20s/early 30s) and her name is in the credits of every Technicolor film in the belle époque of the technology. She, more than anyone, was responsible for the attempts to overcome the problems of the process, trying to calm actors like Clark Gable with a mm-thick layer of violet makeup on his face and hands, as well as co-ordinating the technicians with Max Factor (now Procter and Gamble). The makeup was so thick that it had to be touched up after each take, as any expression in the face would crack it, as it dried under the heat of the intense lights.

[ando775]

Wow. Thanks for the info. I guess that would be kind of hard to replicate. I guess I'll have to try something else. Thanks.