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Department of Film Studies

ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors. Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Aesthetics

Summary

Project Leader and Principal Investigator

Research Team

Research Management:

Software Development:

Student Assistants, Film Analyses:
Manuel Joller, Ursina Früh, Valentina Romero

 

Abstract

Film is in essence colored light projected onto a screen. Its aesthetics is thus highly determined by the material properties of film and the optical configuration of the cinematic apparatus. To this day, however, there is no systematic study of the relationship between the technology and aesthetics of film colors, despite the fact that, following the digital turn in film production and distribution, the understanding of this relationship is more essential than ever before. 

Over 200 film color processes were developed since the invention of film. They are presented on the Timeline of Historical Film Colors, which has been an integral part of the project. The groundbreaking nature of this project lies in a truly interdisciplinary research design with a novel methodology to explore the interaction of technological advances and limitations with film color aesthetics, identifying diachronic patterns of stylistic means. To this end the team has been developing tools through recent advancements in digital humanities for crowd-sourcing of color analyses of large groups of films. 

In-depth studies of technical papers and scientific measurements of film colors investigate the technical and material basis of films’ aesthetic appearance. These insights have been applied to the digitization and restoration of historical films to explore and disseminate the results. While every serious art restoration connects scientific analyses with art-historical and aesthetic investigations, a similar approach is rarely applied to film. 

VIAN

 

Software

Software and digitale tools developed as part of the project:

  • VIAN, visual video annotation and analysis software.
  • VIAN WebApp, crowdsourcing platform for data analysis and visualization on film and corpus level.
  • ColorMania app, app for the exhibition Color Mania
  • Style transfer software.
 

Online Publications

 

Presentations

 

Restoration Case Studies

Completed Restoration Case Studies

Münchhausen (GER 1943, Josef von Báky) is one of the most important films in the then newly invented Agfacolor process, produced in the Third Reich to showcase the superiority of German technology in the framework of highly entertaining film classic.

For this restoration, supervised by Anke Wilkening for the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation and executed by ARRI Media in Munich, the PI executed an overall analysis consisting of the documentation of several original Agfacolor prints, surviving black-and-white separation masters and camera negatives to devise the very complex overall workflow for the reconstruction of the heavily faded colors and to establish the color scheme for the color grading, while research scientist Dr. Giorgio Trumpy executed colorimetric measurements and material analyses. The newly restored version premieres at the International Munich Film Festival in June 2017 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the German production company UFA.

 Münchhausen (Josef von Báky, Germany 1943)

Mother Nature Father Time (USA 1965), Scopitone Technicolor dye transfer print provided by the Lichtspiel Kinemathek in Berne. 2k scanning and grading by Martin Weiss using the team’s newly installed film scanner, software and hardware. Excerpt available on Vimeo.

Web of Love (USA 1966), Scopitone Technicolor dye transfer print provided by the Lichtspiel Kinemathek in Berne. 2k scanning and grading by Martin Weiss using the team’s newly installed film scanner, software and hardware. Excerpt available on Vimeo.

Trouville, la reine des plages (FRA 1923) is a very rare stencil colored Pathé Baby 9.5 mm film provided by the Lichtspiel Kinemathek in Berne. 2k digitization and restoration by Martin Weiss. Excerpt available on Vimeo.

Thüringen, das grüne Herz Deutschlands (GER 1940), early Agfacolor Kulturfilm, from the Collection of Deutsches Filminstititut DIF Frankfurt am Main (scientific analysis and color consulting), executed by Haghefilm Digitaal, Amsterdam, under the supervision of Anke Mebold.

Frühling in den Vogesen (GER 1942), early Agfacolor Kulturfilm, from the Collection of Deutsches Filminstititut DIF Frankfurt am Main (scientific analysis and color consulting), executed by Haghefilm Digitaal, Amsterdam, under the supervision of Anke Mebold.

Märkische Fahrt (GER 1942, Kurt Rupli), early Agfacolor Kulturfilm, from the Collection of Filminstititut DIF Frankfurt am Main (scientific analysis and color consulting), executed by Haghefilm Digitaal, Amsterdam, under the supervision of Anke Mebold.

Grosse Freiheit Nr. 7 (GER 1944, Helmut Käutner), early Agfacolor feature film, color consulting for the restoration supervised by Anke Wilkening for the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation and executed by ARRI Media in Munich.

Maibowle (GDR 1959, Günter Reisch), Agfacolor Safety Print, Filmmuseum Potsdam. 4k digitization and color grading by Martin Weiss. Project management by Josephine Diecke.

Unfallschutz-Zeichentrickfilm] (ČSSR ), Orwocolor Reversal Print, Filmmuseum Potsdam. 4k digitization, retouching and color grading by Martin Weiss. Project management by Josephine Diecke.

[Berlin Nikolaiviertel] (GDR 1986), Orwochrom UT15 Reversal Print, Filmmuseum Potsdam. 4k digitization and color grading by Martin Weiss. Project management by Josephine Diecke.

Maschinisten der Kohleveredelung (GDR 1988, Horst Klein), Orwochrom Reversal Print, Filmmuseum Potsdam. 4k digitization and color grading by Martin Weiss. Project management by Josephine Diecke.

[Neue Turmspitze auf Oberkirche Cottbus] (GDR 1988), Orwochrom UK3 Reversal Print, Filmmuseum Potsdam. 4k digitization and color grading by Martin Weiss. Project management by Josephine Diecke.

[Pfingsten 1981] (GDR 1981), Orwochrom UT15 and UK 17 Reversal Print, Filmmuseum Potsdam. 4k digitization and color grading by Martin Weiss. Project management by Josephine Diecke.

Excursion dans la vallée de la Vésubie [Schweizer Bilderbogen] (FRA 1912), stencil colored nitrate film from the collection of the Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin. Identification Dr. David Pfluger, Colorimetry Dr. Giorgio Trumpy, 4K scan cinegrell GmbH,  color grading Martin Weiss. Co-financing of the restoration project: Memoriav.

Lea aus dem Süden (GDR 1963, Gottfried Kolditz), Agfacolor film from the holdings of the Bundesarchiv Filmarchiv in Berlin, copyrights DEFA foundation Berlin. Machine-assisted grading LUTs derived from multispectral analysis of the release print applied to the 35mm Agfacolor camera negative. 4k digitization, restoration and selective manual grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry and LUT generation by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy. Project management by Josephine Diecke.

[Kestrel og ugler] (no year), tinted and toned nitrate film from the holdings of the National Library of Norway. 4k digitization, full restoration and grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy.

[Pathé forvandlingsakt] (FRA 1905–1909), Pathéchrome film from the holdings of the National Library of Norway. 4k digitization, full restoration and grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy. 

Marcantonio e Cleopatra (ITA 1913, Enrico Guazzoni), tinted nitrate film from the holdings of the National Library of Norway. 4k digitization, extensive restoration and grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy.

[Tänze] (1920s), tinted and toned nitrate compilation film, from the Collection of Deutsches Filminstititut DIF Frankfurt am Main. 4k digitization, restoration and grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy. Project management by Josephine Diecke.

Un délire hallucinatoire – psychose systématique chronique (FRA 1961, Éric Duvivier; Albert Luzuy), Kodachrome A & Ektachrome. In collaboration with Université de Strasbourg. From the holdings of Image'Est.

Phobie d'impulsion (FRA 1967, Éric Duvivier; Albert Luzuy), Kodachrome II. In collaboration with Université de Strasbourg. From the holdings of Image’Est. 4k digitization, retouching and grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy. Project management by Dr. Bregt Lameris and Dr. David Pfluger.

Hallucinations: Images du monde visionnaire (FRA 1963, Éric Duvivier; Henri Michaux), Kodachrome II. In collaboration with Université de Strasbourg. From the holdings of Image'Est. 4k digitization, retouching and grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy. Project management by Dr. Bregt Lameris and Dr. David Pfluger.

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (GER 1919, Robert Wiene). In collaboration with Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau Stiftung.

Komposition in Blau (GER 1935, Oskar Fischinger). Gaspar color nitrate print from Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek. Initial 4k scanning by Martin Weiss and cinegrell. Initial grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy. Multispectral scanning by Lutz Garmsen.

Med Roald Amundsens nordpolsekspedition til første vinterkvarter [Roald Amundsen’s North Pole Expedition] (NOR 1923),tinted and toned nitrate frames from the holdings of Deutsche Kinemathek. Colorimetric analysis by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy. 

[Grimstad gartneris rabarbravin] (NOR 1935), tinted nitrate print from the holdings of the National Library of Norway. In collaboration with the Norwegian Film Institute. 4k digitization, full restoration and grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy.

Les Glaces merveilleuses (FRA 1907, Segundo de Chomón), stencil colored nitrate film from the holdings of the National Library of Norway. In collaboration with the Norwegian Film Institute. 4k digitization, extensive restoration and grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy.

Marlene Dietrich Home movie (1931), Kodacolor / Keller-Dorian Color. From the holdings of Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek. Restoration of colored images via multiple approaches. 1) Recording fom projection with historical set-up (Martin Weiss), 2) Digitization of color separations with slit method (Lutz Garmsen), 3) Extraction of color information from 6K high resolution scan in BW (Dr. Joakim Reuteler, Dr. Giorgio Trumpy, Dr. David Pfluger).

Altenrhein (1930), Kodacolor / Keller-Dorian Color from the holdings of Cinémathèque suisse. Restoration of colored images via multiple approaches. 1) Recording fom projection with historical set-up (Martin Weiss), 2) Digitization of color separations with slit method (Lutz Garmsen), 3) Extraction of color information from 6K high resolution scan in BW (Dr. Joakim Reuteler, Dr. Giorgio Trumpy, Dr. David Pfluger).

[Urlaub an der Nordküste Afrikas] [Testfilm] (1932). Kodacolor / Keller-Dorian Color. Amateur test film from the holdings of Lichtspiel Kinemathek Bern. Restoration of colored images via multiple approaches. 1) Recording fom projection with historical set-up (Martin Weiss), 2) Digitization of color separations with slit method (Lutz Garmsen), 3) Extraction of color information from 6K high resolution scan in BW (Dr. Joakim Reuteler, Dr. Giorgio Trumpy, Dr. David Pfluger). Installation used in Color Mania exhibition available on Vimeo.

[Keller-Dorian 35mm Sample], Lenticular BW nitrate film, 4 frames of unknown film from a private collection.

La perception et l'imaginaire (FRA 1964, Eric Duvivier), Kodachrome II. In collaboration with Université de Strasbourg. From the holdings of Image'Est. 4k digitization, retouching and grading by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumpy. Project management by Dr. Bregt Lameris and Dr. David Pfluger.

Testfilm J. Mroz (AUT), Mroz Farbenfilm from the holdings of Film Museum Wien. 2-color system based on black and white material recorded with a rotary red/green filter. Frames tinted alternating in green and red in ostproduction. Digital simulation of temporal synthesis effect using a high frame rate digital display. 4k digitization, and custom color workflow by Martin Weiss. Colorimetry by Dr. Giorgio Trumply. Project management by Dr. David Pfluger.

Farbenfilmversuche J. Slišković (Josip Slišković). Mroz Farbenfilm from the holdings of Film Museum Wien.

[Chromolithographic loops] 8k digitization, extrensive restoration and grading by Martin Weiss. Recreation of a hand-cranked projection unit for the Color Mania exhibition: Dr. David Pfluger. Available on Vimeo.

Restoration Case Studies in Progress

Cajus Julius / Cajus Julius Caesar (ITA 1914, Enrico Guazzoni) tinted and toned nitrate film from the holdings of the Norwegian Film Institute.

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Weiterführende Informationen

Color Mania

Color Mania. The Material of Color in Photography and Film

Edited by Barbara Flückiger, Eva Hielscher, Nadine Wietlisbach, in collaboration with Fotomuseum Winterthur
With contributions by Michelle Beutler, Noemi Daugaard, Josephine Diecke, Evelyn Echle, Barbara Flueckiger, Eirik Frisvold Hanssen, Eva Hielscher, Thilo Koenig, Joëlle Kost, Franziska Kunze, Bregt Lameris, David Pfluger, Ulrich Ruedel, Mona Schubert, Simon Spiegel, Olivia Kristina Stutz, Giorgio Trumpy, Martin Weiss, Nadine Wietlisbach
Design: Meierkolb

240 pages, 122 illustrations
paperback

2020, 978-3-03778-607-9, English and 978-3-03778-606-2, German