[net.movies] B&W vs. Computer or hand tinted color

thrush@spock.UUCP (Patricia White '88 cc) (05/09/85)

As I stated before, computer coloring is a low quality substitute for
filming with a coloring process such as Technicolor.  It colors by dots,
like those you might see when you look at a tv set close-up.  When they
color these dots by computer something happens to the outlines of the
dots.  The "background" B&W sort of shows through.  

Hand tinting takes forever to do and, although I've never seen any film
with hand tint, there probably would be tinters' mistakes that just are
barely noticeable to the eye, but noticeable enough to say that
something was a bit odd about hte color.

I believe that hand tinting would get better color tints than a computer
would but I still believe that a classic B&W film such as Casablanca
should stay in B&W.  Can you imagine the final scene in color ?  B&W was
perfect for the setting.  Color would ruin that.  I will try to see it
when it is released with color.  Although I won't expect too much, who
knows ... I might be surprised with the (possible) success of hand
tinting.  


"What do we do in the meantime -- feed him some aspirin ? "

(You guess what movie that's from.  One hint, Universal released it.)


Patricia White