The movie "Traffic" (2000) and the "Ektachrome step"...

Pat Erson · Aug 4, 2017

Afternoon to you all,

I was watching this film (again) and as I clicked on its Wiki age I read this :

"For Javier Rodriguez's story, the director used tobacco filters and a 45-degree shutter angle whenever possible to produce a strobe-like sharp feel. Then, he took the entire film through an Ektachrome step, which increased the contrast and grain significantly."

Can anyone tell me what an "Ektachrome step" is?

Thx!

GarageBoy · Aug 4, 2017

Wondering if it was cross processed somewhere along the way during printing, or did he get the stock duped to ektachrome and back

trendland · Aug 4, 2017

Ohhh......what a theme.

I saw this film also. I don´t belive it was filmed with E 6 ....... but I can´t say for sure - I wasn´t at the scene.

Let us notice that it is possible filmed with c-41 Film. And let us believe it is " crossed processed "
but for 1000% sure this was made in post production.

So we saw film in the past as raw - material with some parameters nobody cares about to much. Therefore $490.000,- workstations are rendering
effects and by the time the colors.

with regards

trendland · Aug 4, 2017

Forgetting your question : ektachrome step.

1) filmed with ektachrome film as a very special method to have wonderfull colors a.s.o. but I can´t realy believe... !

2) ekachrome step should be a section of a special post production software

with regards

trendland · Aug 4, 2017

This film was directed by Steven Soderderbergh - I think this guy is indeed crazy enough to use real E6 film and by the production notice is mentioned that it was filtered a.s.o.

So if you like it use it with still film for photography.

Take some EPY stuff or use Kodak EPR with heavy filters - perhaps you should have a push 1 / push 2 developement and soon you will
have the exact color management of " Traffic "... !

with regards

Photo Engineer · Aug 4, 2017

`He made an E6 intermedate during the printing process.

PE

trendland · Aug 4, 2017

Photo Engineer said:
`He made an E6 intermedate during the printing process.

PE

OK - that makes it quite clear - I was wondering by looking to the production notices what the hell they have done....

Regarding the colors of "Traffic" it seams to be art of course. But c-41 / e6 labs have had the max. of trouble with this kind of colors in the past...

with regards

MattKing · Aug 4, 2017

Why would a movie involve C41? It would be ECN or E6.

trendland · Aug 4, 2017

MattKing said:
Why would a movie involve C41? It would be ECN or E6.

Yes you got me ..... it is meant ecn 2 when I spoke about c-41 ...

In general : I was in thoughts of negative films .

With regards

Pat Erson · Aug 6, 2017

Photo Engineer said:
`He made an E6 intermedate during the printing process.

PE

Thx that's my opinion too. Wouldn't it have been easier to shoot the entire Mexican segment of the movie in 16mm, then blow it up to 35 format?

georgegrosu · Aug 6, 2017

The 16 mm image area is 2.5 times smaller than the 35 mm image area.
The information recorded on a 16 mm frame is less than the information recorded on a 35 mm frame.
The 16 or S 16 mm to 35 mm magnification is not a current operation in any film processing lab.
For this reason, the price of image enlargement from 16 to 35 mm is considerable.
For a feature film, the budget for the film is very little of the total movie budget.
I think financially is no money saving, and the transfer from 16 to 35 mm can mean some loss of film quality.

George

Pat Erson · Aug 7, 2017

Thx GG!

The movie "Traffic" (2000) and the "Ektachrome step"...

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