Videos detailing ingredients and processes in the heyday of B&W Hollywood

I have known about these for some time now and just though it might be nice to share them with anyone who hasn't seen them yet. It is a two-part series titled "The Alchemist in Hollywood," and the films are available on archive.org.

They go through the process that motion picture laboratories in the 1940s used to process their film. You even get an extremely basic overview of emulsion theory, and they guide you through the process of creating an extremely simple developer and fixer! This is followed by demonstrations of the machinery and processing techniques. Although the narrator is about as exciting as watching prints dry, the films are very informative and are a great sight in to times past. I am also including a link to an Encyclopaedia Brittanica film on how they got sound on to the film print. I never knew how they did this before I watched this film, and find the process absolutely astounding!

The Alchemist in Hollywood - Part 1
The Alchemist in Hollywood - Part 2
Sound Recording and Reproduction on Film

- Justin

Thanks for sharing. Helps me better understand the darkroom magic.

Your welcome! Particularly the part where we are shown how to make a basic developer, stop, and fixer is what makes it apparent to me that photography can be as basic, or complex, as you want it to be.

- Justin

Very interesting! I will show it to my Photo I class next week. Thanks for posting.