Optical printing

tireuse_nb


The original picture moves frame by frame in a LIQUID GATE. This technique, also called "antiscratch printing", allows for the copying, reduced copying or blowing up of films even when the film base is severely damaged.

 

What is a "liquid gate" ?

no liq_liq
This 16mm frame was scratched with sandpaper and blown up WITHOUT (left) the WITH "antiscratch".

When printing with a standard projector gate, a scratch on the film base appears as a black line on the raw stock in the camera by reason of the diffraction of the light rays of the lamp of the projector
In a "liquid gate", the original is immersed in a liquid which has the same refractive index as the film base.
The light rays may go through the film base without any deflection making the scratch invisible for the printing camera.

 

without_with_antiscratch
The proportions of those drawings are not accurate but should allow a better readability

Obviously, the scratches on the emulsion side, cannot be repaired and will remain visible on the optical print.

liquidgate
Document : Journal of the SMPTE

That's why the originals should be manipulated with the greatest care, avoiding viewers and projectors which are not in perfect condition.

couloir16
Shuttles with fixed pilot pins in the camera, together with specially developed optic, ensure a perfect registration and sharpness even in the extreme situation of blowing up Super 8mm into 35mm !

Super 8mm, 16mm, Super 16mm and 35mm


formats_a.gif

16, S16 and 35mm POSITIVE or NEGATIVE CONTRETYPES
DOUBLE 8mm BLOW UP into 16, S16 or 35mm
SUPER 8mm BLOW UP into 16, S16 ou 35mm
35mm REDUCTION into S16mm and 16mm
16 or S16 BLOW UP into 35mm
COLOUR or BLACK / WHITE


 

Special effects


FREEZED FRAME
FADES and DISSOLVES
SUPERIMPOSITION, BI-PACK
RE-FRAMING, LEFT TO RIGHT INVERSION
SPEED MODIFICATION : SILENT TO SOUND
SPEEDING UP, SLOWING DOWN, "SKIP FRAMING"
OPTICAL BLUR, DISSOLVED BLURS
DISSOLVED EXIT and ENTRANCE
LATERAL COMING IN OR OUT
INVERSION of the MOVEMENT
OPTICAL ZOOM
TITLES

Those effects may be combined.

Thanks to the opportunity to print frame by frame, there is no need to leave some frames (sometimes up to 16) between fades or dissolves, as with standard printing.
The computer makes also possible to increase the range of fade and dissolve lengths : from 5 to 500 frames, with all intermediate values !