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March 2000, Week 1

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Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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From:
Blaine Allan <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 1 Mar 2000 01:28:29 -0500
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The BFI, or perhaps more precisely the National Film Archive, would
certainly have facilities to produce frame enlargements.  Considering the
quality of many of the frames reproduced in some of the BFI Film Classics
series, from the new prints struck as part of the program associated with
the book publications, those facilities are pretty good, too.

The quality of digital frame-grabs from video is widely variable, from
pretty good to really lousy, and the range is particularly noticeable when
they're put through the publication process, I think.  (For example, some
transparencies that have been made with this process, and used to
illustrate talks, I've found pretty impressive looking.  I have little
doubt deficiencies would show up if the same photos were put on paper,
though.)

I've used a Duplikin, the trade name for a lens attachment that fits on a
35mm still camera.  A frame is clamped into the device, permitting direct
copying of the chosen frame when it's pointed toward a light source.  It's
simple, particularly with an SLR camera that has through-the-lens light
metering.  (Shameless plug:  This is how I made the stills that illustrate
an article in a recent issue of the Historical Journal of Film, Radio and
Television.  The photos, from a 16mm print of a 1930s documentary, turned
out considerably better than I'd expected.)  It may be possible to
borrow/rent such a device from a photo equipment supplier.  Of course, the
quality of the product and the feasibility of doing this depends on access
to the proper equipment as well as the quality and availability of the
source materials -- meaning the print of the film from which you want to
poach frames.

Good luck.
Blaine Allan.



>--OcGLMYeAADHIHIeHMacCMeVDYIKBEQ
>Date:    Mon, 28 Feb 2000 17:55:37 -0000
>From:    mike chopra-gant <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Stills and Frame Enlargements
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>
>Please don't go to any trouble to answer this but if anyone has any
>thoughts off the top of their heads I'd be grateful to hear them.
>
>I am thinking about using some frame enlargements in my thesis to
>illustrate points I am making about key scenes in some of the films I am
>analysing.  However, I have no idea where it might be possible to get
>these.  Would the BFI or AFI have facilities to produce these or would the
>film companies be the best bet?  Presumably no one is likely to have frame
>enlargements of precisely the frame I would want so what sort of cost
>might be involved in producing them?   What are the copyright implications
>of using these?
>
>Stills might be a more realistic option but, of course, these are not true
>images from the film, but does that really matter if I only want to use
>them for illustrative purposes and I am not going to be talking about shot
>composition?
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Mike Chopra-Gant
>Department of Media and Communications
>Goldsmiths College
>University of London
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>--OcGLMYeAADHIHIeHMacCMeVDYIKBEQ

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