Laboratory Services

Answer Print
Dupe Negative
Interpositive
Check Print
Internegative
Release Print
Fine Grain
Lo-Con Print




















Answer Print

An Answer Print is the first print made from the "cut" original negative or Cut Negative.

After the editor finishes making the edit decision list (EDL) they give the EDL to a Negative Conformer. When the Negative Conformer assembles the Cut Negative into 900 to 1,000 rolls. If the customer desires to have fades, dissolves, or superimposures without making "Opticals", these effects can be added by using an additional roll in the printing process. (B Roll)

The following are the steps required to get an Answer Print from the Cut Negative:

1.
 Clean the negative to remove any excess dirt coming from Negative Conforming.
2.
Negative Assemble creates continuity sheets for each reel that list the scene description, starting frame, length, and footage at which the take occurs.
3.
The Timer winds the film through a Color Scene Analyzer and views the output on a video monitor. The system changes the negative image to a positive image. The Analyzer has a set of Red, Green, & Blue light point knobs that range from 1 to 50 for each color. The Timer turns the knobs until the color looks good and then records the light point combination for that cut in the computer. A light point looks like this - Red 23, Green 34, Blue 19. Every scene get a unique set of light-points. After each roll is finished, the timer pushes a button and a computer control tape is generated with all thelight points needed for that reel.

Bremson Digital Color Analyzer
4.
 Cleaning & Printing - Each reel of film is cleaned again and sent to the printing department. Answer Prints are contact printed meaning that the roll of original is run through the printer with a roll of unexposed film. At printing gate, where the light shines through the negative to expose the film stock, the two films are in "contact". Answer Prints are printed Wet-Gate.
5. Processing - After traveling about 2,000 feet through a series of chemical baths, the film is dried and ready for projection. This print is called the 1st Answer Print
Film Processing Machine (Developer)
6. Screening & Additional Color Corrections by the Timer - The timer views the print and may make adjustments to any scene that needs a correction. You may hear a timer use the term +2, -4, -3. This means to adjust the previous light point combination by +2 Blue, -4 Green, -3 Blue.
7. Clean & Print - Step #4 above is repeated again.
8. Timer screens the 2nd Answer Print with the client. Customer comes in and views the print with the timer. At this point, usually only minor changes in color correction are needed, if any. Another Answer Print is not made using the corrected light points. Instead, those corrections are incorporated into the light points and then the Interpositive or Lo-Con print are ready to be made.
Customer Theater For Viewing with Timer

 
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Interpositive

An Interpositive, aka, Master Positive is an orange-based film with a positive image made from the Original Negative. The orange base provides special color characteristics that allow for more accurate color reproduction than if the IP had a clear base, as in print films.

The IP is printed wet-gate and historically, has had only one purpose, that is, to be the element that is used to make the Internegative.
It is sometimes referred to as a Protection IP, which is a good term since the only time the IP is touched is on the occasion of making the first or a replacement Internegative. Since IP's are used so rarely, they are usually the film element that is in the best condition of all the film elements.

Interpositives are usually element of choice for film-to-tape transfers because:
1. They are usually in better physical condition than the other film elements
2. They are very low-contrast and therefore help to preserve shadow detail
3. Scratches or dirt on the IP appear black defects on the transfer which is about 1/4th as objectionable as the white defects that would appear if the transfer was made from an Internegative.

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Internegative

Internegatives are made on the exact same stock as Interpositives. Since the film processes usually go from one polarity to another, that is:

Photographer shoots a Positive image and the film ends up as a Negative
The original Negative is printed onto a stock that come out an interPositive
The interPositive make an interNegative, and finally
The interNegative make the Positive print.

By the way there are some films (reversal films) that can go from positive to positive or negative to negative but are not used very often so are not included in this discussion.

The Internegatives are the work horses of the industry. These are the elements that make the thousands of Release Prints for the theaters. When an Internegative wears out during printing, a new Internegative is made from the Interpositive and release printing resumes.

The question comes up as to why don't we just use the Original Cut Negative to make the release prints. One can easily see that each time the Cut Negative is run through the printing machine there is a hazard that the film could be damaged. Since the Cut Negative is the only elements that you have, the risk would not make sense.

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Fine Grain - B & W

A Fine Grain is a Black & White Master Positive and serves the same purpose in the B & W world as an Interpositive serves in the color world..
See above

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Dupe Negative - B & W

All the same as an Internegative except this is a Black & White Negative.

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Check Print (Same film stock used for the Answer Print or Release Prints)

The first print made from either an Internegative or a Dupe Negative to make sure the light-point corrections that were used to make the Answer Print, printed into the Interpositive, then printed through to the Internegative look good when printed though to the Check Print. (Same for B&W)

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Release Print (Same film stock used for the Answer Print or Check Print)

Any and all prints made from the Internegative after the Check Print is approved and Release Printing has begun.
Panel Printer - For Printing Release Prints


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Lo-Con Print

A Low Contrast Print is a positive print made on a special low-contrast print stock. With this stock more "shadow details" can be retained in the transfer. It is different that the print stock used for Answer Prints, Check Prints, or Release Prints. Because of its lower contrast, this stock is much better for making Film-to-Tape transfers than normal print stock.

A Lo-Con Print is not considered to be as good a transfer element as an Interpositive but isn't bad for second place.

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