A NEW BLACK & WHITE SUPER-8 FILM STOCK
What if I told you there is a new
black & white film stock available in the super-8 50' cartridge? What if I said
that it's about the same speed as Plus-X, but with a dazzling new look and
absolutely beautiful rich blacks and pure whites? And finally -- what would you
say if I added that, for a very limited time, this film is even available with
the magnetic stripe in the 50' sound cartridge? Sound incredible? It's all
true.
The fact is that Kodachrome makes
one of the best black & white film stocks, period. The film has been
around a long time, but few realize its potential as a black & white stock.
Many are aware that Kodachrome is the only color film recommended by
Kodak for archival purposes, due to the fact that the vibrant colors will
probably outlive us. The reason for this is simple: Kodachrome is a
multi-layered black & white film that has the color dyes created during the
processing stage, rather than a film which has the color couplers embedded in a
single emulsion. It is this reason that makes the film impossible for home
processing, but also gives it the longevity, much like three strip Technicolor,
other color stocks do not have. It is also these unique three layers of black &
white emulsions that make it possible to process as a black & white reversal
film. Because of the multi-layers, the result is one of intense contrast, with
excellent definition of shadow detail.
In the United States, Film & Video
Services, in Minneapolis, Minnesota will "cross process" Kodachrome Super-8 into
black & white. Cross processing is a term meaning to process any film with a
different process than is normally used, in order to achieve an unusual, often
artistic result. In cross processing Kodachrome with black & white chemicals, a
longer developing time is required to process all the black & white layers than
is possible with automated equipment, and to compensate for this it is best to
OVEREXPOSE your film by two f/stops. This is the only adjustment needed when
filming. Of course, the only drawback is that Kodachrome, being a film that
needs quite a bit of light to begin with, is made even slower when requiring an
additional two stops of light, making the film speed an equivalent of ISO 10.
The other thing to consider, at least with Film and Video Services, is that
their cross processing only occurs at the end of each month, which is between
black & white chemical replenishments. However, in this day when Super-8
Kodachrome processing can be quite slow, the fact that this cross processing
service is performed once a month doesn't seem like a drawback. The cost is
quite reasonable at $10 per Super-8 cartridge, plus postage.
The results were nothing short of
outstanding. Due to the need to overexpose by two f/stops, I expected the film
to be a bit grainy, but was surprised when it hadn't lost any of Kodachrome
color's fine grain characteristics. It has the same grain structure in
appearance as Plus-X, Kodak's low speed black & white stock. The contrast, and
especially the blacks, are richer and darker respectively, however, giving a
decidedly different look than Plus-X. Plus-X to me is a beautiful stock, but
has a certain "documentary" look to it, whereas the Kodachrome's rich contrasts
were reminiscent of Hollywood's 1930s and 1940s films made with silver nitrate.
It's sort of the difference between making a still print from a negative, and
choosing between the matte or flat finish (Plus-X) or the glossy finish (Kodachrome).
Personal preferences may dictate which one to use.
But perhaps the biggest excitement came when
using the Kodachrome sound cartridges. To be able to shoot sound black & white
film was always a dream for me. It is unfortunate that as this discovery is
made, Kodak has discontinued making sound film, but it is not too late to stock
up (at least here in the U.S.) on sound cartridges. One other benefit is that
outdated film, even when poorly stored, seems to have little effect on the black
& white images. This means that ten or more year old outdated Kodachrome sound
film, which can sometimes be bought quite cheaply, and where concern should be
made about color retention, makes an excellent source of black & white sound
film.
It is quite possible that this cross
processing of Kodachrome can be done in your home by anyone familiar with
processing Super-8 black & white film. Kodachrome has a "Rem-Jet" anti-halation
coating on it, which must be removed prior to adding the color dyes. But in
processing Kodachrome into black & white film, the anti-halation coating is not
removed, making it easy for the home processor. One might have to experiment a
little with the right timing and temperatures to see what works best.
In one of my film test for this
article, I mistakenly underexposed the film by two stops instead of overexposing
by two stops. This four stop error could have been a total loss, but after
explaining my mistake, Gary Rasmusson, owner of Film & Video Services, tried his
best to compensate by altering the developing times and temperatures. The film
was saved. In fact, although a little murky and a lot grainy, it is very
viewable. Film & Video Services doesn't normally offer this extra service, but
for home processing buffs, a little playing around with the temperature and
timing might yield an acceptable result without having to overexpose the film at
all.
For those who like to shoot and edit
"single system," and have always wanted a black & white sound stock to work
with, cross processing Kodachrome is the solution. Whether using newer sound
cartridges which are starting to become scarce, or finding older outdated
cartridges at bargain prices, the result will surprise and impress you. In the
United States, cross processing is available from:
Film & Video Services 2620 Central Ave.
N.E., Minneapolis, MN 55418 U.S.A.
--- Chris Cottrill
E-mail: chris_cottrill@yahoo.com
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