Claude Friese-Greene
Encyclopedia
Claude Friese-Greene British-born cinema technician, filmmaker, and cinematographer, most famous for his 1926 collection of films entitled The Open Road.
Claude, born Claude Harrison Greene was the son of William Friese-Greene
, a pioneer in early cinematography. William began the development of an additive colour film process
called Biocolour. This process produced the illusion of true colour by exposing each alternate frame of ordinary black-and-white film stock through a two different coloured filters. Each alternate frame of the monochrome print was then stained red or green. Although the projection of Biocolour prints did provide a tolerable illusion of true colour, it suffered from noticeable flickering and red-and-green fringing when the subject was in rapid motion. In an attempt to overcome the colour fringing problem, a faster-than-usual frame rate was used.
In 1911, George Albert Smith
and Charles Urban
filed a lawsuit against William, claiming that the Biocolour process infringed upon Smith's Kinemacolor
patents. William won the first round, but in 1914 the House of Lords
reversed the previous decision in favor of Smith and Urban. This meant that William Friese-Greene was unable to exploit the Biocolour system to its full potential. however, in 1915, the House of Lords reversed itself again, and ruled against Kinemacolor.
After William's death in 1921, Claude Friese-Greene continued to develop the system during the 1920s and renamed the process Friese-Greene Natural Colour. Claude was cinematographer on more than 60 films from 1923 to 1943.
In 2006, the BBC
ran a series of programmes called The Lost World of Friese-Greene
. The series, presented by Dan Cruickshank
included The Open Road Claude Friese-Greene's film of his 1920s road trip from Land's End to John o' Groats
. The Open Road was filmed using the Biocolour process, and the British Film Institute
had to use computer enhancement of the original print of the film to remove the flickering problem.
Claude, born Claude Harrison Greene was the son of William Friese-Greene
William Friese-Greene
William Friese-Greene was a British portrait photographer and prolific inventor. He is principally known as a pioneer in the field of motion pictures and is credited by some as the inventor of cinematography.-Career:William Edward Green was born on 7 September 1855, in Bristol...
, a pioneer in early cinematography. William began the development of an additive colour film process
Additive color
An additive color model involves light emitted directly from a source or illuminant of some sort. The additive reproduction process usually uses red, green and blue light to produce the other colors. Combining one of these additive primary colors with another in equal amounts produces the...
called Biocolour. This process produced the illusion of true colour by exposing each alternate frame of ordinary black-and-white film stock through a two different coloured filters. Each alternate frame of the monochrome print was then stained red or green. Although the projection of Biocolour prints did provide a tolerable illusion of true colour, it suffered from noticeable flickering and red-and-green fringing when the subject was in rapid motion. In an attempt to overcome the colour fringing problem, a faster-than-usual frame rate was used.
In 1911, George Albert Smith
George Albert Smith (inventor)
George Albert Smith was a stage hypnotist, psychic, magic lantern lecturer, astronomer, inventor, and one of the pioneers of British cinema, who is best known for his controversial work with Edmund Gurney at the Society for Psychical Research, his short-films from 1897-1903 which pioneered film...
and Charles Urban
Charles Urban
Charles Urban was an Anglo-American film producer and distributor, and one of the most significant figures in British cinema before the First World War...
filed a lawsuit against William, claiming that the Biocolour process infringed upon Smith's Kinemacolor
Kinemacolor
Kinemacolor was the first successful color motion picture process, used commercially from 1908 to 1914. It was invented by George Albert Smith of Brighton, England in 1906. He was influenced by the work of William Norman Lascelles Davidson. It was launched by Charles Urban's Urban Trading Co. of...
patents. William won the first round, but in 1914 the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
reversed the previous decision in favor of Smith and Urban. This meant that William Friese-Greene was unable to exploit the Biocolour system to its full potential. however, in 1915, the House of Lords reversed itself again, and ruled against Kinemacolor.
After William's death in 1921, Claude Friese-Greene continued to develop the system during the 1920s and renamed the process Friese-Greene Natural Colour. Claude was cinematographer on more than 60 films from 1923 to 1943.
In 2006, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
ran a series of programmes called The Lost World of Friese-Greene
The Lost World of Friese-Greene
The Lost World of Friese-Greene is a BBC documentary series produced in conjunction with the British Film Institute. Three one-hour episodes were broadcast on BBC Two in spring 2006....
. The series, presented by Dan Cruickshank
Dan Cruickshank
Dan Cruickshank is an art historian and BBC television presenter.-Early life:As a young child he lived for some years in Poland...
included The Open Road Claude Friese-Greene's film of his 1920s road trip from Land's End to John o' Groats
Land's End to John o' Groats
Land's End to John o' Groats is the traversal of the whole length of the island of Great Britain between two extremities; in the southwest and northeast. The traditional distance by road is and takes most cyclists ten to fourteen days; the record for running the route is nine days. Off-road...
. The Open Road was filmed using the Biocolour process, and the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
had to use computer enhancement of the original print of the film to remove the flickering problem.
List of Films in Biocolour
- Dance of the Moods (1924) featuring modern dancer Margaret MorrisMargaret Morris (dancer)Margaret Morris was a British dancer, choreographer and teacher. She was the first proponent of the Isadora Duncan technique in Great Britain...
- Moonbeam Magic (1924)
- Quest of Colour (1924)
- The Open Road (1924-1926) restored by the British Film InstituteBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
2005
External links
- Who was Claude Friese-Greene? at BBC History
- Claude Friese-Greene's Colour Process at BBC History
- Interview with the British Film Institute at BBC History