Original camera negative
Encyclopedia
The original camera negative (OCN) is the film in a motion picture camera
which captures the original image. This is the film from which all other copies will be made. It is known as raw stock prior to exposure.
The size of a roll varies depending on the film gauge
and whether or not a new roll, re-can
, or short end
was used. 100 or 400 foot rolls are common in 16mm, while 400 or 1000 foot rolls are used in 35mm work. While these are the most common sizes, other lengths such as 200, 800, or 1200 feet may be commercially available from film stock manufacturers, usually by special order. 100 and 200 foot rolls are generally wound on spools for daylight-loading, while longer lengths are only wound around a plastic core. Core-wound stock has no exposure protection outside its packaging, and therefore must be loaded into a camera magazine
within a darkroom
or changing bag/tent in order to prevent the film being fogged.
Once the picture has been "locked" in editing
, a negative cutter
will conform the negative using the Keykode
as a reference, cutting the OCN and any opticals, and cementing it together into several rolls.
The edited original negative is then copied to create a safety positive which can be used as a backup to create a usable negative. At this point, an answer print
will be created from the OCN, and upon its approval, interpositive
s (IPs) and internegative
s (INs) are created, from which the release print
s are made. Generally speaking, the OCN is considered too important and delicate to be used for any processes more than necessary, as each pass through a lab process carries the risk of further degrading the quality of the negative by scratching the emulsion. Once an answer print is approved, the IPs and INs are regarded as the earliest generation of the finished and graded film, and are almost always used for transfers to video or new film restorations. The OCN is usually regarded as a last resort in the event that all of the intermediate elements have been compromised or lost. Ironically, the more popular a film is, the higher the likelihood that the original negative is in a worse shape, due to the need to return to the OCN to strike new IPs to replace the exhausted ones, and thus create more INs and release prints. Before 1969, 35mm prints were struck directly from the original negative, often running into hundreds of copies, and causing further wear on the original.
Movie camera
The movie camera is a type of photographic camera which takes a rapid sequence of photographs on strips of film which was very popular for private use in the last century until its successor, the video camera, replaced it...
which captures the original image. This is the film from which all other copies will be made. It is known as raw stock prior to exposure.
The size of a roll varies depending on the film gauge
Film gauge
Film gauge is a physical property of photographic or motion picture film stock which defines its width. Traditionally the major film gauges in usage are 8 mm, 16 mm, 35 mm, and 65/70 mm...
and whether or not a new roll, re-can
Re-can
A re-can is a roll of film stock which was originally opened up from a factory-sealed can and loaded into a camera magazine by a clapper loader, but remained unshot and thus was unloaded back into a film can unused...
, or short end
Short end
A short end is a partial roll of unexposed film stock which was left over during a motion picture production, and which is kept for use later....
was used. 100 or 400 foot rolls are common in 16mm, while 400 or 1000 foot rolls are used in 35mm work. While these are the most common sizes, other lengths such as 200, 800, or 1200 feet may be commercially available from film stock manufacturers, usually by special order. 100 and 200 foot rolls are generally wound on spools for daylight-loading, while longer lengths are only wound around a plastic core. Core-wound stock has no exposure protection outside its packaging, and therefore must be loaded into a camera magazine
Camera magazine
A camera magazine is a light-tight chamber or pair of chambers designed to hold and move motion picture film stock before and after it has been exposed in the camera...
within a darkroom
Darkroom
A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
or changing bag/tent in order to prevent the film being fogged.
Procedures in the laboratory
After the film is processed by the film lab, camera rolls are assembled into lab rolls of 1200 to 1500 feet. Workprints may be made for viewing dailies or editing the picture on film.Once the picture has been "locked" in editing
Film editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
, a negative cutter
Negative cutting
Negative Cutting is the process of cutting motion picture negative to match precisely the final edit as specified by the film editor. Original camera negative is cut with scissors and joined using a film splicer and film cement...
will conform the negative using the Keykode
Keykode
KeyKode is an Eastman Kodak Company advancement on edge numbers, which are letters, numbers and symbols placed at regular intervals along the edge of 35 mm and 16 mm film to allow for frame-by-frame specific identification...
as a reference, cutting the OCN and any opticals, and cementing it together into several rolls.
The edited original negative is then copied to create a safety positive which can be used as a backup to create a usable negative. At this point, an answer print
Answer print
Answer print refers to the first version of a given motion picture that is printed to film after color correction on an interpositive. It is also the first version of the movie printed to film with the sound properly synced to the picture....
will be created from the OCN, and upon its approval, interpositive
Interpositive
An interpositive, intermediate positive, IP or master positive is an orange-based motion picture film with a positive image made from the edited camera negative...
s (IPs) and internegative
Internegative
An internegative is a motion picture film duplicate. It is the color counterpart to an interpositive, in which a low-contrast color image is used as the positive between an original camera negative and a duplicate negative....
s (INs) are created, from which the release print
Release print
A release print is a copy of a film that is sent to a movie theater for exhibition.-Definitions:Release prints are not to be confused with the other types of print used in the photochemical post-production process:...
s are made. Generally speaking, the OCN is considered too important and delicate to be used for any processes more than necessary, as each pass through a lab process carries the risk of further degrading the quality of the negative by scratching the emulsion. Once an answer print is approved, the IPs and INs are regarded as the earliest generation of the finished and graded film, and are almost always used for transfers to video or new film restorations. The OCN is usually regarded as a last resort in the event that all of the intermediate elements have been compromised or lost. Ironically, the more popular a film is, the higher the likelihood that the original negative is in a worse shape, due to the need to return to the OCN to strike new IPs to replace the exhausted ones, and thus create more INs and release prints. Before 1969, 35mm prints were struck directly from the original negative, often running into hundreds of copies, and causing further wear on the original.