Video experts: 'solarizing' on old video/kinescope material - why?

[Damián]

Hi everyone

I'm sure many here will be able to clear this up for me. I was just watching a documentary on Motown and there were some lengths of B&W footage which I presume must've been from TV shows, on which the mid-tones were sort of 'faded to white', and there were traces of black following some of the performers' arms and such.

I was left wondering about this. I've noticed it on lots of archival footage over the years, I presume this to have been early video, .. or maybe kinescopes? I really don't know and thus it's hard for me to even ask, but I'm hoping someone will know what I'm talking about.

The clip I remember was, I believe, the Temptations doing 'My Girl'.

[Damián]

bump- anyone? Joel Cairo, Celebrity Videologist Gort, .. are you there? :winkgrin:

[Tim Casey]

It was very difficult for video camera lens not to experience "burn-in" for years - you still see it on some shows from the seventies. It was also very hard not to experience "ringing", where a quick jump to 100% white would be followed by a quick jump to 0% black.

The amazing thing about video was that it even worked in the first place....

[Joel Cairo]

Damian:

I think the effect you're describing is indeed the film camera of the kinescope machine capturing some "flaring" from the video camera's orthicon tube. In those days, it didn't take a lot to essentially overload the tube's ability to capture image, and they were particularly sensitive to white levels... which is why people weren't allowed to wear stark white shirts or suits in those days (or even these, days, really-- most engineers still discourage it). TV lights reflected from shiny surfaces could trigger it, too.

Once the tube overloaded, it would cause a noticeable white flare in the image, and usually some dark "ringing" artifacts, as well, which will appear to "trail" the path of the overloading white source. The reason it's usually quite temporary is that all of the tech crew knew how easy it was for an orthicon tube to get an overloading image "burned" into it, where it would stay permanently-- so they always tried to avoid flaring, wherever possible.

Frankly, though, I've always liked the effect-- it's wonderfully retro-60's, to my eyes. :)

As to the mid-tone white levels washing out, a lot of that is probably able to be laid at the feet of the modern video transfer engineer, many of whom don't even try to get a semblence of the proper exposure during the transfer process. They just start the projector, and come back when it's done. Aargh!!

Anyway, hope this helps! :)

-Kevin

[RetroSmith]

Joel is right on.


Several of todays professional Video editing software packages (the 10,000$$ ones, not the home ones) have filters to reduce this effect. I have some Sullivan footage that has this problem.

It IS wonderfully retro, tho, I know just what Joel means....

[Damián]

Frankly, though, I've always liked the effect-- it's wonderfully retro-60's, to my eyes. :)

It IS wonderfully retro, tho, I know just what Joel means....
Hey, I didn't say I didn't like it.. :).


..which is why people weren't allowed to wear stark white shirts or suits in those days..
I believe there is/was a Gibson guitar color by the name of 'TV Yellow' or some such thing. I wonder if it has anything to do with that?

Thank you so very very much for your answer, Kevin.