American Cinematographer - December 2006 - 123

work is

Fire

are

based celluloid stock that was utilized in

more about making 20-30 that
really effective."
Bradley, Twiford and Altenau all
agree they've hit a comfortable stride;
each episode is turned out in about
three weeks. (In the first season, all 13
episodes were completed before
anyone had a chance to see what they
would look like on air.) The pressure is
on

for Twiford, who is afforded "two

long days" to complete the final
grade for a given episode. "I think we've
come up with a palette that doesn't
restrict us too much," says Bradley.
"We can try lots of different things and
still not feel they're out of the norm for

very

our

show."
MPI Certified to Handle
Volatile Nitrate Stock

Motion Picture

Imaging (MPI),
the state-of-the art digital postproduc¬
tion and restoration facility that is part
of Warner Bros. Technical Operations
and located

on

the Warner Bros. Studio

lot, has been certified by the Burbank

A/M>4k
114

■■■

the

Department to handle the nitrate-

production of motion pictures prior

to the 1950s. This certification will allow

the

facility to scan and restore films
period from their original

from that
elements.

With

this

certification,

MPI

becomes the

only such facility in
Burbank that has the ability to scan as
well

as

store and handle nitrate stock.

Nitrate stock is flammable and volatile

and
tion.

can

ignite from heat during projec¬

The

National

Fire

Protection

Agency therefore has strict regulations
regarding requirements a facility must
meet and procedures that must be
implemented before it can be certified
as safe for handling nitrate stock.
"Warner Bros,

was

very coopera¬

tive and

diligent over the past several
months in instituting all the construc¬
tion, training, storage, use and handling
requirements necessary for certifica¬
tion," says Jeff Williams, captain of the
fire prevention bureau of the Burbank

Fire

Department.

"We are proud that MPI is the
only facility in Burbank and one of the
very few facilities anywhere that can
scan nitrate film while meeting the
safety guidelines of the National Fire
Protection Agency," says Chris Cookson,
president and chief technical officer of
Warner Bros. Technical Operations.
"This will allow us to create the highestquality restorations from our classic
library. We can use the original nitrate
negatives whenever possible rather than
a second-generation source in creating
new

masters for theatrical

and other

release, DVD

Our

facility can now
provide this service for all owners of
nitrate negatives who do not have the
required safety standards in place."
Upon certification, MPI began
scanning its first nitrate negative - the
uses.

1942 Warner Bros, film Gentleman Jim,

starring Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith,
shot by Sid Hickox, ASC and directed by
Raoul Walsh.

1812 Valtec Lane, Boulder, CO 80301
-

i *'

888.444.1812

*

www.chimeralighting.com
American Cinematographer - December 2006

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - December 2006
