Shooting in Black & White
Black and white film is a short cut to fantasyland. Kodak black and white film stocks are excellent, although film makers have to option to shoot in color and later convert to black and white. Still nothing beats shooting on a black and white negative.
For filmmaking students, black and white is a wonderful and simple way to signal a departure from reality. Kodak only manufactures black and white stock to meet consumer demand and will (the last I checked) sell only five rolls to a customer (400 ft. per roll). If you decide to shoot in black and white, be aware that there are only a few film labs in the U.S. that will process and print b&w. Presently, I know of only one lab in New York City that actually processes its own black and white film. I found some great labs that specialize in black and white processing in Eastern Europe (Poland in particular). Considering this fact, it might take several days (or more) for you to see your dailies.
I have found it good practice to take your tail ends (film at the end of your rolls) and shoot a 10-foot test. Then, cut this off the roll and process it on location with a still photography processing kit. You might be lucky enough to find an old military or press portable processing kit at a garage sale. This test indicates the following:
- If you are exposing correctly
- If you have any lens problems
- If there are any light leaks in the camera case
- If you have any gate scratches
- If there are any other camera problems
For testing on remote locations with no dailies, I generally use black and white film on color shoots so I can determine if my camera is functioning properly.
Be aware that in the U.S. shooting in black and white is no longer cheaper than shooting in color. However, in certain parts of Eastern Europe and Russia, black and white is still cheaper. This is good to consider, and in some cases, your dailies, processed in Eastern Europe and shipped to the U.S. might get to you faster via UPS than if you ship them to a U.S. lab.
The 1940’s “film noir” and the look episodes of the Twilight Zone all project the rich and clear images of black and white. Black and white continues to have a future role in filmmaking. Films such as Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It” and Jim Jarmusch’s “Down by Law” all demonstrate that black and white has many uses.
--Mickey Grant