The Debut of Technicolor: Time Machine, 1939

BY Tyghe Trimble

Published in the January 2007 issue.

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Digital effects now can turn a blue background into a dazzling computer-generated landscape (see "Lights, Camera, Data!"). In 1939, the most dazzling trick of all was Technicolor. "Color moving pictures are a miracle in mechanical ingenuity," PM wrote. Each scene was shot with three black-and-white negatives. Using a painting as reference (above), filmmakers dyed the negatives, pieced them together and hoped for the best.

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