List of color film systems

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This is a list of color film processes known to have been created for photographing and exhibiting motion pictures in color since the first attempts were made in the late 1890s. It is limited to "natural color" processes, meaning processes in which the color is photographically recorded and reproduced rather than artificially added by hand-painting, stencil coloring, or other arbitrary "colorization" methods.

Contents

Legend

List

ProcessYearProjection methodInventor(s)Introductory film
Lee-Turner Colour 1899Additive (3 color) Edward Raymond Turner [1] [2] N/A (Experimental) (circa 1902)
Biocolour 1905Additive (2 color) William Friese-Greene Untitled Film (1906) [3]
Kinemacolor 1906Additive (2 color) George Albert Smith Representatives of the British Isles (1909) [4]
Warner-Powrie 1906Mosaic (3 color)John Hutchison PowrieUntitled film (1928)
Keller-Dorian 1908Lenticular (3 color)Albert Keller-Dorian
Rodolphe Berthon
Unknown
Cinecolorgraph 1912Subtractive (2 color)A. Hernandez-MejiaUnknown
Brewster Color (I)1913Subtractive (2 color)Percy Douglas BrewsterUnknown
Chronochrome
a.k.a. Gaumont Color
1913Additive (3 color) Leon Gaumont Unknown
Prizma (I)1913Additive (2 color)William van Doren Kelley Our Navy (1917)
Cinechrome 1914Additive (3 color)Colin BennettPrince of Wales in India (1921)
Kodachrome (I)1916Subtractive (2 color)John G. Capstaff
Eastman-Kodak
Concerning $1,000
Technicolor (I)1916Additive (2 color) Daniel F. Comstock
Herbert Kalmus
W. Burton Wescott
The Gulf Between (1917)
Douglass Color
(Douglass Natural Color)
1918Additive (2 color) Leon Forrest Douglass Nature Scenes (1918) and Cupid Angling (1918)
Kesdacolor 1918Subtractive (2 color)William van Doren Kelley
Carroll H. Dunning
American Flag (1918)
Prizma (II)1918Subtractive (2 color)William van Doren Kelley The Glorious Adventure (1922)
Gilmore Color 1918Additive (2 color)Frederic Eugene Ives
Otto C. Gilmore
Unknown
Zoechrome 1920Subtractive (3 color)T.A. MillsUnknown
ColorCraft 1921Subtractive (2 color)W.H. PeckUnknown
Polychromide 1922Additive (2 color)Aron HamburgerUnknown
Technicolor (II)1922Subtractive (2 color) Daniel F. Comstock
Joseph A. Ball
Leonard T. Troland
Jarvis M. Andrews
The Toll of the Sea (1922)
Szczepanik 1924Additive (3 color)Jan SzczepanikUnknown
Kelleycolor 1926Subtractive (2 color)William van Doren Kelley
Max Handschiegl
Unknown
Color Cinema Corporation 1927Subtractive (2 color)Color Cinema CorporationUnknown
Lignose Naturfarbenfilm 1927Additive (3 color)LignoseUnknown
Busch Color 1928Additive (2 color)Unknown
Harriscolor 1928Subtractive (2 color)William Van Doren KelleyUnknown
Kodacolor (I)1928Lenticular (3 color)Rodolphe BerthonN/A (16 mm home movies only) (1928)
Raycol 1928Additive (2 color)Maurice Elvey The School for Scandal (1930)
Splendicolor 1928Subtractive (3 color)Unknown
Technicolor (III)1928Subtractive (2 color) Daniel F. Comstock The Viking (1928)
Agfa bipack 1929Subtractive (2 color)AgfaUnknown
Horst Color 1929Additive (3 color)L. HorstUnknown
Multicolor 1929Subtractive (2 color) William Thomas Crespinel Unknown
Finlay 1929Additive (3 color)Clare l. FinlayUnknown
Harriscolor 1929Subtractive (2 color)J.B. Harris Jr.Unknown
Cinechrome 1930UnknownCinecolor Ltd.Unknown
Cineoptichrome 1930Additive (2 color)Lucien Roux
Armand Roux
Unknown
Dascolor 1930Subtractive (2 color)M. L. F. DassonvilleUnknown
Harmonicolor 1930Additive (2 color)Maurice CombsTalking Hands (1936)
Hirlicolor 1930Subtractive (2 color)George A. Hirliman Captain Calamity (1936)
Photocolor 1930Subtractive (2 color)Photocolor Corp.The Gift of Montezuma (1930)
Pilney Color 1930Subtractive (2 color)Unknown
Allfarbenfilm 1930Additive (3 color)Unknown
Sennettcolor 1930Subtractive (2 color)Mack Sennett (financier) Strange Birds (1930)
Sirius Color 1930Subtractive (2 color)L. HorstUnknown
Brewster Color (II)1930Subtractive (2 or 3 color)Percy Douglas BrewsterAutumn Foliage (1930)
UFAcolor
a.k.a. Chemicolor,
Spectracolor
1930Subtractive (2 color)UFA Studios Pagliacci (1936)
Vitacolor 1930Additive (2 color)William Van Doren Kelley
Max B. Du Pont (financier)
Unknown
Chimicolor 1931Subtractive (3 color)Syndicate de la Cinematographe des CouleursUnknown
Magnacolor 1931Subtractive (2 color)Consolidated Laboratories The Bold Caballero (1936)
Dufaycolor 1931Mosaic (3 color)Louis Dufay
Dufay-Chromex Co.
Sons of the Sea (1939)
DuPack 1931Subtractive (2 color)DuPont Co.Unknown
Rota Farbenfilm 1931Subtractive (2 color)Unknown
Russian two-color system1931Subtractive (2 color)Nikolai Agokos
Fedor Provorov
Pavel Mershin
Karnaval cvetov (1935)
AGFAcolor (I)1932Lenticular (3 color)AGFAN/A (16mm only)
Cinecolor (I)1932Subtractive (2 color)William T. Crispinel
Alan M. Gundelfinger
Sweden, Land of the Vikings (1934)
Honeymoon Hotel (1934)
Technicolor (IV)1932Subtractive (3 color)Joseph A. Ball Flowers and Trees (1932)
Morgana Color 1932Additive (2 color)Bell and Howell
Lady Juliet Williams
N/A (16mm only)
Gasparcolor 1933Subtractive (3 color)Bela GasparKreise (1933) and Muratti Greift Ein (1934)
Vericolor1933Subtractive (2 color)Vericolor Inc.The Magic Isle (1935)
Francita Process
a.k.a. Opticolor (UK)
1935Additive (3 color)British Realita Syndica, Ltd.Jeunies filles à marier (1935)
Kodachrome (II)1935Subtractive (3 color)Eastman KodakN/A (16mm only)
Cosmocolor 1935Subtractive (2 color)Otto C. GilmoreWings Over the Golden Gate (1935)
Russian three-color process1936Subtractive (3 color)Pavel Mershin
Fedor Provorov
Avenir Min
The Fox and the Wolf (1937)
Telco-Color 1936Subtractive (3 color) Cavalcade of Texas (1938)
Dunningcolor 1937Subtractive (3 color)Carroll H. Dunning
Dodge Dunning
Tehauntepec (1937)
AGFAColor (II)
a.k.a. Sovcolor,
Chrome Color
Art Chrome Color,

ORWO color

1939Subtractive (3 color)I.G. Farben Frauen sind doch bessere Diplomaten (1939–41)
Thomascolor 1942Additive (3 color)Richard ThomasUnknown
Cinefotocolor 1947Subtractive (2 color)Daniel Aragonés El un rincón de España (1948)
Fullcolor 1947Subtractive (3 color)The Goldwyn Follies (1947 reissue)
Rouxcolor 1947Additive (3 color)Lucien Roux
Armand Roux
The Miller's Daughter (1948)
Thomson Color 1947Lenticular (3 color)Société Thomson Jour de fête (1949, color version not released until 1994)
Cinecolor (II)
a.k.a. SuperCineColor
1948Subtractive (3 color)Alan M. Gundelfinger The Sword of Monte Cristo (1951)
Konicolor 1948Subtractive (3 color)Konishi Roku
Magicolor 1947Subtractive (3 color) The Humpbacked Horse (a.k.a. The Magic Horse, 1947)
Polacolor 1948Subtractive (3 color)Polaroid Corp.Unknown
Technichrome 1948Subtractive (2 Color)Technicolor Company of EnglandThe Olympic Games of 1948
Trucolor (II)1948Subtractive (3 color)Republic Pictures
Consolidated Film Industries
This is Korea (1951)
Eastmancolor
a.k.a. DeLuxe Color
Metrocolor
Pathécolor (II)
WarnerColor
and Technicolor (after 1954)
1950Subtractive (3 color)Eastman Kodak Royal Journey (1951)
Alfacolour
a.k.a. Alfacolor
1950Subtractive (2 color)Alpha Photographic LaboratoriesUnknown
Ansco Color 1952Subtractive (3 color)General Aniline and Film Corp. Climbing the Matterhorn (1948)
Dugromacolor 1952Additive (3 color)Dumas, Grosset, and MarxUnknown
Ferraniacolor 1952Subtractive (3 color) Toto in Color (1952)
Fox Lenticular Film 1953Lenticular (3 color)Twentieth Century-FoxN/A (experimental)
Fujicolor 1953Subtractive (3 color)Adventure of Natsuko (1953)
Polavision 1977Additive (3 color) mosaicPolaroid Corp.Super 8mm only

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References

  1. "World's first colour moving pictures discovered". BBC News. 2012-09-12. Retrieved 2012-09-12. patented his colour process on 22 March 1899
  2. Hughes, Beth (12 September 2012). "We have discovered the world's first colour moving pictures". National Science and Media Museum blog. National Science and Media Museum . Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  3. "Novelties at the Convention". Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette. 1906-08-02. p. 6.
  4. McKernan, Luke (2018). Charles Urban: Pioneering the Non-Fiction Film in Britain and America, 1897-1925. University of Exeter Press. ISBN   978-0859892964.