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Post by Colin Anderton on Apr 13, 2021 19:57:04 GMT
My wife and I have just finished watching the DVD set of "Adam Adamant Lives!".
The accompanying booklet states that they are telerecordings, and that the original video tapes were wiped. I seriously question this. Apart from the last episode of Series 1 (D For Destruction), and the surviving Series 2 episodes, the rest look to me very much like videotape. Maybe second- or even third-generation, but videotape.
Anyone else have an opinion on this?
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Post by Paul Vanezis on Apr 13, 2021 20:23:14 GMT
The episodes are 35mm film, a mixture of telerecorded 35mm film recording and 35mm film inserts.
In fact, videotape never came into it, it was only ever shot on film for the location work and the studio content was film recorded to 35mm film.
Paul
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Post by Richard Marple on Apr 13, 2021 20:53:31 GMT
That's interesting to know.
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Post by John Green on Apr 14, 2021 8:18:00 GMT
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Post by Colin Anderton on Apr 14, 2021 9:47:46 GMT
The episodes are 35mm film, a mixture of telerecorded 35mm film recording and 35mm film inserts. In fact, videotape never came into it, it was only ever shot on film for the location work and the studio content was film recorded to 35mm film. Paul I will definitely take your word for it, Paul. No question about that. But I am stunned to learn that it was on film from the beginning. I have heard that certain settings on some TVs can give a video look to some footage; perhaps this might explain it. Colin.
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Post by Peter Stirling on Apr 14, 2021 10:50:47 GMT
IIRC it does have a telerecording credit in the end titles.
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Post by Paul Vanezis on Apr 14, 2021 12:32:43 GMT
The episodes are 35mm film, a mixture of telerecorded 35mm film recording and 35mm film inserts. In fact, videotape never came into it, it was only ever shot on film for the location work and the studio content was film recorded to 35mm film. Paul I will definitely take your word for it, Paul. No question about that. But I am stunned to learn that it was on film from the beginning. I have heard that certain settings on some TVs can give a video look to some footage; perhaps this might explain it. Colin. Yeah. Turn off all of those enhancements...
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Post by George D on Apr 14, 2021 13:58:02 GMT
If it's originally on film, maybe it would qualify for a blu ray release
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Post by stevej on Apr 14, 2021 14:39:34 GMT
I think Adam Adamant was somewhat unusual in the way it was produced. As I understand it, the studio material was made using the standard set-up of multiple image-orthicon cameras and then telerecorded, with location scenes shot as normal on film, thus all the raw material was on film (rather than the usual mix of videotape and film). This was then edited together to form the episodes.
I believe the BBC tried this production method- editing the entire shows on film - as an experiment with the aim of eliminating the need for time-consuming and fiddly editing of videotape, which had to be done with the aid of a microscope in those days. It also had the advantage that the location footage looks amazingly clear as it's just edited straight in between the telerecorded studio footage. The Francis Durbridge Presents stories 'A Game Of Murder' and 'Bat Out Of Hell' also from around 1966 were made using this method of production. Both have been released on dvd and look stunning!
I do agree that the settings of a modern tv are the most likely reason for Adam Adamant gaining a 'video look'. I saw a colour film episode of The Avengers at a friend's some time ago and his modern flatscreen tv smoothed out the film motion and made it look like videotape.... very disconcerting indeed. Ultimately there is no subsitute for a good old cathode ray tube when viewing archive programmes!
Steve
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2021 8:14:28 GMT
Actually, only the first season of Adam Adamant Lives was shot entirely on film. The second season and the one missing first season episode (can't remember the title off hand) were videotaped. That's the reason why we don't have much of the second season. The videotaped episodes were wiped, the filmed episodes preserved (apart from the last season one episode - that one is an overseas copy, hence the poorer picture quality.)
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Post by richardwoods on Apr 15, 2021 8:39:06 GMT
Actually, only the first season of Adam Adamant Lives was shot entirely on film. The second season and the one missing first season episode (can't remember the title off hand) were videotaped. That's the reason why we don't have much of the second season. The videotaped episodes were wiped, the filmed episodes preserved (apart from the last season one episode - that one is an overseas copy, hence the poorer picture quality.) Ah, thanks, I was wondering if that was the case.
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Post by Richard Marple on Apr 15, 2021 9:44:26 GMT
Actually, only the first season of Adam Adamant Lives was shot entirely on film. The second season and the one missing first season episode (can't remember the title off hand) were videotaped. That's the reason why we don't have much of the second season. The videotaped episodes were wiped, the filmed episodes preserved (apart from the last season one episode - that one is an overseas copy, hence the poorer picture quality.) Ah, thanks, I was wondering if that was the case. Same here, were any 16mm prints made for export then later wiped?
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Post by Peter Stirling on Apr 15, 2021 11:52:05 GMT
[Same here, were any 16mm prints made for export then later wiped? The cost of performance rights way,way exceeded the cost of a humble 16mm print.So often production companies were not really bothered what happened to that print after they had sold the series. Some did get returned, but otherwise once the rights expired they were either left forgotten on a shelf, chucked in the skip ..or of course found their way to private collectors.
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RWels
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Post by RWels on Apr 15, 2021 13:06:36 GMT
Same here, were any 16mm prints made for export then later wiped? Junked, you mean. You probably knew that, of course. At a glance I'd say that Adamant (like OOTU) was probably less of an export hit than other BBC series of that era. I wouldn't bet money that it ever made it outside the Commonwealth.
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Post by Peter Stirling on Apr 15, 2021 13:40:15 GMT
Same here, were any 16mm prints made for export then later wiped? Junked, you mean. You probably knew that, of course. At a glance I'd say that Adamant (like OOTU) was probably less of an export hit than other BBC series of that era. I wouldn't bet money that it ever made it outside the Commonwealth. With the calibre of the premise,cast and writers it could have been absolutely amazing..if only the BBC had not done it LOL EL SANTO!
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