Treadwell : OK - rewatched the BFI promo video. You're right - the guy talking about how Technicolor prints were struck from the original camera negative may have been glossing over the process somewhat. Since an interpositive and internegative would have been used.
We know that Star Wars wasn't shot in three-strip Technicolor, since nothing was in the 1970s, but that its camera negative originated on Eastmancolor stock. My understanding is that US release prints of Star Wars were struck on Eastmancolor for distribution and projection (they couldn’t have used Technicolor since the US labs were no longer doing dye transfer prints by that point), but that for some reason UK release prints were struck on Technicolor in the UK.
The latter process created three temporary black and white separation masters in order to produce the final release print. I agree that it's highly unlikely that they used the original conformed camera negatives for that. Not only would they not have been properly colour-timed and cross-transitions not be applied, but you'd be risking damage to a precious original negative.
We know that Star Wars wasn't shot in three-strip Technicolor, since nothing was in the 1970s, but that its camera negative originated on Eastmancolor stock. My understanding is that US release prints of Star Wars were struck on Eastmancolor for distribution and projection (they couldn’t have used Technicolor since the US labs were no longer doing dye transfer prints by that point), but that for some reason UK release prints were struck on Technicolor in the UK.
The latter process created three temporary black and white separation masters in order to produce the final release print. I agree that it's highly unlikely that they used the original conformed camera negatives for that. Not only would they not have been properly colour-timed and cross-transitions not be applied, but you'd be risking damage to a precious original negative.
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But this one will be truncated by 3 missing scenes
