Achieving True Black and True White?

[SuperDork]

Sometimes in (black and white photography in particular) white become grey and black aren't deep enough.

Is there any trick to getting pure blacks and whites in b&w stocks and/or colour stocks?
Using a grey card? Over or underexposing?

Thanks for any info.
Jesse

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[SuperDork]

Thanks for the tip on the book "The Zone System"...It's much appreciated.

Jesse

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[Actor]

I'll repeat my advice from the other thread. Go to your library and check out a book on "the zone system."

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[mattias]

the zone system can't really be used unless you have full control over the processing. the best way of getting good blacks in motion picture photography is to underexpose reversal and overexpose negative. if the blacks are good, the whites will work even if they are a little too dark.

/matt

[SuperDork]

Hello Matt:

To what degree would you suggest under or overexposing? Does it vary with the different stocks?

I did an animated short using cut-out photographs against a board covered in black velvet. I wanted the black to be absolutely black. I underexposed using Ektachrome by a whole stop but it was too much.

However, since people suggest that Ektachrome may actually be slightly underexposed anyway, I wonder if going by the meter would just be perfect?

Would it be best for me to simply shoot a test roll?

Thanks for any info.
Jesse

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[mattias]

yeah, definately shoot a test roll. i've shot one for every film stock i've ever used, in super-8 as well as in 16mm. the first part of the roll i shoot a grey scale, bracketing from two under to two over in half stop increments, and the second part i shoot a person's face the same way, and also with different key/fill ratios. once you have this, you'll be several steps ahead of most people tryign to figure out how to expose film. don't forget to slate each take properly so you know afterwards what settings you used.

/matt