AMC to air ALL episodes in black & white

[kidgloves]

Nice. Starting Thursday Feb 14th

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-dead-black-white-amc-unscripted-thursdays-402640

[aaron2]

Great! waiting for this :) Starting on 14feb valentine's day? :)

[Neil]

What the hell!?!?

Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m. 101

They're showing this program at 6:30pm in the evening???? Surely it should be on late!?

[bassman]

In the past they've aired TWD at all hours of the day. They run a marathon before every new premiere. The last one began around nine in the morning, iirc.

[MinionZombie]

In the past they've aired TWD at all hours of the day. They run a marathon before every new premiere. The last one began around nine in the morning, iirc.

Quite surprising to us Brits as we have something called "the watershed" at 9pm - you could never air an episode of TWD before 9pm without breaching Ofcom rules (media regulators in the UK) and gaining a fine for the channel which did so. I take it you guys have another sort of system, some kind of block or pin number required to watch TWD at that time of day, or can anyone channel hop onto AMC and watch zombies chow down on guts?

[bassman]

Parents can set a pin number for whatever channels they like on their personal cable/satelite receivers, but there's nothing universal. So if it's not set to be locked by the owner, you could just surf channels and land on TWD early in the morning.

[MinionZombie]

Parents can set a pin number for whatever channels they like on their personal cable/satelite receivers, but there's nothing universal. So if it's not set to be locked by the owner, you could just surf channels and land on TWD early in the morning.

Interesting. Here in the UK we also have - on Sky satellite boxes for example - an option to set an 'upper limit' before you require the entry of the PIN number. The levels are set according to BBFC ratings (U, PG, 12, 15, and 18). Although what's really annoying is, there is no way to turn it off entirely - you don't have to have that option enabled, but even if you don't, there's still a 'back up' (which can't be over-ridden) which requires you to insert the PIN number when you, for example, want to watch a 12, 15, or 18 rated film that you've recorded before a certain time in the day. In a house full of adults it's annoying to constantly be having to enter a PIN number, I have to say ... good for households with kids parented by adults who have sod all idea about technology though ... I just wish there was an option to turn that off entirely for all-adult households.

[krakenslayer]

The US TV ratings system is weird, though. From what I gather, you can show people getting shot in the head at nine in the morning, string-bikini-clad whores writhing in submissive sexual positions in mysogynistic rap videos at all times of the day, but if you said "fuck" or showed an actual nipple at 10pm on network TV, there'd be an uproar. Is that a fair assessment?

Anyway, this black and white thing seems like a bizarre move. If people really needed to see it in B&W, couldn't they just turn down the colour saturation on their TV set? Are they short of new programming that day? What next? An Lost marathon with a blue filter on the screen?

[shootemindehead]

"...Anyway, this black and white thing seems like a bizarre move."

I know. It's fecking ridiculous. I just understand this nonsense at all.

[bassman]

Of course you could turn down the color on your screen, but that's beside the point. AMC was going to air the series again anyway, so why not show it in B&W to reference the source material and classic horror films?

[krakenslayer]

Of course you could turn down the color on your screen, but that's beside the point. AMC was going to air the series again anyway, so why not show it in B&W to reference the source material and classic horror films?

Because I think it's a lazy gimmick. The series was intended to be seen in colour, for a start. Night is scary and tense in black and white because the cinematography was geared towards it, the lighting, etc. geared towards getting the most atmosphere out of a high contrast greyscale medium. Ever watched a "colorized" version, or Dawn or Day in black & white? Nowhere near as effective. Now, removing the colour is so easily done that it can be achieved with your remote control at home. Showing the series in colour (as it was meant to be seen) doesn't limit people from seeing it in black and white, but showing it in black and white DOES limit people from watching it in colour, its intended, most effective medium. No big deal, there's worse things happening in the world after all, just seems like a bizarre decision.

[MinionZombie]

It is a bit of a gimmick, isn't it? But I suppose it's to try and rake in a few more viewers (as they've no doubt aired those episodes in colour numerous times already). However, if they don't increase the contrast a bit at least, then it seems a bit daft in a way - without doing that, then you get a bit of a wishy-washy black and white ... it just becomes a loss of colour, rather than a near-approximation of genuine black and white.

For one thing the costumes and on-screen colours haven't been designed with black and white in mind. That was something they had to bear in mind during the black and white days to allow for the best contrast, but also to get a good depth to the material, and so certain clothes stood out from certain pieces of the set/decoration.

I saw some screenshots of the B&W version of 1x01 and it did look more like the 'wishy-washy' absense of colour, rather than an approximation of genuine B&W film.

I don't blame them for doing it though - to some people it'd be interesting, I'd imagine, the sort of people who rarely (if ever) watch B&W stuff. Although the sort of kids who enjoy 'second screen' technology would no doubt call it "gay" and switch off ... ruddy kids ... heck, ruddy people that exist, thus creating an actual market for "colorized" films. :|

[AcesandEights]

Of course you could turn down the color on your screen, but that's beside the point. AMC was going to air the series again anyway, so why not show it in B&W to reference the source material and classic horror films?

Why not, is right. It's a fun nod to the source material, not sure why people are having such a problem with it, aside from this being the internet and all :p

[bassman]

Why not, is right. It's a fun nod to the source material, not sure why people are having such a problem with it, aside from this being the internet and all :p

I notice that the people complaining are the ones that don't get AMC. Just sayin...

:p

[kaushalsingh]

But why are they doing it anyways?
Did i miss something in early posts?

[MinionZombie]

Air Dates - apparently no info on 2x07-2x13 yet...

http://dailydead.com/airdates-for-the-walking-deads-black-and-white-episodes/


Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m. 101
Feb. 14, 8 p.m. 102
Feb. 21, 8 p.m. 103
Feb. 28, 8 p.m. 104
March 7, 8 p.m. 105
March 14, 8 p.m. 106
March 21, 7:30 p.m. 201
April 4, 8 p.m. 202
April 11, 8 p.m. 203
April 18, 8 p.m. 204
April 25, 8 p.m. 205
May 2, 8 p.m. 206

[Neil]

I saw some screenshots of the B&W version of 1x01 and it did look more like the 'wishy-washy' absense of colour, rather than an approximation of genuine B&W film.
That was my worry, that it would end up being grey & grey, rather than black & white.

[LouCipherr]

Well, put me in the "I see no problem with this" camp.

I've always been a huge fan of B&W photos and movies, way more than color, so this will just be an added bonus for me. Episode 1 in B&W was fantastic. Want to be impressed with a modern adaptation of B&W? Watch "The Mist" in black and white (mentioned due to Darabont connection) - it blew away the color version by 10 fold. The CGI blended with the scenery and the people soooo much better, not to mention it certainly had a more "creepy" vibe than the color version. If I have an opportunity to watch something in B&W or color, B&W wins 99.9% of the time.

I don't think the question should be "why?" but rather "why not?" If they're going to air all the episodes anyway, they might as well make it interesting for the people who have already seen it. ;)

[MinionZombie]

Agreed, I see no problem with AMC airing them in B&W.

http://images2.static-bluray.com/reviews/5011_1.jpg

B&W screenshots from 1x01:
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Walking-Dead-The-Complete-First-Season-Blu-ray/26798/#Screenshots

Re-checking on Blu-Ray.com, the B&W isn't as 'grey' as I'd remembered it being - although there is still definitely a subtle difference that makes it look like what it is - B&W after-the-fact. Now, naturally, you're going to get a better look if you shoot it in B&W originally, and not quite as good a result if you do it in post.

Generally speaking though I'm not opposed to the idea at all (it's a neat way to freshen up oft-repeated episodes for the die-hard fanbase) - like I said - it doesn't look quite as 'grey' as I remembered it being, just not quite as good as genuine B&W cinematography either (naturally). Different film stock, different lighting situations, different colour schemes (e.g. clothing contrast), different requirements in make-up etc - subtle things that add up to a difference, if not a huge difference, but one nonetheless.

Speaking more generally, like Lou, I'm a big fan of B&W - although I love all looks - whichever suits best, and whichever was intended. I particularly like B&W photography as it feels more like a memory than colour does, if that makes sense?

[bassman]

The B&W version on the Season One Blu Ray, much like The Mist, was great imo. Needed? No. Nice little bonus? Of course. I look forward to seeing what the other episodes have to offer.

I seem to remember reading/seeing an interview with Darabont where he mentions that the pilot was actually converted to B&W. It wasn't just a simple turning down of the color, but they actually spent time and mastered it specifically for the format.

[shootemindehead]

I personally think that's a waste of disk space. The viewer can turn down the colour and up the contrast and the same effect is achieved. That B+W space could be taken up with more satisfying content.

I too love B+W, when the film is shot for B+W. For instance, I cannot imagine 'Psycho' in colour. It would ruin it. Likewise for 'Night of the Living Dead'.

I have no issue of people want to view anything in B+W, however, filling up disk space with this crap, I draw the line at.

[bassman]

^ There's no loss of disk space because the B&W version has it's own disk. Both The Mist and TWD have the feature disks, special features, then a seperate disc for the B&W version. As I said before, it's just a little bonus. Not required viewing and it doesn't cheapen any of the regular or special features, just something added on for those that wish to try something different.

[babomb]

The cinematography in TWD is actually done to allow for a desaturated look. While not exactly the same as being for B&W, everything is done for a desaturated color palette.
I'm not sure if it's just a silver retention that they do. But if that's how they get that look, then increased contrast is a natural by-product of silver retention. So obviously they would choose colors of fabrics and alter makeup techniques and colors to suit that.
That might be why they're comfortable doing things like show episodes in B&W. Because if all they were really doing was just showing it without the color information, you have to assume that their people are smart enough to know that it doesn't enhance anything that way.

[Revil3000]

I guess seeing the show in black and white might be interesting. Most of the first episode will be like watching the comic come to life, but with some added junk.


The US TV ratings system is weird, though. From what I gather, you can show people getting shot in the head at nine in the morning, string-bikini-clad whores writhing in submissive sexual positions in mysogynistic rap videos at all times of the day, but if you said "fuck" or showed an actual nipple at 10pm on network TV, there'd be an uproar. Is that a fair assessment?

I always travel down to Mexico every few months or so to visit family and I love turning on the basic television down there because after 10pm things get a bit racy. I find it strange, fascinating and stimulating. *coughs* I will just be going.