Film stock functions as a physical analog medium designed to record images. It achieves this through a fascinating process involving light and chemistry.
What is Film Stock?
Based on the provided information, film stock is a physical analog medium typically made from celluloid. This base material is coated with a light-sensitive gelatin emulsion. This special coating is the key component that reacts when exposed to light.
The Process of Image Capture and Development
The magic of film stock happens in two primary stages as described in the reference:
- Light Capture: Light is used to capture an image onto the film. When you expose film to light through a camera lens, the light-sensitive emulsion reacts. Different amounts of light cause varying changes in the emulsion.
- Chemical Development: After exposure, the film is later developed under a specific chemical process. This series of chemical baths converts the latent, invisible changes in the emulsion caused by light exposure into visible photographic images.
This crucial chemical processing step produces the images we see, whether they are still photographs or moving pictures. In essence, film stock records an image by reacting to light and then makes that image permanent and visible through chemical treatment.
