2015 (Production)

2015-10-20 (Production)
2015-12-03 (Production)

English (Original)

Interviewee: Beverly Wood
Interviewer: Betsy McLane

Professional production

United States

Beverly Wood is interviewed by Betsy McLane at E-Film, Hollywood in 2015. A chemist and film laboratory executive, Wood shares her reflections on the nature of film lab work as well as her extensive knowledge of film stocks and mechanical and chemical processes. Film projects discussed range from SE7EN (1995) to SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999) to THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007).

Beverly Wood is interviewed by Betsy McLane at E-Film, Hollywood, CA for a two part interview on on October 20, 2015 and December 3, 2015. She begins by describing her rural upbringing in Chase City, Virginia, a small town about 40 miles from the North Carolina border. Wood discusses her childhood in great length; her perspectives on faith and religion, her early memories of watching black and white westerns and horror movies, her relationship with her father, who was the first African American bank teller in their town, and her personal experiences of attending a segregated elementary school. In this deeply honest account of her past, Wood talks about the racial tensions in the South and the fears that accompanied the drive for integration. She details her experience of being an African American woman studying for a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Georgia, and she clearly delineates the differences in prejudices against a woman and a person of color.

Crediting strong encouragement and support from her loving family, Wood recounts how, following her academic successes, she went on to work as a sales and engineering representative for the motion picture division of Eastman Kodak in Hollywood, CA. She recalls her experiences working with, and for, various prestigious laboratories; Metrocolor, DeLuxe and Consolidated Film Industries (CFI). Wood discusses the evolving nature of film laboratories and, with a heavy heart, talks about her own role in shutting down laboratories in Hollywood. As an inventor of some of the most remarkable chemical and film stock innovations, Wood shares her vast knowledge of film stocks and mechanical and chemical processes. She recounts wonderful anecdotes about many notable filmmakers, directors and cinematographers, including Alfonso Cuaron, Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki, Ellen Kuris, Roger Deakins, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Amy Vincent. She recalls her work on specific films, describing in detail how certain visual styles were achieved in the lab. The most innovative of these was director David Fincher’s SE7EN (1995) in which Wood’s invention of new types of silver halide reduction processes were used, resulting in a trend-setting look that was highly sought after in the years following the release of this film. Other film projects discussed include ALIEN: RESURRECTION (1997), SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999), AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999), THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE (2001) and THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007).

Beverly Wood (born1956) is a chemist and film lab executive known for her innovations in silver halide reduction processes. She grew up in Chase City, Virginia and graduated from the University of Georgia with a Masters degree in Analytical Chemistry in 1980. That same year she went on to join a management training program at Eastman Kodak in Rochester. In 1986 she was transferred to the Motion Picture Division of Kodak based in Hollywood. In 1989 she became the Director of Engineering at Metrocolor. Six months later this facility closed. Wood then founded her own company, Pride and Joy Productions, before going on to join DeLuxe Laboratories in 1993. In 1999 she was promoted to the role of Vice President of Technical Services and Client Relations at DeLuxe. She remained in this role until 2014. During this time she worked on a number of prominent films that made use of her own silver halide advances, including ALIEN RESURRECTION (1997), ANGELA’S ASHES (1999), SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999) and THE HOURS (2002). In 2013 she was awarded the ASC Bud Stone Award of Distinction. In 2014 Wood became the Managing Director of E-Film, a DeLuxe company and a digital motion picture film laboratory.

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