Does this photoconductor stuff have to do with why you can only develop film in the dark?
Yes. Particles of light, photons, cause chemical changes in the film. You can work with some black-and-white films in red light because red light photons don’t have enough energy to cause changes in those films. However, color film and most modern black-and-white films require complete darkness during processing. If you expose them to any visible light, you’ll cause chemistry to occur.