The Visual Story, Second Edition
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
CINERAMA: the First Really Big Show
CCINEN RRAMAM : The First Really Big Show DIVING HEAD FIRST INTO THE 1950s:: AN OVERVIEW by Nick Zegarac Above left: eager audience line ups like this one for the “Seven Wonders of the World” debut at the Cinerama Theater in New York were short lived by the end of the 1950s. All in all, only seven feature films were actually produced in 3-strip Cinerama, though scores more were advertised as being shot in the process. Above right: corrected three frame reproduction of the Cypress Water Skiers in ‘This is Cinerama’. Left: Fred Waller, Cinerama’s chief architect. Below: Lowell Thomas; “ladies and gentlemen, this is Cinerama!” Arguably, Cinerama was the most engaging widescreen presentation format put forth during the 1950s. From a visual standpoint it was the most enveloping. The cumbersome three camera set up and three projector system had been conceptualized, designed and patented by Fred Waller and his associates at Paramount as early as the 1930s. However, Hollywood was not quite ready, and certainly not eager, to “revolutionize” motion picture projection during the financially strapped depression and war years…and who could blame them? The standardized 1:33:1(almost square) aspect ratio had sufficed since the invention of 35mm celluloid film stock. Even more to the point, the studios saw little reason to invest heavily in yet another technology. The induction of sound recording in 1929 and mounting costs for producing films in the newly patented 3-strip Technicolor process had both proved expensive and crippling adjuncts to the fluidity that silent B&W nitrate filming had perfected. -
Square Vs Non-Square Pixels
Square vs non-square pixels Adapted from: Flash + After Effects By Chris Jackson Square vs non square pixels can cause problems when exporting flash for TV and video if you get it wrong. Here Chris Jackson explains how best to avoid these mistakes... Before you adjust the Stage width and height, you need to be aware of the pixel aspect ratio. This refers to the width and height of each pixel that makes up an image. Computer screens display square pixels. Every pixel has an aspect ratio of 1:1. Video uses non-square rectangular pixels, actually scan lines. To make matters even more complicated, the pixel aspect ratio is not consistent between video formats. NTSC video uses a non-square pixel that is taller than it is wide. It has a pixel aspect ratio of 1:0.906. PAL is just the opposite. Its pixels are wider than they are tall with a pixel aspect ratio of 1:1.06. Figure 1: The pixel aspect ratio can produce undesirable image distortion if you do not compensate for the difference between square and non-square pixels. Flash only works in square pixels on your computer screen. As the Flash file migrates to video, the pixel aspect ratio changes from square to non-square. The end result will produce a slightly stretched image on your television screen. On NTSC, round objects will appear flattened. PAL stretches objects making them appear skinny. The solution is to adjust the dimensions of the Flash Stage. A common Flash Stage size used for NTSC video is 720 x 540 which is slightly taller than its video size of 720 x 486 (D1). -
History of Widescreen Aspect Ratios
HISTORY OF WIDESCREEN ASPECT RATIOS ACADEMY FRAME In 1889 Thomas Edison developed an early type of projector called a Kinetograph, which used 35mm film with four perforations on each side. The frame area was an inch wide and three quarters of an inch high, producing a ratio of 1.37:1. 1932 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the Academy Ratio the standard Ratio, and was used in cinemas until 1953 when Paramount Pictures released Shane, produced with a Ratio of 1.66:1 on 35mm film. TELEVISION FRAME The standard analogue television screen ratio today is 1.33:1. The Aspect Ratio is the relationship between the width and height. A Ratio of 1.33:1 or 4:3 means that for every 4 units wide it is 3 units high (4 / 3 = 1.33). In the 1950s, Hollywood's attempt to lure people away from their television sets and back into cinemas led to a battle of screen sizes. Fred CINERAMA Waller of Paramount's Special Effects Department developed a large screen system called Cinerama, which utilised three cameras to record a single image. Three electronically synchronised projectors were used to project an image on a huge screen curved at an angle of 165 degrees, producing an aspect ratio of 2.8:1. This Is Cinerama was the first Cinerama film released in 1952 and was a thrilling travelogue which featured a roller-coaster ride. See Film Formats. In 1956 Metro Goldwyn Mayer was planning a CAMERA 65 ULTRA PANAVISION massive remake of their 1926 silent classic Ben Hur. -
A Brief Intro to Photoshop. Four by Three (4:3): That's For
A brief intro to Photoshop. Although many other image manipulation tools are cheaper and a bit more user friendly, Photoshop is the leading tool for digital image manipulation. As you will see, our uses of Photoshop are basic, but for the introductory student they do require a little bit of work. Please don’t become bogged down in Photoshop. Complete these simple tasks and move on. Four by three (4:3): that’s for me! The industry standard for video and digital video production is an aspect ratio of 4:3. That means the measurements of the screen on which you will see your story finished is 4:3 and we must make all the images you scan fit into that size. The standard measurement for a computer is 640 pixels by 480 pixels (640 x 480 is 4:3!) If an image is scanned or cropped to be a different ratio, then in the end your image will be stretched and distorted to fit the screen, whether you like it or not. Example: You have to put your image through a sizing operation if you want to avoid this distortion. These are your options: 1 Option 1: The Black Bars 1. Open the picture you are working on. Go to FILE > OPEN. Select your file. 2. First make sure that the background is set to black. At the bottom of the tool bar are two little boxes, one on the top left, and one on the bottom right. Click on the bottom left corner box of the COLOR PICKER and choose black in the color picker window. -
ASPECT RATIO Aspect Ratios Are One of the More Confusing Parts of Video
ASPECT RATIO Aspect ratios are one of the more confusing parts of video, although they used to be simple. That's because television and movie content was all about the same size, 4:3 (also known as 1.33:1, meaning that the picture is 1.33 times as long as it is high). The Academy Standard before 1952 was 1.37:1, so there was virtually no problem showing movies on TV. However, as TV began to cut into Hollywood's take at the theater, the quest was on to differentiate theater offerings in ways that could not be seen on TV. Thus, innovations such as widescreen film, Technicolor, and even 3-D were born. Widescreen film was one of the innovations that survived and has since dominated the cinema. Today, you tend to find films in one of two widescreen aspect ratios: 1. Academy Standard (or "Flat"), which has an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 2. Anamorphic Scope (or "Scope"), which has an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Scope is also called Panavision or CinemaScope. HDTV is specified at a 16:9, or 1.78:1, aspect ratio.If your television isn't widescreen and you want to watch a widescreen film, you have a problem. The most common approach in the past has been what's called Pan and Scan. For each frame o a film, a decision is made as to what constitutes the action area. That part of the film frame is retained, and the rest is lost.. This can often leave out the best parts of a picture. -
24P and Panasonic AG-DVX100 and AJ-SDX900 Camcorder Support in Vegas and DVD Architect Software
® 24p and Panasonic AG-DVX100 and AJ-SDX900 camcorder support in Vegas and DVD Architect Software Revision 3, Updated 05.27.04 The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Sony Pictures Digital Media Software and Services. The software described in this manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement. The software license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use. Sound Forge, ACID, Vegas, DVD Architect, Vegas+DVD, Acoustic Mirror, Wave Hammer, XFX, and Perfect Clarity Audio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Pictures Digital Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners in the United States and other countries. Copyright © 2004 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. This document can be reproduced for noncommercial reference or personal/private use only and may not be resold. Any reproduction in excess of 15 copies or electronic transmission requires the written permission of Sony Pictures Digital Inc. Table of Contents What is covered in this document? Background ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Vegas .......................................................................................................................................................................... -
Panaflex Millennium Manual
THE PANAFLEX MILLENNIUM Operations Manual PANAVISION 6219 De Soto Avenue Woodland Hills, CA 818.316.1000 91367 text Nolan Murdock Gary Woods design and production Roger Jennings Richard J. Piedra Susan J. Stone photos Christina Peters © Copyright 2000, Panavision, Inc. Second edition: 09/00 THE PANAFLEX MILLENNIUM Operations Manual Table of Contents SECTION ONE _______________ GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS 1.1 .................................. Cable Specifications 1.2 .................................. Camera Specifications 1.3 .................................. Camera Illustrations 1.4 .................................. Side Camera Views 1.5 .................................. Front and Rear Camera Views 1.6 .................................. Ground Glass Options SECTION TWO ______________ PACKING AND SHIPPING 2.1 .................................. Packing and Transport 2.2 .................................. Accessory Cases SECTION THREE _____________ ASSEMBLY 3.1 .................................. Camera Assembly 3.2 .................................. Digital Display 3.3 .................................. Iris Rod Bracket 3.4 .................................. On-Board Monitor and Bracket 3.5 .................................. Panalens Lite with Video 3.6 .................................. Witness Camera Monitor and Bracket 3.7 .................................. Auxiliary Carrying Handle 3.8 .................................. Follow Focus 3.9 .................................. Eyepiece Option 3.10 ................................ Eyepiece Leveler -
Cinerama to Digital Cinema: from the Zenith to the Decline Written by Enric Mas ( ) January 11, 2016
Enric Mas nitsenblanc.cat Cinerama to digital cinema: from the zenith to the decline Written by Enric Mas ( http://nitsenblanc.cat ) January 11, 2016 I try to imagine what the audience felt when they first saw a movie in Cinerama... but I cannot. I wonder, did they feel the same as I did when I saw a projection in 70 mm IMAX for the first time? Some clues tell me the answer is no. Howard Rust, of the International Cinerama Society, gave me an initial clue: “I was talking to a chap the other day who’d just been to see IMAX. ‘Sensational’, he said. ‘But, you know… it still doesn’t give you the same pins and needles up and down the back of your spin that Cinerama does’ ”. 1 What is its secret? Why is every film seen in Cinerama a unique event that is remembered for decades? We have another clue in a man who had worked with D.W. Griffith in That Royle Girl (1925), who produced and directed technically innovative short films, where black performers appeared, a rarity at the time, including the first appearance of Billie Holiday (Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life , 1935). He created a new imaging system (Vitarama) for the World’s Fair in New York (1939), joining 11 projectors of 16 mm, which reached a vertical image of 75 degrees high and 130 degrees wide, 2,3 developments which led to the most advanced artillery simulator in the world, which was used to train future aircraft gunners in World War II. -
FILM FORMATS ------8 Mm Film Is a Motion Picture Film Format in Which the Filmstrip Is Eight Millimeters Wide
FILM FORMATS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 mm film is a motion picture film format in which the filmstrip is eight millimeters wide. It exists in two main versions: regular or standard 8 mm and Super 8. There are also two other varieties of Super 8 which require different cameras but which produce a final film with the same dimensions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Standard 8 The standard 8 mm film format was developed by the Eastman Kodak company during the Great Depression and released on the market in 1932 to create a home movie format less expensive than 16 mm. The film spools actually contain a 16 mm film with twice as many perforations along each edge than normal 16 mm film, which is only exposed along half of its width. When the film reaches its end in the takeup spool, the camera is opened and the spools in the camera are flipped and swapped (the design of the spool hole ensures that this happens properly) and the same film is exposed along the side of the film left unexposed on the first loading. During processing, the film is split down the middle, resulting in two lengths of 8 mm film, each with a single row of perforations along one edge, so fitting four times as many frames in the same amount of 16 mm film. Because the spool was reversed after filming on one side to allow filming on the other side the format was sometime called Double 8. The framesize of 8 mm is 4,8 x 3,5 mm and 1 m film contains 264 pictures. -
Caractéristiques Optiques De La Prise De Vue 65Mm État Des Lieux Des Techniques À L’Usage De Ce Format Large De Prise De Vue
ENS LOUIS LUMIERE La Cité du Cinéma, 20 rue Ampère, 93213, BP 12 La Plaine Saint-Denis Cedex, France Tél : 33 (0) 1 84 67 00 01 www.ens-louis-lumiere.fr Mémoire de fin d’études et de recherche Section Cinéma Promotion 2014 - 2017 Caractéristiques optiques de la prise de vue 65mm État des lieux des techniques à l’usage de ce format large de prise de vue Etienne SUFFERT Ce mémoire est accompagné de la partie pratique intitulée Caractéristiques et spécificités de la prise de vue en ARRI Alexa 65, essais et comparatifs optiques. Directeur de mémoire interne : Pascal MARTIN Coordinateur de mémoire et Président du Jury : David FAROULT Coordinatrice de la partie pratique (PPM) : Dominique TROCNET Etienne SUFFERT Mémoire de fin d’études - ENS Louis Lumière 2017 !2/!166 REMERCIEMENTS : Je tiens à remercier chaleureusement toutes les personnes qui de près ou de loin m’ont permis de réaliser ce mémoire et rendre possible sa partie pratique l’accompagnant. L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure Louis Lumière et en particulier : Pascal MARTIN Mon directeur de mémoire, pour ses conseils et son intérêt pour le sujet Tony GAUTHIER Pour son partage de connaissance et ses conseils Dominique TROCNET, Françoise BARANGER, John LVOFF Pour leur soutien administratif, leur compréhension et pour avoir rendu possible la réalisation de la PPM Laurent STEHLIN Pour son aide précieuse et ses conseils lors de l’élaboration de la PPM Didier NOVÉ, Arthur CLOQUET Pour l’accès et la réservation du matériel nécessaire à la PPM Alain SARLAT, Elena ERHEL Pour leur investissement et leur -
Cinematography
CINEMATOGRAPHY ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS • The filmmaker controls the cinematographic qualities of the shot – not only what is filmed but also how it is filmed • Cinematographic qualities involve three factors: 1. the photographic aspects of the shot 2. the framing of the shot 3. the duration of the shot In other words, cinematography is affected by choices in: 1. Photographic aspects of the shot 2. Framing 3. Duration of the shot 1. Photographic image • The study of the photographic image includes: A. Range of tonalities B. Speed of motion C. Perspective 1.A: Tonalities of the photographic image The range of tonalities include: I. Contrast – black & white; color It can be controlled with lighting, filters, film stock, laboratory processing, postproduction II. Exposure – how much light passes through the camera lens Image too dark, underexposed; or too bright, overexposed Exposure can be controlled with filters 1.A. Tonality - cont Tonality can be changed after filming: Tinting – dipping developed film in dye Dark areas remain black & gray; light areas pick up color Toning - dipping during developing of positive print Dark areas colored light area; white/faintly colored 1.A. Tonality - cont • Photochemically – based filmmaking can have the tonality fixed. Done by color timer or grader in the laboratory • Digital grading used today. A scanner converts film to digital files, creating a digital intermediate (DI). DI is adjusted with software and scanned back onto negative 1.B.: Speed of motion • Depends on the relation between the rate at which -
Glossary of Digital Video Terms
Glossary of Digital Video Terms 24P: 24 frame per second, progressive scan. This has been the frame rate of motion picture film since talkies arrived. It is also one of the rates allowed for transmission in the DVB and ATSC television standards – so they can handle film without needing any frame-rate change (3:2 pull-down for 60 fields-per-second systems or running film at 25fps for 50 Hz systems). It is now accepted as a part of television production formats – usually associated with high definition 1080 lines, progressive scan. A major attraction is a relatively easy path from this to all major television formats as well as offering direct electronic support for motion picture film and D-cinema. 24Psf: 24 frame per second, progressive segmented frame. A 24P system in which each frame is segmented – recorded as odd lines followed by even lines. Unlike normal television, the odd and even lines are from the same snapshot in time – exactly as film is shown today on 625/50 TV systems. This way the signal is more compatible (than normal progressive) for use with video systems, e.g. VTRs, SDTI or HD-SDI connections, mixers/switchers etc., which may also handle interlaced scans. It can also easily be viewed without the need to process the pictures to reduce 24-frame flicker. 3:2 pull-down: Method used to map the 24 fps of film onto the 30 fps (60 fields) of 525-line TV, so that one film frame occupies three TV fields, the next two, etc. It means the two fields of every other TV frame come from different film frames making operations such as rotoscoping impossible, and requiring care in editing.