(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2005/0225727 A1 Neil Et Al

US 2005O225727A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2005/0225727 A1 Neil et al. (43) Pub. Date: Oct. 13, 2005 (54) ANAMORPHIC THREE-PERFORATION (60) Provisional application No. 60/560,800, filed on Apr. MAGING SYSTEM 7, 2004. (75) Inventors: Iain A. Neil, Calabasas, CA (US); Publication Classification Takuo Miyagishima, Torrance, CA (US); John James Galt, Glendale, CA (51) Int. Cl. ................................................. G03B 31/02 (US) (52) U.S. Cl. .............................................................. 352/241 Correspondence Address: (57) ABSTRACT MORRISON & FOERSTER, LLP 555 WEST FIFTH STREET An anamorphic imaging System is disclosed which maxi SUTE 3500 mizes the use of available image area to minimize display LOS ANGELES, CA 90013-1024 (US) magnification and image degradation due to display mag nification, reduces the amount of anamorphic Squeeze or (73) Assignee: PANAVISION INTERNATIONAL Stretch during photography to lower image degradation due L.P., Woodland Hills, CA to anamorphosis, and in film applications, utilizes a film (21) Appl. No.: 11/003,858 frame that is only three perforations in height to reduce the amount of original film needed. The frame for either film or (22) Filed: Dec. 3, 2004 digital applications has an aspect ratio of approximately 16:9, is contained within the total available frame area of a Related U.S. Application Data three-perforation frame or digital imager, and is sized to maximize image area. In preferred embodiments, the image (63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/927,731, capture area is approximately 0.900 inches wide by approxi filed on Aug. 27, 2004. mately 0.506 inches tall. 102 108 0.690 IN Patent Application Publication Oct. 13, 2005 Sheet 1 of 8 US 2005/0225727 A1 Patent Application Publication Oct. 13, 2005 Sheet 2 of 8 US 2005/0225727 A1 532 404 se- 506 377 400 T 42.4 Patent Application Publication Oct. 13, 2005 Sheet 3 of 8 US 2005/0225727 A1 V^IGWyo:N7|Z09SN?T?5?õ?NIN?T?TInIN?JV 086 67’IKTTVINOZTROHCI?Z?R??SGOWWI 909"()~? #99'IGIAIHINOVW— Patent Application Publication Oct. 13, 2005 Sheet 4 of 8 US 2005/0225727 A1 WTIH$(T)| wadyov$1Cº l-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-#===--- -1/ VHWVO„VZSNOETH00ORIHILONIMSIIATHQLHRHV |- |- X67'IÅTTWOILNIHAGIGIHOLOETHIS80WWI |—006’—[[]] Patent Application Publication Oct. 13, 2005 Sheet 5 of 8 US 2005/0225727 A1 s ra S 3.S N 5-9s O of astY S A - Patent Application Publication Oct. 13, 2005 Sheet 6 of 8 US 2005/0225727 A1 s S 3. Q E. .C. c. WSat sa's S. s N C da Patent Application Publication Oct. 13, 2005 Sheet 7 of 8 US 2005/0225727 A1 S E; i s Co (d CN S Patent Application Publication Oct. 13, 2005 Sheet 8 of 8 US 2005/0225727 A1 [](JÑ?A)X£ffi—TOHd US 2005/0225727 A1 Oct. 13, 2005 ANAMORPHIC THREE-PERFORATION MAGING unsqueeze the image. When unsqueezed during projection, SYSTEM area 102 will have an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1, and the oval exemplary image 104 will return to its correct CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED circular shape. APPLICATIONS 0009 Anamorphosis is typically employed to maximize 0001) This application is a Continuation-In-Part (CIP) of the available image area on the film frame. The Standard U.S. application Ser. No. 10/927,731 entitled “Anamorphic Panavision(R) anamorphic projection aperture is 0.825 Three-Perforation Imaging System” filed on Aug. 27, 2004, inchesx0.690 inches, resulting in an image area of 0.569 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. square inches. (See FIG. 1, also the SMPTE Standard). 60/560,800 filed on Apr. 7, 2004, entitled “Anamorphic When compared to the 1.85:1 spherical widescreen format Three-Perforation Imaging System,” and is related to U.S. 0.825x0.446 with an area of approximately 0.368 square Utility application Ser. No. 10/923,289 filed on Aug. 20, inches, the Panavision(R) anamorphic format has 55% more 2004, entitled “Anamorphic Imaging System,” the contents film area. In general, anamorphic optics are inferior to their of which are incorporated by reference herein. Spherical counterparts, and produce a degraded image. The greater the amount of anamorphosis (Squeezing or stretch BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ing), the greater the degree of image degradation. Never theless, the Panavision(R) anamorphic format produces 0002) 1. Field of the Invention improved overall image quality because the increased image 0003. The present invention relates, generally, to the area reduces the amount of magnification needed to project optimization of image quality when the aspect ratio of the the image on a theatre Screen, as compared to the 1.85:1 acquisition format is a generally recognized Standard and the Spherical format. For example, to project an image that is 15 display aspect ratio is represented by a different but also feet tall (as in a conventional movie theater), the Panavi generally recognized Standard. Sion(E) anamorphic format requires a 261x image magnifi cation in the vertical direction, while the 1.85:1 format 0004 2. Description of Related Art requires a 404x image magnification in the Vertical direc 0005. In the early 1950s, as a result of the perceived tion. There is a direct correlation between magnification and threat of television, motion pictures began to be released in image degradation, when viewed from the same distance. various widescreen formats. Until this time the majority of Because of the larger magnification required by the 1.85:1 feature films and television programs were released with format, film grain, dust or other imperfections in the film frames having an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (4:3). Although frame would appear much larger when projected in the numerous widescreen formats were introduced in the 1950s, 1.85:1 format as compared to the Panavision(R) anamorphic only a cropped version of the 1.33:1 aspect ratio commonly format. known as 1.85 (1.85:1 aspect ratio with dimensions of 0.825 0010. It should be noted that the Panavision(R) frame of inches by 0.446 inches) and Panavision(R), an anamorphic FIG. 1 is off-centered to leave area 106 for an optical optical System with a 2:1 horizontal Squeeze and a 2.40:1 Soundtrack. This technique of generating an off-centered, aspect ratio (0.825 inches by 0.690 inches), survive today as right-shifted frame (a.k.a. “Academy frame’) was developed release print formats. because historically, the original film would be put in contact with another piece of film and the soundtrack would be The Panavision(R) Anamorphic Format recorded optically onto that piece of film to generate the 0006 The Panavision(R) anamorphic 2.40:1 widescreen release print film. Even today, this optical Soundtrack is System is generally preferred for major motion pictures needed on release print film. Therefore, original film is still because of its Superior Screen image quality. Panavision(R) frequently shot “Academy centered” to leave room for the was an improvement to an earlier anamorphic System intro optically recorded Soundtrack and other digital SoundtrackS. duced by 20" Century Fox as Cinemascope(R), which used an 0011 FIG. 1 illustrates perforations 108 along either side anamorphic lens to Squeeze the optical image onto the of the film, used by pull-down mechanisms within cameras available film frame during filming. (Anamorphic lenses are for advancing the film. The vast majority of film cameras essentially astigmatic; the magnification in the horizontal and projectors use a mechanism for pulling down four direction is different from the magnification in the vertical perforations per frame, and thus the Panavision(E) frame direction.) illustrated in FIG. 1 has a height that spans four perfora 0007 FIG. 1 illustrates the SMPTE 195-2000 projection tions. aperture Standard for a film frame generated using the Panavision(R) anamorphic format. Area 100 is the full camera Three-Perforation Formats that Preserve the Optical aperture, but area 102 (having an aspect ratio of approxi Soundtrack During Capture mately 1.2:1) is the portion of the film frame that is actually 0012 U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,738 entitled “Method of Mak projected. The optical image in area 102 has been Squeezed ing Motion Pictures” issued to Miklos Lente on Feb. 11, in a 2:1 ratio, and thus exemplary image 104, although 1975 (hereinafter “the Lente patent”) describes a system appearing as an Oval, is actually a circular image that has using 35 mm frames three perforations in height for the been photographed. purpose of Saving original film. This Savings would not 0008. The original film may then be converted directly to apply to theatrical release print film, however, because the release print film without changing or otherwise manipulat Lente patent System envisioned converting the original film ing the format of FIG. 1. When projecting the release print to release print film, with its Standard four perforations per film, another anamorphic projection attachment is used to frame. US 2005/0225727 A1 Oct. 13, 2005 0013 The Lente patent envisioned capturing Academy Soundtrack during filming by extending the width of the centered images with a horizontal Squeeze on the original frame from perforation to perforation (a.k.a. "film-cen film within a three perforation frame, with the optical tered”). Of course, the negative film must still be converted soundtrack preserved at the left edge of the frame (see FIG. to Academy centered release print film. 6 of the Lente patent). This original film would then be converted to conventional print film with four perforations 0017 Additionally, because of the high cost of original per frame (see FIG.

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