CIN201Y1 Final: 1950sTechnologies
IMAGE-ADJUSTING TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS OF THE 1950s
3-D
--two cameras film two shots simultaneously, one for each eye's view of the scene
--the images are projected one on top of the other; the viewer wears a pair of special glasses that "unscramble" the two
views, which the brain then fuses into a single image with depth
--first release: Bwana Devil, November 1952 (in Natural Vision)
--advantages: cheap conversion costs for exhibitors
--disadvantages: popularity faded quickly; films were often of poor quality; glasses were a nuisance; entire
development was perceived as too gimmicky
Multiple Camera/Projector Widescreen
--a direct antecedent was Abel Gance's Polyvision, used in Napoleon (1927): both this process and its 1950’s successor,
Cinerama, use three cameras and three projectors, which must operate simultaneously
--Cinerama adds a screen that forms a considerable concave arc; this allows projectors to be placed closer together,
while also 'surrounding' the viewer with the image
--first release: This Is Cinerama, September 1952
--advantages: provided sensation of peripheral vision and depth
--disadvantages: difficulty of maintaining synchronization of cameras and projectors; too difficult to use for anything
but travelogues; prohibitively expensive conversion costs; the image attained often appears as a rectangle trisected by
two vertical lines (i.e. the edges of each projector's frame)
Anamorphic Widescreen
--Henri Chrétien's anamorphic lens was in use in France by the late 1920's, and optioned by Paramount in 1932, but
never exploited successfully until 20th Century-Fox picked up the option in 1952
--an anamorphic lens squeezes a wide range of material onto a normal sized negative; during projection, the direction of
the light through the lens is reversed, and the image appears "unsqueezed"
--‘Scope simply required the addition of an anamorphic attachment (the Hypergonar unit) on cameras and projectors
--first release: The Robe, September 1953
--advantages: relatively cheap conversion costs; ease in filming narratives
--disadvantages: picture distortion; lack of sufficient picture brightness
--Fox succeeded in virtually cornering the market on widescreen processes, as every studio save Paramount signed up
for use of CinemaScope in 1953
--‘Scope was eventually superceded by Panavision, which improved image quality (MGM adopts it in 1957; it becomes
the industry norm by 1962)
Non-Anamorphic Widescreen
--Paramount held off from using CinemaScope and opted for VistaVision, which involved running a conventional
35mm negative through the camera horizontally, thus doubling the negative picture area
--in the printing stage, the negative is optically rotated 90 degrees, which enables 35mm positive prints to be run
vertically on any projector
--first release: White Christmas, August 1954
--advantages: flexibility and adaptability; improved image quality
--disadvantages: width capability was restricted
Wide Gauge
--various experiments with wide gauge filmstock had occurred in earlier periods, but none had been sustained
--Todd A-O was the first of a number of widescreen formats that simply doubled the width of the filmstock; some used
70mm negatives, but 35 mm positives, which meant regular projectors could be used; others combined wider film gauge
with anamorphic lenses
--most films exhibited in 70mm today are actually 70mm positives blown up from 35mm negatives
Document Summary
-two cameras film two shots simultaneously, one for each eye"s view of the scene. -the images are projected one on top of the other; the viewer wears a pair of special glasses that unscramble the two views, which the brain then fuses into a single image with depth. -first release: bwana devil, november 1952 (in natural vision) -disadvantages: popularity faded quickly; films were often of poor quality; glasses were a nuisance; entire development was perceived as too gimmicky. -a direct antecedent was abel gance"s polyvision, used in napoleon (1927): both this process and its 1950"s successor, Cinerama, use three cameras and three projectors, which must operate simultaneously. -cinerama adds a screen that forms a considerable concave arc; this allows projectors to be placed closer together, while also "surrounding" the viewer with the image. -advantages: provided sensation of peripheral vision and depth.
