Film technology
The narrower film technology includes all mechanical-technical inventions around the subject film , which includes the film drives , the basic cinematographic devices film camera , copier and film projector and all accessories for film processing, such as the film viewer , the glue press , synchronous roller or sound camera.
In a broader sense, film technology means working in the production , distribution and performance of films.
In production one can differentiate between
- Technology of the production (and video equipment, cameras, etc.) and
- Post-production technology ( editing ).
In distribution , technology is used to produce film copies , or today's DCI mastering systems.
Film technology for showing includes preparation, projection (image and sound) and general cinema technology .
Development of film technology
It began around 1885 with the work of William Green , who had Annibal Légé & Co., London, build a perforating machine for paper strips. In the same year, Louis Le Prince began to work with moving images . The decisive invention came from Hannibal Goodwin in 1887 : film. It enables various pioneers to solve the task of uniform motion analysis by building a film camera . Uniform movement synthesis was already known from the Phenakistiskop , Thaumotropic , Zootropic and Praxinoscope . After developing the recordings into a negative, a positive film must be peeled off, which can be viewed again after development .
Historical overview
- 1652 Portable Magic Lantern
- 1666 Newton's discovery of the color spectrum in sunlight
- 1686 Portable Camera Obscura
- 1801 Davy electric charcoal arc lamp
- 1826 Niépce's first photographic process
- Lime-light burner by Sir Goldsworthy after Drummond
- 1839 Photography according to the methods of Niépce & Daguerre and Bayard
- 1850 "Parkesine" by Alexander Parkes
- 1869 Celluloïd (Parkesine)
- 1871 dry gelatin plate by Richard Leach Maddox
- 1878 Projection of moving drawn images using perforated ribbons by Émile Reynaud , Praxinoscope-Théâtre
- 1884 Stripping film by Walker
- 1887 celluloid film by Hannibal Goodwin
- 1888 Le Prince film camera with clamp
- 1890 Closed film screening of Le Prince in Paris with star wheel mechanism
- 1891 Dickson Kinetographer at Edison, Rätsche
- 1892 Cynématographe von Bouly , Klemme
- 1893 Photochronograph by Démény bei Marey, Schläger
- 1894 Magniscope by Ed Amet , friction wheel
- 1895 “Marvelous Cinematograph” by LeRoy , bat projector, first public film screening in Manhattan, New York City
- Domitor by Moisson at Lumière , perforating gripper mechanism for paper film, improved in the same year
- Eidoloscope by Lauste for Latham, pulley in connection with (3?) Star wheel
- American Mutoscope and Biograph Company's biograph camera, made by Dickson and Casler, perforates the film during recording
- Bioscop ( duplex process ) by Skladanowsky , pulleys in connection with cam wheels, first public film screening in Europe
- Cinématographe alias Domitor von Carpentier for Lumière, first public film screening in France
- 1896 Improved Maltese cross locking mechanism by Messter , flywheel on pin shaft
- 1897 Noguès racket locking pin mechanism
- 1900 Stepping mechanism for unperforated film by Newman, camera "Centum", 100 frames per second
- 1901 Three-wing screen for the projection of Pätzold
- 1906 cellulose acetate
- 1909 hinged window with fixed dowel pins from Bell & Howell Co., camera with wooden housing
- 1911 First all-metal film camera, type 2709, from Bell & Howell, cast light metal, pendulum window
- 1912 Additive three-color system Kinemacolor
- 1917 Gripper locking pin drive in all-metal camera with housing offset for parallax compensation by John E. Leonard
- 1920 Oscillating mass on a Triergon capstan for optical sound film, 42 mm film
- 1921 February, Stockholm; Synchronous light tone from Berglund , multiple double points, SEPOPT 35 mm
- Labrély gripper locking pin mechanism for 240 frames per second, manual drive
- 1932 Subtractive three-color Technicolor , special Mitchell and Ball camera, matrix printing system
- 1935 to 2005 multi-layer color film Kodachrome
- 1936 Mirror shutter at Arnold & Richter at the Summer Olympics in Berlin, Arriflex
- 1938 Kodacolor additive color film
- 1939 three-color system Agfacolor
- 1940 Polyethylene terephthalate polyester (PETP) from Izard and Carothers at Du Pont
- 1948 magnetic sound when recording a film
- 1950 polyester film by Du Pont, trademark "Cronar"
- 1966 Jones wave loop film drive
- 1969 Super 16 as a smaller, wide-wall format
- 1970 IMAX
Film production basics
Because even the smallest production requires a roll of raw film, which is a prerequisite for a highly specialized industry, namely film production with the product plastic and photographic emulsion applied to it , relatively high costs accumulate with each processing step, which is why the producer has to draw up a budget . You can draw and paint on blank film and demonstrate and evaluate it without further ado. On the film market, however, producers experience time and again that more than just the original, even something far different than this, is in demand. In the cinema you want a projection positive with start and end tape, protective film, core, bag and can, plus posters, advertising photographs and luring leaflets, in film rental you want exploitation rights, internegatives, photographs, video copies, separate sound elements for voice synchronization and promotional material, such as Preview and clip film.
Reporting on or telling a true or fictional incident requires cooperation between designers, organizers and technicians. Even the simplest reporting on film requires a cameraman and a second person. Fee and wages are to be paid. Film technology equipment must be available. Raw film, a sound device, a microphone, a clapper are needed. Expenses for rain protection, lamps, infrastructure for transport and possible overnight stays, etc. are incurred.
Film production is characterized by dynamic, that is, continuously adaptable work, sometimes from very different people under possibly delicate or dangerous conditions. The film production is also dependent on the interlinking with operators of film studios, film laboratories and other specialists. It is obvious that only a clear concept in the form of a usable written template helps to align all those involved with the same goal. In addition to the budget and script, there is a production plan, a shooting schedule, a financing plan, minutes and a number of contracts.
The core of a film production is the original, often like a mosaic, in most cases the camera negative . In the sound film , the original of a 100-minute production is 9000 feet long (2736 m), consisting of ten so-called half- acts or five acts (rolls) of picture and the same length of sound negative . In principle, wide film and normal film can be cut at the kitchen table with a magnifying glass and scissors because the size of the image allows the content to be assessed. The creative cut is done on the so-called patterns , the first positives from the original. This remains intact, packed in cans until the image and sound editing is complete. Then the images are compiled according to the template and mounted exactly on the image. In order to safeguard and protect the valuable original, a master copy is made in the copier and an intermediate negative , sometimes directly an intermediate negative in the reverse process .
In general, studio film production is the cheapest. Weather influences are switched off, the lighting is constantly artificial, you always have a toilet, shower, cloakroom, make-up room, doctor's room, canteen and office nearby. If it is big enough, you can work around the clock in several scenarios.
Film-technical professions
The film professions with a technical component include cameramen , film editors , sound designers , trick specialists and their respective assistants. There are also developers, copyists, film light determiners and projectionists .
Abbreviations in film technology
- AC - Agfacolor
- AnC - Anscocolor
- CP - Cinépanoramic
- CS - CinemaScope
- CSS - Cinesuperscope
- CTS - Cinetotalscope
- D - Deluxe
- DS - Dialiscope
- EaC - Eastmancolor
- FC - Ferraniacolor
- FS - Franscope
- GC - Gevacolor , see Agfacolor
- GS - Gammascope
- IC - Ifiscope
- KC - Kodacolor
- MC - Metrocolor
- Nat - Naturama
- PC - Pathécolor
- PK - Prokimascope
- SchS - Schermoscope
- SCS - SuperCinemaScope
- SFS - Superfilmscope
- SS - Superscope
- TC - Technicolor
- TC - Time Code
- TeR - Technirama
- THX - a commercial quality certification for movie theaters
- ToV - total vision
- TrC - Trucolor
- TS - Totalscope and Techniscope
- tx - tx-transform
- UI - Ultrascope
- VR - Vistarama
- VV - Vistavision
- WC - Warnercolor
Nomenclature of the closest film technology
Cinema cameras
In order to find their way around the variety of devices, the engineer arranges the constructions according to a few basic criteria. In general, geometrically, it is about the
axes : x along the film path, y across the film edges, z along the optical axis. In the vast majority of cases, the film runs past the image window from top to bottom . Le Prince moved the material from the bottom up. With Bouly and Démény the film run was horizontal, as was the case with IMAX .
The positioning distance in the x-axis is important in order to adhere to a picture stand concept . Here are some examples for normal film .
|
−6 Hole spacings |
It is also about the direction of rotation of the rotary shutter from the film to the lens. Examples
- clockwise: Debrie Sept, 1921; De Vry, 1926
- counterclockwise: Bell & Howell, 1911; Paillard-Bolex, 1935 (Cinégraphe Bol, Auto Kine and Auto Kine, B, have a drum lock)
To work with a camera, the orientation left or right was used, viewed from behind the camera in the direction of the scene:
- Left: Bell & Howell 1909 ff., Leonard-Mitchell 1917-19 ff., Arnold & Richter 1935 ff., Eclair 1912 ff., Aäton 1970 ff., ICA Kinamo 1920, Pathé amateur 1922
- Right: Akeley 1912
- Rear: Le Prince 1888, Domitor-Cinématographe Lumière 1894-95, Pathé industriel 1905, Bell & Howell Autoload 1956
- Front: Debrie Parvo 1908 ff., Askania Z
Copy machines
For the pioneers, it was essential to look at the film during exposure. Later designs from 1910 onwards no longer allow this. The operator only looks at the edges of the film.
Film projectors
With the projection apparatus you usually have a good view of the film in front of the lens. Most machines are right-hand loaders, but there are a significant number of left-hand machines. Set up a left-right pair so that the demonstrator can easily reach both machines. Many cine projectors are left-hand units because they are usually placed to the left of the pair of normal film projectors.
Film damage
Defects that exceed the tolerances of the standard regulations are considered damage. It is useful to distinguish between raw film and used film. Photographic aspects are not included here.
Physical
fabrication
- Uneven thickness of the substrate or coating
- Sabrage, serpentine film edges from faulty splitting
- Inaccurate perforation
use
- Edge injury
- Edge collapse
- Damaged holes
- Bruising, irreversible structural changes to the base
- Crack
- Inaccurate splices (splices, welds)
- Scratches: short and superficial, also crack scratches (repeated scratches appearing in about the same place)
- Scratches: deeper and more sharply delineated, lengthways and crossways
- Shrinkage and elongation beyond measure
Chemical
- Decomposition of the carrier: nitrate film in five stages, acetate film with vinegar syndrome
- Decay of the substrate (binding layer): nitro, vinegar syndrome
Further influences
- Mould
- Bacterial contamination
- Wetness, gelatin swells up
- Dehydration, craquelure of the gelatine (tearing)
- Heat, spontaneous ignition of nitrate down to about 45 ° C
- Extreme cold, freeze-drying effect when thawing
bibliography
- ISO Standards Handbook 17, Cinematography. International Organization for Standardization. Genève, May 1984, ISBN 92-67-10078-5 .
- Series Weltwunder der Cinematographie - Contributions to a cultural history of film technology. Periodical book published by Joachim Polzer, published by Polzer Media Group GmbH Potsdam.
Overview of previous editions:
- 1994 - The 70mm widescreen film and its history.
- 1995 - This is Cinerama.
- 1996 - SOUND - The sound in the cinema.
- 1997 - VistaVision - The Whole Story.
- 1999 - The Agfacolor Story - ISBN 3-934535-01-1 .
- 2002 - Rise and fall of the sound film (including DEFA-70-mm, Eastmancolor, Technicolor) - ISBN 3-934535-20-8 .
- 2003 - Film editing and editing table (monograph by Eberhard Nuffer) - ISBN 3-934535-24-0 .
- 2006 - On the history of the Filmkopierwerk - A Short History of Cinema Film Post-Production (incl. 90 years of Technicolor) - ISBN 3-934535-26-7 .
See also
Web links
- Text collection on film technology - steadily growing database at drippink