Techniscope
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Techniscope or 2-perf is a 35 mm motion picture camera film format introduced by
Techniscope-photographed films
During its primary reign of 1960–1980, more than 350 films were photographed in Techniscope,
In the U.S., Techniscope was used in the low-budget
Regarding the diminished image quality, film reviewer
Films shot with 2-perf 35 mm "Techniscope" since 2010 include I'm Yours (2012), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Argo (2012), and Too Late (2015).
Techniscope's commercial revival
Techniscope employs standard 35 mm camera films, which are suitable for 2-perf (Techniscope), 3-perf, conventional 4-perf (spherical or CinemaScope), and even 6-perf (Cinerama) and 8-perf (VistaVision), as all of those processes listed employ the same negative and intermediate films, and positive print films intended for direct projection (although 2-, 3- and 8-perfs are not distribution formats).
In 1999, in Australia, MovieLab film laboratory owner Kelvin Crumplin revived the Techniscope format renamed as MultiVision 235, attempting to commercialise it as a cinematography format alternative to the
Mr Crumplin established MovieLab to provide telecine and film processing and printing services, and, with engineer Bruce McNaughton of The Aranda Group, Victoria, Australia, engineered and produced Arriflex BL1 and Arriflex IIC 35 mm cameras for the Techniscope 2-perf format.[3]
Aaton, Panavision, and Arriflex have modern 2-perf cameras. Aranda in Australia is also currently converting cameras like Arriflex 2A/B/C Arri 3, Arri BL, Mitchell, Eclair, Moviecam. The Russian cameras, Kinor and Konvas, are also converted.
Factory-made kits for certain Mitchell and Mitchell-derived cameras are occasionally available on auction sites. In the specific case of a Mitchell, the kit includes a replacement aperture plate and cam for the film movement, a replacement gear for the camera body, and, for a reflex camera, a replacement focusing screen. As all Mitchell cameras incorporate the provision for a "hard mask" within the movement itself, it is often possible to keep the 4-perf aperture plate, and insert a 2-perf mask in the mask slot, as an economy measure.
In 2011,
Techniscope vs. anamorphic: advantages and disadvantages
Techniscope's advantages over anamorphic CinemaScope are:
- More economical: half the film stock used in 4-perforation frame cinematography; half the stock, same running time, less negative to develop.
- Cinematography uses simpler, but technically superior, spherical lenses.
- Film stock loads last twice as long; 2-perf stock shoots at 45 feet per minute, while 4-perf stock shoots at 90 feet per minute.
- (may be seen aesthetically as either an advantage or disadvantage:) The circle of confusion of Techniscope is circular (due to its spherical lenses), whereas that of CinemaScope is elliptical (due to its anamorphic lenses).
Techniscope's disadvantages against CinemaScope:
- Two-perf 35 mm is a production-only format, that must be converted to other formats for distribution. For distribution prints for theatrical venues, the frame is enlarged from a 2-perf flat ratio to a 4-perf anamorphic ratio. Enlarging the image to the 35 mm print subsequently enlarges the negative's film grain. (Although some cineastes sought this visual feel for the story; e.g. westerns photographed to appear unpolished, thereby enhancing the period settings' verisimilitude.) This step is also an additional production expense. If the enlargement process is done optically, the Arrilaser.
- Two-perforation cameras and Aaton is coming out with their newly designed 2-perf-native (3-perf user-switchable) Aaton Penelopecamera. Konvas cameras have been available in 2-perf for a while, and Arri is making 2-perf gates for their Arricams soon, available only through the rental dealers though. And more and more telecine suites have 2-perf gates for their film scanners.)
- The narrower frame line (between frames) emphasises imperfections (e.g. hairs in the gate, lens flares).[clarification needed]
Note: When transferring a Techniscope film to a digital video format, the 2-perf negative or 2-perf interpositive A/B rolls can be used (the original film negative from the camera, or the first-generation film elements prepared for the making of the anamorphic 4-frame 35 mm release print negative), thus bypassing any blown-up 4-perf element. Many DVD editions have been transferred this way and the results have frequently been stunning, e.g. Blue Underground's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and MGM's special editions of Sergio Leone 's Westerns.
Specifications
- Film: 35 mm film running vertically using two perforations per frame, running at 24 frames per second.
- Film area: .868" (22 mm) × .373" (9.47 mm)
- Film aspect ratio: 2.33:1
- Print aspect ratio 2.39:1 (2.35:1 prior to 1970 SMPTE revision)
See also
- List of film formats
- Negative pulldown
References
- ISBN 0-452-00980-4
- SMPTErevised the 2.35:1 aspect ratio to 2.39:1 for projection, however, before standardization, most Techniscope films were photographed and released in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio
- ^ a b Holben, Jay & Bankston, Douglas (February 2000). "Inventive New Options for Film" American Cinematographer Magazine Vol. 81, No. 2, pp.96–107.
- IMDb—retrieved 2007-03-19
- ^ "The American Widescreen Museum - TECHNISCOPE - American Cinematographer Article".
- ^ p.194 Pink, Sidney So You Want to Make Movies: My Life as an Independent Film Producer Pineapple Press, 1989
- ^ Jones, Brian Jay George Lucas: A Life Little/Brown, 2016
- ^ Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times review for Counterpoint
External links
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb) list of Techniscope films[permanent dead link]
- Techniscope Film Specs
- Early proposal for 2-perf
- CML discussion of 2-perf
(Wayback Machine copy)
(Wayback Machine copy)