Techniscope

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Techniscope camera frame.
Enlarge
A Techniscope camera frame.

2-Perf or Techniscope is a 35 mm motion picture camera film format first introduced by Technicolor Italia in 1963[1]. Techniscope is distinguished by a negative pulldown using just two perforations worth of film per frame instead of the four (as with standard 35 mm film, the 2-perf negative has a natural aspect ratio of 2.33:1, easily cropped to the widescreen/anamorphic ratio of 2.35:1[2] while utilizing half the amount of film and standard spherical lenses.

As the format is half the size of standard 35 mm film, release prints are made by anamorphosizing the frame and blowing up (enlarging) each frame up by a factor of two.

Contents

[edit] Advantages and disadvantages compared to anamorphic

Techniscope has several advantages over CinemaScope (Anamorphic):

  • It uses half as much film as 4-perf, and is therefore cheaper (half the amount of film necessary for the same running time, half the amount of developing film)
  • It uses a cheaper, less complicated and technically superior spherical lenses.
  • Film loads last twice as long (2-perf film travels at 45 feet per minute (at 24 frames per second) as opposed to 90 feet per minute with standard 4-perf)

There are some disadvantages:

  • Because the film frame is smaller, the enlarged print image is grainier; however, some films want this intended look or "feel" for the movie. For example, some of the westerns filmed with this method are in desert plains that have unpolished look or an older look to the movie, enhancing the illusion that the movie setting is in the past.
  • It is difficult to find cameras and telecine facilities for 2-perf.
  • The very small frame line between the frames means that any imperfections, such as hairs in the gate, or lens flares, will be very visible.
  • An additional optical step is required to enlarge the image and anamorphosize it onto 4-perf 35 mm film prints for release, reducing overall image resolution and adding cost.

[edit] Specifications

  • Film: 35mm film running vertically using two perforations per frame, running at 24 frames per second.
  • Film area: .868" (22 mm) x .373" (9.47 mm)
  • Film aspect ratio: 2.33:1
  • Print aspect ratio 2.35:1 (2.39:1 after 1970 SMPTE revision)

[edit] Revival

In 1999, Australian lab owner Kelvin Crumplin of MovieLab brought back the Techniscope format under the banner of MultiVision 235 and attempted to sell it as an alternative format to Super 16 mm. Crumplin's argument was that it was the quality of a 35 mm frame (from which one could achieve a natural 2.35:1 aspect ratio or extract a 1.85:1 ratio) at the price of Super 16 mm. Crumplin set up MovieLab to provide telecine and printing services and, along with engineer Bruce McNaughton of The Aranda Group in Victoria, Australia, engineered a small handful of Arriflex BL1 and IIC 35 mm cameras for the Techniscope 2 perf format.[3]

[edit] Partial list of films photographed using Techniscope

During its primary reign, over 350 films were photographed in the Techniscope format from 1963 to about 1980.[3] One of the earliest Techniscope films was Notti Nude, an Italian documentary directed by Ettore Fecchi, which was released in Italy on April 19, 1963.[4]

Because of the considerable cost savings, but compromised image quality, Techniscope was primarily utilized as an alternative format for low-budget filmmakers, with a considerable number of films in the horror and western genres. As the format originated in Italy, many of the films shot in this format were Italian and/or European. In the United States, Techniscope was mainly used by low budget production companies, such as Roger Corman's New World Pictures, but was also briefly adopted by Universal Studios during the mid and late 1960's. This led Roger Ebert to write (regarding the film Counterpoint (1968)), "The movie is shot in Techniscope, a process designed to give a wide-screen picture while saving film and avoiding payment of royalties to the patented processes like Panavision. In this film, as in The Secret War of Harry Frigg, Techniscope causes washed-out color and a loss of detail. Universal shouldn't be so cheap."[5]

Some Techniscope films:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Konigsberg, Ira (1987). The Complete Film Dictionary Meridian / NAL Books p. 372. ISBN 0-452-00980-4
  2. ^ NOTE: The 2.35:1 aspect ratio was revised by SMPTE in 1970 to 2.39:1 (more commonly referred to as 2.40:1). However, the majority of Techniscope films were photographed and released before this in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio was widely adopted.
  3. ^ a b Holben, Jay & Bankston, Douglas (February 2000). "Inventive New Options for Film" American Cinematographer Magazine Vol 81 no 2 pp. 96-107
  4. ^ Notti Nude at the Internet Movie Database—retrieved 2006-07-01
  5. ^ Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times review for Counterpoint

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../t/e/c/Techniscope.html"
In other languages