Table Of ContentA M E R IC A N
C IN E M A T O G R A P H E R
M A N U A L
SEVENTH
EDITION
EDITED BY
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American Cinem atographer M anual
Seventh Edition
Copyright© 1993 by The ASC Press
Hollywood, California, USA
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 79-93439
ISBN 0-935578-11-0
Cover Design and Artwork by George E. Turner
Copy edited by David Heuring, Stephen Pizzello and Marji Rhea
Production by Martha Winterhalter
Printed in the United States of America by Sinclair Printing Company
Ü
Acknowledgements
This edition, like all of the previous editions, was a joint effort. We
have called on A SC members, associate members and manufacturers' rep
resentatives to discuss the state of the art in the areas of their exper
tise. I would like to thank each of the more than 50 contributors for tak
ing time from their busy schedules to help in the preparation of this
manual. M ehrdad Azarmi, Ph.D.; Ed Blasko, Eastman Kodak; Paul
Bourque, Agfa Photo Division; James K. Branch; Steven C. Chamberlain,
Arriflex Corp.; Ed Clare, Matthews Studio Equipment Group; Chris J.
Condon, StereoVision International, Inc.; Anthony Coogan, StereoMedia,
Inc.; Jack Cooperman, ASC; Ed DiGiulio, Cinema Products Corp.; Fred
Detmers; Linwood G. Dunn, ASC; Richard Edlund, ASC; Jonathan Erland;
Marianne Exbrayat, Aaton Des Autres, Inc.; Doug Fries, Fries Engineer
ing; Tom Fraser; Richard Glickman, Gliconen Corp.; William Hansard, Sr.,
Hansard Enterprises; Frieider Hochheim, Kinoflo Inc.; Michael Hofstein;
Bill Hogan, Sprocket Digital; Robert C. Hummel III, Theme Park Produc
tions, Inc.; Masaru Jibiki, Fuji Photo Film USA; John Jurgens, Cinema Prod
ucts Corp.; Frank M. Kay, Panavision; Conrad Kiel, Photo-Sonics, Inc.; Jon
Kranhouse; Bern Levy, Bern Levy Associates; Frank Leonetti, Leonetti Co.;
Grant Loucks, Alan Gordon Enterprises; Harry Mathias; Rami Mina, Don
Miskowich, Eastman Kodak; John Mosely, CAS; Martin Mueller, MSM
Design, Inc.; Dennis Muren, ASC; Ryan O'Hara, Chapman Leonard; Marty
Ollstein; Allan Peach, DemoGraFX; Steven Poster, ASC; David L. Quaid, ASC;
Pete Romano, Hydroimage; Gavin Schütz, Image Transform; Daniel L.
Symmes, Spatial Technologies, Inc.; Bill Taylor, ASC; Ira Tiffen, Tiffen
Manufacturing Corp.; Bill Turner, Century Precision Optics; Petro Vlahos,
Vlahos Motion Pictures, Inc.; Paul Westerfer, AMPTP; Michael Whitney,
DemoGraFX; Geoffrey H. Williamson, Wilcam Photo Research; Irwin W.
Young, DuArt Laboratories.
Special thanks to David Heuring, Martha Winterhalter, Steven
Pizzello, Marji Rhea, and the American Cinematographer staff for their
suggestions and assistance.
— Rod Ryan
Dr. Rod Ryan retired as Regional Engineering Director of Eastman Kodak
MP&A V Division after 40 years service with that company. He is a graduate of
the University of Southern California BA, Ma, PhD, an Honorary Member of
ASC, a Life Fellow of SMPTE, Retired Fellow BKSTS, a member of the Acad
emy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences and the Motion Picture Pioneers. His awards include the Herbert T.
Kalmus Gold Medal, three SMPTE Special Commendations, the AM PAS Sci
entific & Engineering Award and the AM PAS Medal O f Commendation. Dur
ing World War / / , he was a USN photographer, and after the war one of the pho
tographers of the Atomic Bomb Tests at Bikini Atoll. He is the author of "A His
tory of Motion Picture Color Technology, " editor and contributing author of
"Color Sensitometry" "Sixtieth Anniversary Issue SMPTE Journal," "Fiftieth
Anniversary Issue American Cinematographer," contributing author of " Con
trol Techniques in Film Processing," "Technologies in the Laboratory Handling
of Motion Picture and Other Long Films/' "The Book of Film Care," and several
articles in the SMPTE Journal and other trade publications.
WRS MOTION PICTURE AND VIDEO LABORATORY
ONE CALL ANSWERS THEM ALL: 800-FILM-WRS
■J WRS-Pittsburgh • 1000 Napor Blvd. • Pittsburgh, PA 1 5 2 0 5
> mm/35 mm dailies, color or black and white
> Video dailies, wet or dry, with time-code or key code
■ Answer prints, intermediates, volume release
> Screening and editing rooms
Audio
> Most film/video formats including R-DAT
> Rerecording, sweetening, transfers
Video
> Film-to-tape - NTBC/PAL wet gate
»Standards- Conversions
NTSC/PAL/SECAM
■ Duplication all formats
■ Tape-to-film transfers
»Satellite Services
> Syndication
CONTENTS
CINEMATOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS
35mm Systems
16mm Systems
Special Purpose Systems
Pros and Cons of 1.85,2.35
and Super 35 Film Formats
CAMERAS
65mm
Arriflex 765
Cinema Products CP-65
Fries 865
Mitchell Reflex TODD-AO
MSM 8870
Panavision AC/SPC
Panavision System-65
Panavision Panaflex System-65
35mm
3
9
10
13
31
33
34
36
37
39
39
43
Aaton 35mm
45
Aaton 35-11
46
Arriflex 535
47
Arriflex 535B
50
Arriflex 35-3
52
Arriflex 35BL-4s
54
Arriflex 35-3C
56
Arriflex 35-2C
57
Cinema Products FX35
59
Cinema Products XR35
61
Feathercam CM35
62
IMAGE 300 35mm
63
Mitchell NC, NCR, BNC,
BNCR (35mm); FC, BFC (65mm)
64
35mm continued
Mitchell S35R (Mark II)
66
Mitchell Standard and High Speed
67
Moviecam Super 35mm
69
Panavision Platinum Panaflex
70
Panavision GII Golden Panaflex
74
Panavision Panaflex-X
74
Panaflex Panastar High-Speed
74
Panavision Super R-2000
76
Photo-Sonics 4B/4C
79
Photo-Sonics 4ER
79
Ultracam 35mm
80
VislaVision
MSM 8812
81
Wilcam W-7
82
Wilcam W-9
83
Wilcam W -ll
85
16mm
Aaton XTRplus
86
Arriflex 16SR-2
88
Arriflex 16SR-3
93
Arriflex 16BL
95
Arriflex 16S/B, 16S/B-GS, 16M/B
97
Bolex 16mm
99)
Bell & Howell Filmo 70*
-Itil
Minicam 16mm (GSAP)
' 102
Cinema Products CP-16, CP-16A
102
Cinema Products CP-16R, CP-16R/A
102
Cinema Products GSMO
105
Eclair ACL
107
Eclair CM-3 (16/35mm)
108
xviii
16mm continued
Eclair NPR
109
Mitchell Professional HS, HSC
111
Mitchell 16mm Reflex, SSR-16, DSR-16
113
Panavision Panaflex 16mm
114
FILM
Color
119
Black & White
120
Color Reversal Film
121
Edge Numbers
121
Film Perforations
123
Film H andling and Storage
125
Charts: 122,127-141
LENSES
Selection of Lenses
142
Understanding an MTF Chart
145
M odem Telephoto Lenses
148
Zoom Lenses
153
Lens Formulas
160
Extreme Close-up
165
Special Purpose Lenses
170
Charts: 146,174-199
FILTERS
Filters for Both Color
and Black & White
201
Special Effect Filters
208
Filters for Black & White
216
Filters for Color
217
Charts: 226-232
xix
ACCESSORIES
Exposure Meters
233
Crystal-Controlled Cordless
Camera Drive Systems
242
Camera Supports
246
Camera Stabilizing Systems
253
Preparation of Motion
Picture Equipment
258
PUTTING THE IMAGE ON FILM
Exposure
270
The Cinematographer and the Laboratory
280
Photographic Testing and Evaluation
288
Emulsion Testing
294
Charts: 272-279,300-312
LIGHTING
Light Sources and Lighting Filters
313
Characteristics of Light Sources
313
Photographic Light Sources
328
Light Source Filters
352
Commercial/Industrial Light Sources
354
Fluorescent Lighting for Motion Pictures
359
AC Arc Lamp Flicker Problem
376
Luminaires
380
Light Control Accessories
390
Charts: 314-315,319,323,328,339,345, 366-375
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Shooting Background Plates
394
Front-Projection Process
399
Compositing
415
Photographing Miniatures
420
Motion-Control Cinematography
424
xx
Travelling-Matte Composite Photography
430
The Future for Travelling-Matte
Composite Photography
445
Digital Effects Cinematography
460
High-Resolution Electronic
Intermediate System for Film
462
Computer Graphics
467
Cinemagic of the Optical Printer
475
Aerial Image Cinematography
481
Charts: 413,419,423,443
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES
Aerial Cinematography
487
Underwater Cinematography
495
Safety Guidelines for Insert Camera Cars
503
Arctic Cinematography
504
Tropical Cinematography
511
Day-for-Night Cinematography
518
Infrared Cinematography
521
Ultraviolet Photography
523
Shooting 16mm Color Negative
for Blowup to 35mm
527
Stereoscopic Motion Picture Technology
534
3-D Cinematography
538
Synchronizing M ethods for Picture
and Sound Systems
540
Filming Television Screens
555
Television Film Cinematography
561
Shooting Videotape for Transfer to Film
566
REFERENCES
577
INDEX
579
xxi
CHARTS AND TABLES
FILM
Comparison of Film Speeds
Film Data Chart
Film Stock Tables
Agfa XT-100
Agfa XT-320
Agfa XTS-400
Agfa PAN-250
Eastman EXR 5245/7245
Eastman EXR 5248/7248
Eastman EXR 5293/7293
Eastman EXR 5296/7296
Eastman 5297/7297
Eastman Ektachrome 5239/7239
Eastman Ektachrome 7240
Eastman Ektachrome 7251
Eastman Ektachrome 7250
Eastman Plus-X 5231/7231
Eastman Double-X 5222/7222
Eastman Plus-X 7276
Eastman Tri-X 7278
Eastman Kodachrome 7267
Eastman Kodachrome 7268
Fuji F-64 8510/8610
Fuji F-64 8520/8620
Fuji F-125 8530/8630
Fuji F-250 8550/8650
Fuji F-250 8560/8660
Fuji F-500 8570/8670
122
127
128
128
129
129
130
130
131
131
132
132
133
133
134
135
135
136
136
137
137
138
138
139
139
140
140
Film Stock Tables continued
Fuji FG 71112
141
Fuji RP 72161
141
LENSES
Typical MTF of 3:1 Zooms for 16mm
146
Depth of Field Charts
35mm Camera
9.8mm
174
15mm
175
20mm
176
25mm
177
35mm
178
40mm
179
50mm
180
85mm
181
100mm
182
150mm
183
200mm
184
400mm
185
16mm Camera
8mm
186
9.5mm
187
12mm
188
16mm
189
25mm
190
35mm
191
50mm
192
85mm
193
100mm
194
135mm
195
VistaVision
196
xxiii
LENSES continued
Vertical Angle vs.
Effective Focal Length
196a-b
Extreme Close-up
35mm Depth of Field
and Exposure Factor
197
16mm Depth of Field
and Exposure Factor
198
Plus Diopter Lenses Focus Conversion
199
FILTERS
Filter Compensation
226
ND Filter Selector
227
Color Filters for B & W Daylight Exteriors
228
Color Filters for Altering
B & W Contrast
229
Conversion Filters for Color Film
230
Kodak Light Balancing Filters
230
Kodak Color Compensating Filters
231
Nomograph for Light Source Conversion
232
EXPOSURE
Incident Keylight/T-stop
272
T-stop Compensation for Camera Speed
274
Shutter Angle/fps/T-stop Change
276
Color Balancing Existing
Fluorescent Lighting
277
Balancing Daylight Windows in Interiors
278
Balancing to Match Existing
Interior Lighting
279
Recommended Panning Speeds
310-312
Footage Tables
16mm (24 fps)
300
16mm (25 fps)
301
xxiv
Footage Tables continued
16mm (29.97 fps)
302
35mm (24 fps)
303
35mm (25 fps)
304
35mm (29.97 fps)
305
65/70m m (24 fps)
306
Footage Obtained at Various Camera Speeds
16mm
307
35mm (+ frames)
308
65mm (+ frames)
309
LIGHTING
Com mercial/Industrial Light Source
Characteristics
314
Comparison of Photographic Light Sources 315
Correlated Color Temperature
319
MIRED Shift Value Effec ts
323
Tangent Function
328
National Carbons for Studio Lighting
339
HMI™ Lamp Characteristics
345
Lighting Filters: Color Adjusting
366-367
Color Balancing for Existing Fluorescents
368-373
Color Balancing of AC Arc
Discharge Lighting
374
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Minimum Object-Distance
413
Background Projection
419
Miniatures: Speed/Scale/Exposure
423
Alternative Methods for Travelling Mattes 443
xxv
