2.5.2 35mm (standard Academy frame) (Motion Picture Formats - original cinematography)
Description
This article is from the rec.arts.movies.tech FAQ, by Scott E. Norwood snorwood@nyx.nyx.net with numerous contributions by others.
2.5.2 35mm (standard Academy frame) (Motion Picture Formats - original cinematography)
In order to maintain a similar projected aspect ratio for both sound
and silent films, the Academy frame was introduced, and has since
become standard. It used the greatest possible width (allowing for
soundtrack space on prints), and reduced the height somewhat in order
to make the projected image retain a 1.37:1 projected aspect ratio.
Earlier silent prints were designed to be projected in a 1.33:1 ratio.
During the `wide screen' craze of the late 1950's and early 1960's,
anamorphic cinematography (a.k.a. `CinemaScope (tm) ,' and, later,
`Panavision (tm) ') became commonplace. In order to advertise their
films as being `wide screen' movies, many producers who had a large
collection of yet-to-be-released 1.37:1 films just cropped off the top
and bottom edges of the frame (including titles and other important
elements), leaving a 1.66:1 or 1.85:1 ratio movie. Later, continuing
through the present, non-anamorphic (`flat') films were composed to
fit on a 1.85:1 screen. These films, however, are still photographed
with an Academy camera frame, although the camera's viewfinder usually
does not show the top and bottom edges. Occasionally, a 'hard matte'
is used in the camera or printer, masking off the top and bottom edges
of the frame. When films are shot `soft matte,' projection errors can
cause undesired elements (such as boom microphones) to show up in the
frame; sometimes, extra area above and below the intended framelines
is visible in TV broadcasts of thse films, as well.
Nearly all 35mm film is shipped wound around plastic cores, and it
comes in 200', 400', and 1000' lengths. Small 100' metal spools are
also available, for use in small windup cameras like the Bell and
Howell (tm) Eyemo.
Most 35mm sound films are shot at 24 fps, as the faster frame rate
both improves the sound quality (with respect to the synchronization
with the image-lower frame rates look strange with lip-sync sound). As
with 16mm, though, some European television films are shot at 25 fps,
to match the TV frame rate, and some US television films are shot at
29.97 or 23.976 fps, to match or nearly match the U.S. TV frame rate,
respectively.
It should be noted that sound is never recorded directly on the 35mm
film while shooting-filming is done in `double system' fashion,
usually using a crystal-controlled camera motor which runs at an exact
speed, along with a crystal-controlled 1/4" tape machine (usually a
Nagra 4.2) or DAT machine.
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