High definition cinematography / by Paul Wheeler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wheeler, Paul, 1945-

Contributor:

Wheeler, Paul, 1945-

Class of 1897 Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Digital cinematography.

Physical Description:

xix, 244 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; Boston : Focal, 2007.

Summary:

Benefit from information developed in response to frequently asked questions regarding this new medium, The perfect aid to making decisions relating to format and costs. High definition cinematography has revolutionized much of the theatrical film world, and perhaps television even more. This authoritative reference demystifies the technologies of high definition and 24P cinematography and provides directors of photography, producers, directors, and camera crews alike with a good grasp of the technology, as well as the procedural and financial implications behind choosing a format. This new edition of High Definition Cinematography has been completely updated to keep up with the changing equipment and technology. It includes more information on how HD will affect preproduction and postproduction. There are reviews and information on ten key cameras from Arri, Dalsa, Panasonic, Panavision, Sony and Thomson, and an updated discussion on interlace and progressive scanning as well.

Contents:

Part 1 High Definition: A Quick Overview 1

1 Why shoot on HD? 3

1.1 What do we mean by High Definition (HD)? 3

1.1.1 The knowledge base 3

1.1.2 What does it mean to the Producer - saving money! 4

1.1.3 What does it mean to the Director? 4

1.1.4 What does this mean for the Director of Photography? 4

1.1.5 What does it mean to the other crafts? 4

1.1.6 Editing and post-production 4

Part 2 Production Decisions 7

2 Which formats to shoot on? 9

2.1 Progressive or interlace? 9

2.2 How many pixels do you need? 9

2.3 Recording formats 9

2.4 HDV - can you get away with it? 10

3 Picture quality 11

3.1 What does HD look like? 11

3.2 HD images compared with 35 mm 11

3.3 Anamorphic 35 mm 12

3.4 Comparisons with Super 16 mm 12

3.5 Comparison with Digi Beta 13

4 Display quality 14

4.1 High definition shown on television 14

4.2 HD written to film and projected mechanically 14

4.3 HD shown on a state-of-the-art digital projector 14

4.4 Digital projectors 15

4.4.1 The Barco D-Cine Premiere DP 50 15

4.4.2 The Barco SLM R8 16

5 Delivery requirements 17

5.1 For delivery on film 17

5.2 Multi-format delivery requirements 17

5.3 HD projection 18

5.4 Encryption 18

5.5 Broadcast delivery 18

5.6 Convertibility 18

5.6.1 Picture 18

5.6.2 Sound 18

5.6.3 Time code 19

6 Sales potential 20

6.1 Multiple standard sales 20

6.2 Multiple venue sales 20

6.3 Additional sales to HD users 20

6.4 Future proofing 21

7 Cost implications 22

7.1 Savings 22

7.1.1 Origination costs 22

7.1.1.1 Stock savings 22

7.1.1.2 Insurance savings 22

7.1.2 Savings in print costs 23

7.1.3 Shooting for anamorphic release 24

7.2 Added costs 24

7.2.1 Camera kit rental 24

7.2.2 Editing costs 24

7.2.3 Writing out to film 25

7.3 A cost comparison example - Oklahoma! 25

7.3.1 Stock and processing savings 25

7.3.2 Camera rental 25

7.3.3 Additional costs 26

7.3.3.1 Overall savings 26

7.3.4 Competitive pricing 26

8 Crewing 27

8.1 Should the DP operate? 27

8.2 Do you need a focus puller? 27

8.3 Do you need a loader? 28

8.4 Naming the camera assistants 28

8.5 Do you need a clapperboard? 28

8.6 Do you need a dolly grip? 28

8.7 Sound 29

8.8 Electricians 29

9 Different shooting requirements 30

9.2 Shooting in the USA 30

9.2.1 Theatrical productions 30

9.2.2 US prime time television productions 30

9.2.3 US commercials 31

9.2.4 Other US productions 31

9.2.5 What frame rate to choose 31

9.2.6 Potential cost savings 31

9.3 European productions 33

9.3.1 European feature films 33

9.3.2 European television 33

9.4 Performance shows 34

9.4.1 The Merchant of Venice 34

Part 3 The Technology 35

10 Digital imaging 37

10.1 The history of digits 37

10.2 Digital tonal range 37

10.3 Linear and logarithmic sampling 38

10.4 Image resolution, why so many pixels? 40

10.5 Required resolution for HD 41

10.6 Data quantity 43

11 Scanning the image 44

11.1 A little of the history of television 44

11.2 Interlace scanning 45

11.3 Progressive scanning 46

11.4 Traditional cinema flicker 47

11.5 How are images captured by the two scanning formats? 48

11.6 Printing out to film 53

12 Line standards and definition 55

12.1 Line summation 55

12.2 Apparent picture quality 56

12.3 1080 versus 720 in television 57

12.5 Is HD worth the trouble? 60

13 Three chip technology 63

13.1 Additive color imagery 63

13.2 The three chip camera's beam splitter 64

13.3 The image sensors 65

13.4 The sensor chip 68

14 Single chip technology 70

14.1 What's available? 70

14.2 CCD sensors 70

14.3 CMOS sensors 70

14.4 CCDs versus CMOS chips 71

14.5 Color filtering in single chip cameras 71

14.6 Bayer pattern filtering 72

14.7 Sequential filtering 73

14.8 The effect of increasing the pixel count 74

15 The video tape recorder - the VTR 75

15.1 The HDCAM format 15

15.2 Helical scan recording 75

15.3 Mechanical considerations 76

15.4 The drum lacing mechanism 78

15.5 Operational considerations 78

15.6 A jammed mechanism 78

Part 4 HD Cinematography 79

16 Lighting and exposing for HD 81

16.1 An HD camera's equivalent ASA speed, or ISO rating 81

16.2 Tonal range 81

16.3 Lighting ratios 82

16.4 Lighting to a monitor 83

16.5 Highlights and shadows 83

16.6 Exposure 83

16.6.1 Using a monitor 83

16.6.2 Using a meter 84

16.6.3 Auto exposure 84

16.6.4 Exposing using a waveform monitor 84

17 Setting the color balance 86

17.1 White balance 86

17.2 What is white balance? 86

17.3 Neutral density filters 87

17.4 A warning! 87

17.5 Setting the white balance using a white card 87

17.6 Setting the white balance using a colored card 88

17.7 Setting the white balance under fluorescent lighting 88

17.8 The outer filter wheel on a Sony HDW camera 88

17.9 Black balance 89

18 Lenses 90

18.1 How to choose a lens 90

18.1.1 Resolution 90

18.1.2 Contrast 90

18.1.3 Perceived sharpness with regard to contrast 91

18.1.4 Color rendition 93

18.1.4.1 Overall color bias 93

18.1.4.2 Color fringing 94

18.1.4.3 What is fringing? 94

18.1.5 Breathing 94

18.2 Setting the back focus 94

18.2.1 Setting the back focus: zoom lenses 94

18.2.2 Setting the back focus: prime lenses 95

18.3 Focusing the lens using back focus charts - Beware! 95

18.4 Back focusing using the oval rings chart 97

18.5 Comparative focal lengths 97

18.6 Depth of field 98

18.7 Calculating depth of field 99

18.8 Neutral density filters 100

18.9 Limiting apertures 100

18.10 Filtration 101

18.10.1 Color correction 101

18.10.2 Diffusion 101

19 Monitors and cabling 102

19.1 What kind of monitors are available? 102

19.1.1 Cathode ray tube monitors 102

19.1.2 Liquid crystal display monitors 102

19.1.3 Plasma screens 102

19.2 Lining up your monitor 103

19.2.1 An SMPTE line up 103

19.2.2 Lining up using EBU bars 104

19.2.3 Using an exposure meter 104

19.3 Cabling your monitor 105

19.3.1 Single coaxial cables 105

19.3.2 Triple coaxial cables 105

19.3.3 Termination 105

19.3.4 Serial monitors 105

19.4 Best practice 106

20 Playback 107

20.1 Don't use the camera for playback! 107

20.2 Using the Sony HDW F500 VTR for playback 108

20.3 Using digital video for playback 108

20.4 Using two DV recorders 109

20.5 Down converters 109

20.5.1 The Evertz down converter 109

20.5.2 The Miranda down converter 109

20.6 Sound delay lines 111

20.7 Playback packages 111

21 Shipping 112

21.1 It's not ENG! 112

21.2 Shipping lenses 112

21.3 Transit cases 113

21.4 Camera set-up when shipping 113

21.5 Size and weight 113

21.6 Batteries 113

22 Multi camera shoots 114

22.1 Synchronization 114

22.2 Time code on location 115

22.2.1 Lock It boxes 115

22.2.2 Script Boy 115

22.3 Time code in a studio 115

22.3.1 Genlock 116

22.4 Menu set-ups 116

22.4.1 The Sony RMB 150 116

22.4.2 Using memory sticks 117

22.5 Matching lenses 117

23 Hazardous conditions 118

23.1 Re-setting the trips 118

23.2 Water 119

23.3 Heat 119

23.4 Cold 119

23.5 Dust 119

23.6 Gamma rays 119

24 Camera supports 121

24.1 Fluid heads 121

24.2 Geared heads 121

24.3 Remote heads 122

24.4 Under water 122

24.5 In the air 122

24.6 Motion control rigs 122

25 How HD affects other crafts 124

25.1 Art and Design 124

25.2 Costume 124

25.3 Make up and Hair 125

25.4 Sound 125

25.5 Script supervision and continuity 125

25.6 The second assistant cameraperson or ex-clapper

boy 125

26 Troubleshooting 127

26.1 Stating the obvious 127

26.2 Problems and solutions 127

Part 5 Examples of Shoots 131

27 Some pictures shot HD, and why? 133

27.1 The Children of Dune 133

27.1.1 Rushes requirements 134

27.1.2 The extended playback facility 134

27.1.3 The equipment list 134

27.2 Birthdays 134

27.2.1 The studio shoot 135

27.2.2 The location shoot 136

27.2.3 Exterior tracking shots 137

27.2.4 Interior lighting 137

27.2.5 Adding gain 139

27.2.6 Editing Birthdays 139

27.2.7 Viewings 139

Part 6 Post-Production 141

28 Post-production: an overview 143

28.1 Generations 143

28.2 How the choice of edit suite affects the generation game 143

28.3 The route to a film copy 145

28.4 Non-photographic distribution 146

28.4.1 An international standard 146

28.4.2 Where might it be shown? 147

28.4.3 Time code considerations 148

29 The Sony HDW F500 VTR 149

29.1 VTRs in general 149

29.2 An overview of the HDW F500 149

29.3 Editing and playback 149

29.4 Simultaneous playback 149

29.5 Slow motion replay 150

29.6 High speed picture search 150

29.7 Digital jog sound 150

29.8 Vertical interval time-code read/write 150

29.9 The control panel 150

29.10 Remote control 151

29.11 In/out capacity 151

29.12 Optional plug-in boards 151

29.13 Cassettes 151

29.14 Changing the frame rate 151

29.15 Available frame rates 152

29.16 Power supplies 152

Part 7 Cameras 153

30 Cameras in general 155

30.1 The choice of cameras 156

30.2 My disclaimer! 156

31 The Arriflex D-20 157

31.1 The camera 157

31.2 The camera chip 159

31.3 Interface 159

31.4 Lenses 159

31.5 Recorders 159

32 The Dalsa Origin 163

32.1 The camera 163

32.2 The look through 164

32.3 The sensor 165

32.4 Interfaces 165

32.5 Conclusions on the Dalsa Origin 165

32.6 Currently available recorders 165

32.7 The Codex Digital Media Recorder 165

32.7.1 The touch screen 166

32.7.2 Monitoring via the Codex 167

32.7.3 Conclusions on the Codex 167

33 The Panasonic VariCam: AJ=HDC27H 168

33.1 The camera 168

33.2 Frame rates 168

33.3 Exposure times 169

33.4 The chips and the processor 169

33.5 The VTR 169

33.6 Time code 170

34 The Panavision Genesis 171

34.1 The camera 171

34.2 Menus 173

34.3 White balance 174

34.4 The camera sensor 174

34.5 Formats, outputs and interface 175

34.6 Viewing logarithmic images 175

35 The Panasonic HDW 900F 176

35.2 External modifications 176

35.2.1 The top handle 176

35.2.2 The viewfinder support 177

35.2.3 The viewfinder 178

35.2.4 The camera front plate and lens mount 178

35.2.5 The camera base plate 178

35.2.6 The voltage distribution box 179

35.3 Internal modifications 179

35.3.1 The internal filter 179

35.3.2 Electronic definition enhancement 179

36 The Sony HDW F750P and the F730 HD cameras 181

36.1 Frame rates 181

36.2 The camera body 181

36.3 Add-in boards, etc. 182

36.4 Image control via the menus 184

36.4.1 Multi matrix 184

36.4.2 Auto tracing white balance 184

36.4.3 Color temperature control 184

36.4.4 Selectable gamma curves 184

36.4.5 RGB gamma balance 184

36.4.6 Variable black gamma range 184

36.4.7 Black stretch 185

36.4.8 Adaptive highlight control (auto knee mode) 185

36.4.9 Knee saturation function 185

36.4.10 The triple skin tone detail control 185

36.4.11 Level depend detail 185

36.5 Meta-data handling 185

36.6 The Sony Tele-File system 185

36.7 The optional HD SDI adapter 185

37 The Sony HDW F900R 187

37.1 The camera 187

37.2 The chips 188

37.3 The processor 188

37.4 Additional facilities 189

37.5 Menus 189

37.6 Overall impressions 189

38 The Thomson Viper HD camera 190

38.1 The camera body 190

38.2 Outputs from the camera 190

38.3 Recording a FilmStream signal 190

38.4 The Director's Friend 192

38.5 The beam splitter 194

38.6 The Vipers CCD array 194

38.7 The mechanical shutter 194

38.8 Frame rates 194

38.9 Resolution 194

38.10 The cameras processor configuration 194

38.11 The camera back 195

38.12 The arguments for a logarithmic recording format 196

38.13 Lenses for the Viper 196

38.14 Monitors for the Viper 197

38.15 Camera accessories 197

38.16 Shipping the Viper 197

Part 8 Camera Menus 199

39 Menus in general 201

40 The HDW F900 menus 202

40.1 Using the menus 202

40.1.1 The layout of the menus 203

40.1.2 Using the menus: some warnings 204

40.2 The Operation Menu 207

40.2.1 VF Display page 207

40.2.2 '!'Indicator page 207

40.2.3 Marker page 207

40.2.3.1 Marker 208

40.2.3.2 Center 209

40.2.3.3 Safety Zone 209

40.2.3.4 Effect 209

40.2.3.5 Aspect Mode 210

40.2.3.6 Mask 210

40.2.4 Gain SW page 212

40.2.5 Zebra/VF DTL page 212

40.2.6 Auto Iris page 213

40.2.7 Batt Alarm page 213

40.2.8 Others page 214

40.2.9 Operator File page 215

40.2.10 Lens File page 217

40.3 The Paint Menu 217

40.3.1 SW Status page 218

40.3.2 Video Level page 219

40.3.3 Gamma page 221

40.3.4 Black Gamma page 222

40.3.5 Low Key Saturation page 222

40.3.6 Knee page 222

40.3.7 Detail 1 page 223

40.3.8 Detail 2 page 225

40.3.9 Skin Detail page 226

40.3.10 User Matrix page 228

40.3.11 Multi Matrix page 230

40.3.12 Shutter page 231

40.3.13 Scene File page 232

40.4 The Maintenance, File and Diagnostic Menus 235

40.4.1 Page M7 235.

Notes:

Previous ed.: published as High definition and 24P cinematography. 2003.

Includes index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Class of 1897 Book Fund.

Related Work:

Wheeler, Paul, 1945- High definition and 24P cinematography.

ISBN:

9780240520360

024052036X

OCLC:

84150783