The Mystery Lens

DanielChesler · April 21, 2004

Hey there,

If its not too much trouble, I'm having a hard time naming a particular camera lens and if someone can just fill me in that'd be wonderful. The special effects lens gives off a feeling of dizziness. The image rotates in out, up and down, wider to slimmer....I believe that's the best I can describe it.

It was used in the movie Copycat, with Sigourney Weaver, who played an agoraphobic pyschologist. I think they used it in Superman II when the alien guys were flying through space in their flat, squared prison.

Anyways....I would like to rent the lens but I can't come up with the name. Any help?

Thanks...

Daniel Chesler

John Pytlak RIP · April 22, 2004

I think you mean the Clairmont "Squishy Lens"?

http://www.clairmont.com/spec_items/squishy_lens.html

http://www.cameraguild.com/magazine/stoo103-side.htm

http://www.cinematography.net/drunk_pov_shot.htm

http://robots.net/person/blueeyedpop/

http://millimeter.com/ar/video_engineering_emmys/

Clairmont Cameras has been creating custom devices since its inception in 1976, among them the Squishy Lens, the Image Shaker, and the Crazy Horse rig. In addition to company co-founder Denny Clairmont, Michael Keesling was ?very instrumental? on both the Squishy Lens (a device that sits in front of the lens causing highlights to be diffused) and the Image Shaker (a programmable, computer-controlled device that gives the repeatable effect of an earthquake, explosion, or bumpy road). Ideal for POV shots of monsters, aliens or drunks, the Squishy Lens has been used on Nash Bridges and The Pretender, and the Image Shaker has been used on MOW After Shock.

The genesis of the Crazy Horse Rig, which was engineered by Clairmont's Allan Albert, came from cinematographer Tom Burstyn, CSC who wanted to do an in-camera effect for Turner Television movie Crazy Horse. To recreate Crazy Horse's hallucinatory visions, Burstyn wanted two cameras to record an identical image via a synchronized shutter, front surface mirror, and a beam splitter. ?It was a lot more complicated than I could have imagined,? admits Burstyn. ?Clairmont used their facilities and their imagination to make it work.?

Mitch Gross · April 22, 2004

More likely you're thinking of a Mesmerizer, which is simply an anamorphot (anamorphic lens element) that can be rotated in the lens to shift the direction of the squeeze/stretch effect. The outer ring of these are generally geared so that one can attach a follow focus or motor drive to control this rotation. When this effect was the style of the week in the early 90s I used to do a quickie-cheapo version of it by simply holding an old projector anamorphot in front of my lens and twisting it about. I used it on at least half a dozen HBO promos over a three month period until we all go sick of the effect. You can pick up these projector lenses for very little off eBay, just try to get the physically largest one possible to fully cover your shooting lens. But if you want to rent it it's called a Mesmerizer.