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Hello

 

I am about to shoot my final year diploma film on 35mm format using anamorphic lenses ( we have Kowas availiable in the institute).

The film will be finished on a 2K DCP format through 2K 10bit dpx scans on a spirit.

 

Most part of the film is to be fulfilled for 2.35:1 aspect ratio but there is some portions to be fulfilled for 1.37:1. I can use spherical lens for 1.37 output but then the visual texture of this portion of the film wont match the rest of the film which will be shot with the anamorphic lenses.

 

So, is it possible to to shoot the entire film on anamorphic lenses and later crop from sides to achieve a 1.37 ratio. The only problem is to compose for 1.37 on an anamorphic lens. Has it been done earlier, if yes please do provide the references. The camera to be used for the production of the film is Arri 535B.

 

Regards

Shashank Walia

Class of 2011

Cinematography

www.ftiindia.com

Edited by Shashank P Walia
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Is there a particular reason that you want to keep things optically the same between your 2.35:1 and 1.37:1 sections of the film Shashank?

I would have thought the fact that you want that extreme change of frame, would suggest a desire to craft a different look and feel for that section of the film anyway?

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Mark,

 

The film in addition to the narrative, also intends to follow a journey of the medium itself, which is 35mm film( in the context of Indian film history). In 1.37 frame, lensing and composition shall create that different look or difference rather than the elements within the frame such as tonality, texture, depth of field etc. That's the idea right now. Also the duration of the film is 25 mins and having very different formal aesthetics might not work. So even if we are working with different aspect ratios there shouldn't be a stark difference in the imagery.

 

David,

 

I am already in talks with people for the same. What I would like to know is the kind of visual aesthetic and feel that one would get after cropping a 2x frame to 1.37 ratio.

Although I would be doing few tests before the shoot, but there is still time for that. Do you have any references or examples for the same. Just for some clarity.

 

Thank You all.

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Sure, well the history of the medium was spherical lenses on 1.37 pictures (if you want to stay true to that). Cutting down to a 1.37 frame from a scoped negative means you'd be using a pretty tiny portion of your negative. Are you planning to letterbox your 2.35 frame, and pillarbox your 1.37 frame within a 1.85 frame (so the 1.37 gets taller, and the 2.35 shorter and wider)? Or will the whole project be 2.35, with just the 1.37 sections pillarboxed on the sides?

 

If it's the latter, the two will look identical and only the width of the frame will change. If it's the former, you'll see more of the grain structure on the taller 1.37 frame.

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I intend to be be using anamorphic lenses to achieve a 2.35 frame for most part of the film. Some part of the film is to be output to a 1.37 ratio for which I am inquiring, the kind of image both technically as well as aesthetically could be achieved by pillarboxing a 2.35 frame. You are right about the spherical lenses with respect to the cinematographic history. But the idea here is as I mentioned to create as little difference between two different aspect ration w.r.t frame related elements.

 

Thanks.

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I can think of some anamorphic movies that had portions cropped to 1.85, such as "The Horse Whisperer" (the opening section is 1.85 and the rest is 2.40) but I can't think of any the cropped to 1.37 except maybe a few snippets in the opening b&w-to-color "newsreel" montage that opens "The Road Warrior" (Mad Max 2) -- near the end of the prologue, there is some cropped footage from the original "Mad Max", which was shot in anamorphic. I'm sure there are a few other examples where some cropped anamorphic footage has been snuck into a 1.37 Academy montage meant to be fake newsreel footage.

 

There is also the case of the old movie "The Boston Strangler" (1968), which was shot in 2.35 Panavision anamorphic with a number of multi-panel sequences -- in general the panel section was shot with the anamorphic lens and the image composed to be cropped to fit within that panel area. So I'm sure you'd see some square and some vertical rectangle panels in there, all shot with anamorphic lenses. However, any shots made with a rear-adapted anamorphic zoom wouldn't have that stretched bokeh.

 

Personally, I tend to agree with Mark, if you are going for a change in aesthetic by cutting to 1.37, then you might as well switch to spherical lenses, plus it's easier to frame for, just get a groundglass that has 2.40 anamorphic and Full Aperture -- you'll just have to deal with your optical center being slightly offset with the 1.37 spherical shots unless you get a groundglass where 2.40 anamorphic is centered within Full Aperture (not common.) And you won't be using such a small vertical section of your negative.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello

 

Few queries regarding the same.

 

If I shoot 1.37/1.33 spherically and 2.35 on anamorphic, then the negative will be scanned to 2048 x 1536 (10bit dpx) in both cases, if i am using the universal gate on Arri 535B (4perf).

 

Now how will the project be finished to final 2K DCP post grade if the film contains both the flat as well the scope material.

 

Also due to Kowa Prominars not being in perfect condition, we might be sourcing Hawk C Series lenses from the rental. Can the members reflect on the look and image qualities regarding the same lenses. Will be shooting the spherical portion on Zeiss High Speed Lenses.

 

Regards

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