Gleaming Eyes for Stop-Motion

Slit-Scan On A Shoestring

Filmmaker John Cosentino of Warren , I'll, condudes his two· part artlde on his home· built aerlal·lmage optical printer with Instructions for creating a number of spedal·effects scenes like the one pictured here.

Filmmaker's Forum gives readers the opportunity to

speak out on the problems and techniques of filmmakIng.

Jack Immes of Appleton, WI, submits a dazzling e.ample of

hIs special effects produced with a 50·cent mirror tile.

(See page 15.)

Editor's 4 Bench __ _

Aerial Image Optical Printer, Part 2 __ _

Optical effects you can do in Super-8 with your home built printer.

Fllmmakers'14 Forum ;;;;;;:...:

A regular department devoted to readers' comments about film­making, their problems and solutions.

Forced Per- 16 spective _

~

Modeler Brick Price lends a bit of professional expertise to young filmmakers.

Producers' Bulletin Board ;=;;::,

Latest news of our readers' productions.

Electronic SFX __

A survey of professional motion­control devices and suggestions for producing your own effects inexpensively.

Number 5

Widescreen -The Ultimate Special Effect __

Widescreen advocate Tony Shapps describes methods and materials for filming in the panoramic format.

Books _ 32 Books for filmmakers-valuable sources of information and techniques for the filmmaker.

Cinemagic Market- 33 place Classified advertising and announcements.

Close-up_ 34

Add mysterious glowing eye effects to your fantasy creatures.

ONEMAG/C"S 3

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Editor-In-Chief: David Hutchison

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Brick Price TonyShapps

Kenneth Walker

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4 GNEMAG/C-5

CINEMAGIC Wants You!

Whether you have just discovered CINEMAG1C for the first time or whether you have been a loyal subscriber since the beginning, CINEMAGIC wants to hear from you. It says on our logo that CINEMAGIC is your guide to fantastic filmmaking. Certainly a guide

to fantastic filmmaking has to include more than camera technique. In fact, many of you, C1NEMAGIc's readers, are one·man production teams. You write the script, build the set, scout the locations, design the special effects, direct the actors, paint the cels, build your own effects equipment . . . and operate the camera. Likewise, CINEMAGIC seeks to cover all phases of production far beyond the mere development of camera technique.

Perhaps you are one of the lucky ones. You live in a community in which there are lots of filmmakers who love to create fantasy films. There are others with whom you can share your ideas, work out problems and techniques and gain in· sight and stimulation. But many of you (I know from your letters) aren't in touch with other filmmakers. You have found something more than just information in the pages of C1NEMAGlC, because you know that the articles are written by film· makers just like you and that you are noI. alone.

Consider: In your hands is the "Filmmakers' Forum," in which you are invIted to speak your mind about the problems of filmmaking in Siapout, Oklahoma, share a shortcut or special technique that you have found to be especially useful or just to ask for help from your fellow filmmakers. Or "Producers' Bulletin Board," which lets you announce to other filmmakers the nature of your current film project and allows you to see what the rest of the fantasy filmmaking com· munity around the world is up to.

But the meat and potatoes of your magazine are the feature articles. Feature stories cover the whole world of production in fantasy filmmaking-everything from a dazzling title technique to casting creatures for stop·motion films to exotic makeup effects. These in·depth artides aren't written by John Dykstra or Doug Trumbull. They are being written by you, C1NEMAG1C's readers.

They are written by filmmakers who are as eager to share their own ideas and discoveries with you as they are to read oIIbout the ideas and discoveries of their fellow filmmakers. In taking time to document your work with stills, diagrams and explanatory text, you gain recognition for your work on a scale that would otherwise not be available to you.

Let your work and ideas be seen! You can leam from others and they can leam from you. The entire readership of CINEMAGIC is behind you ... you are not alone.

-David Hutchison

•

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"The most comprehensive book on Super 8. The authors, who are among the most knowledgeable of Super 8 f ilmmakers, describe the equipment that Is available, tell howto select what's best for an individu­al's needs, and describe how to make inexpensive substitutes. More Importantly, they detail how to use the equipment to its best advantage. It is an amazing compendium of information, much of it unavailable elsewhere, making this a book that is a must for any serious Super 8 filmmaker".-Elinor Stecker, Camera column, The New York Times.

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Aerial Image Optical Printer, Part II

V irtuelly every sc:1~nce-fiction ran is familiar with the "beaming-up" effect of the transporter used on Slar Trek,

but not many ~Ie know exactly how the effect was accomplished for TV. Now you can lIChleve the same effect for your own SF films with an inexpen. sive, homemade aerlal lmollge opticoIIl printer1

6 CINEM ..... CIC·S

Using the Printer

By JOHN COSENTINO

Multiple &po.ure JIIl.Hework Aerlallmagea

I have made my own version of e Star Trek episode. My film is calle<! Paragon's Paragon and it fei!ltures the same beaming-up effects as the original TV series. I accomplished these effects with the homemade op­tical printer that J described In eM #4.

In Paragon's Paragon, Sellek (my ver·

sian of the Spock character) is seen standing on one of the pods in the transporter chamber. An eerie, twin­kling light gradually fades in over his body and he begins to dissolve away. The twinkling effect continues as Sellek's body becomes transparent and the transporter chamber becomes visi· ble through his body. Very quickly thereafter, the image of Sellek's body

•

Matting Actors onto Miniature Set.

actor. are .uperlmpo. ed. Thl. cutll co . tII d .... th; .Uy. refilming of the .... m ·down chamber m •• ter.

disappears completely, leaving only an anthropomorphic silhouette of twin· kling matter which slowly dissolves away and leaves the transporter chamber empty.

I aerially combined three separate pieces of master film footage-one at a time-in my optical printer to achieve the effect of Sellek beaming up from the transporter chamber, This effect re­quires the use of mattes, counter mattes and a timing chart.The first and most important things necessary for the beam·up effect are the three dif· ferent pieces of master footage that must be combined in the optic:al printer for the finished effect. The masters must be shot and developed before they can be aerially combined in the printer, The three masters reo quired for this effect were: a static shot of the transporter chamber; the '·twinkle" effect; and a static shot of Sellek.

I shot the footage of my transporter chamber with the pod lights on. At the moment of the beam.up effect I blink­ed the lights on and off to simulate the

Timing or Cue Chart

, , ~

o..-_~)~_~--, ...... I '

--- - --+- ..::. -, --_. _ .. :------

,00 ' . • I ,-'- I

The number or rrame. _ch matte and counter·matt. needed ror the 8 e llek effect are .bown here.

effect of the transporter chamber In operation. After Setlek beams up, the lights return to their constant "on" position.

The footage of Sellek is taken with him standing in front of a large black backdrop, A black backdrop eliminates the need for a counter matte in certain instances. Because the master of Sellek is also used as a counter matte, it is essential that he be lit not only from the sides but also from behind. Backlighting will ensure that the darker parts of Sellek's body (hair, boots, pants, etc.) will be outlined with light and, therefore, stand out against the background and not disap­pear in the final effect.

Special care must be exer(:ised duro ing the filming of the Sellek mester(or any master) to make sure that his size and position in the frame are consis· tent with the size and position desired relative to the set (the transporter chamber) over which he is to be super, imposed for the final effect. This Is very important for positioning the ac· tors in the right places on the

miniature set. It is a necessary pro­cedure because the printer is set up to aerially rephotograph the masters on a 1:1 ratio.

For example: If an actor is to appear on the right side of the transporter chamber in the fin<!1 effect, he must be rephotographed in the same exact size and frame position relative to his size and position in the transporter in the final effect. This principle also applies to the actor's up and down sc::reen posi· tion, and especially to the placement of his feet. If the &etor isn't placed proper­ly (exactly) he will either appear to be standing to one side of the transporter pod Of" hovering over it. Of course, this could be done purposely to make the actor appear to be walking on air or neating in space.

The distance the actor is placed from the camera during the filming of the master (or the focal length seUin!] of a zoom lens) can make the actor ap­pear to be a giant or a midget on the screen if his size is inconsistent with his desired rela tive size to the m iniature set. Care must be taken to prevent

ClNEMAG/C -5 7

.. ,II ... II. the beam·down cbambeJ' befo ... buontlng "'p. The errect requires man)' .... ne ••

The counter·....ue of 8eUek wtth the twinkles effect betag _rtall,. comblped In the printer.

The result of the combl_Uon of the chamber _ . ter .nd the twinkles master.

these placef'ne'1t and size problems from OC'Curing. A little experimentation will teach you how to compensate for these shooting problems.

The third end final master film for the beam-up effect is the twinkling light master. I accomplished this effect by slowly pouring glitter Into 81 glass of water and filming it with e dose·up lens end e cross-star filter.

After the three separate pieces of master film footage are processed, you hlIve to meke the ~ry mattes lind counter mattes for the effect. Due to the fact that the effects footage must be exposed three times to &c:hieve the final composite effect, en eppropriete matte or counter matte is required for the exposure of each master onto the second unit effects footage.

The mattes are made by rotoscoping (tracing) the outline of the actor (Sellek) onto clear acetate cels. The outlining is done while viewing the ~rilI l image projection through the printer's camera (see CINEl'\AGIC -4, OptiCllI Printer article). You could also place a rear.projection screen (foggy

acetate) in place of the condenser lens of the printer and trace the rear· projected (no longer aerial) image onto a piece of clear acetate placed over the rear·projection screen.

My cels are made of Mylar (a DuPont tr&demark for clear acetate) and are taped over a 4" I( 5" window cut out of the center of an 81fl" I( II " piece of typing paper, The clear Mylar acts as a window through which the aerial image can pass and also as the surface on which the matte is drawn.

Throughout this article, a sheet of typing paper with a piece of clear Mylar lIttllched to It will be referred to liS e cei registralion sheet 1\ cel registration sheet is placed into the 9" x 11 " moulding framework of the optical printer's table top and locked into piece by pressing the registration punch through It.

The typing paper you use for your eel registmtion sheets should be durable enough to be used several times without becoming damaged as long as it 15 handled with reletive cllre. The 16 finely sharpened nails In the

registration punch ~ as registrlltion pins lind allow for some of the holes in the paper to become damaged during repeated use without the loss of registration accuracy.

With a clear eel locked and registered in place, the Sellek master film is now placed into the printer pro­jector and aerially imaged into the camera, While looking through the camere's eyepiece. Sellek's outline is traced onto the clear eel. Sif"lCe this is to be the matte of Sellek, care must be taken not to extend the ink beyond the edges of his body, Bleck felt ·l ipped marking pens are used to outline the malte and fill it In. 1\11 marking pen mattes must be painted over with black poster paint or acrylic paint because marking pen ink is not dense enough to completely block out the lIeriel Imege.

The completed Sellek matte is now removed from the table and II fresh eel is registered in its place. This new eel will be the counter matte of Sellek. Therefore, the lIree all around Sellek must be fi lled in with ink and poster

•

Superimposing Titles ove .. Ae .. lal Image

The .....ter of Ut. bridge KeDe s how. the bridge _t that w_ con.tructed for p.,ason '. ,.,agon. 1'hD full · sized _t cost tSl0 to build. The mInl.ture beIIm· down _t co.t very Uttle money.

The title • • p.,e.r bl.c k If not front· lit . You may de.lre thl. efFed to contr • • t a bright aeria l tm.ge.

Front lighting make. the title. white. The expo. ure for the aerla llnuoge and the tltlea must be the .. me.

paint on the cel. This counter matte is then removed from the table so that the first part of the effect can be prepared for filming.

The Sellek master is removed from the projector lind the beam·down chamber footage is placed in the pro­jector and aerially imaged into the camerll. The standard filter pack (10 blue and 30 magentll) is placed into the projector.

The camera's through.the-Iens automatic electric eye sets the lens at the COITKt f·stop. After the f·stop is ob­tained it has to be manually locked in· to the camera. Otherwise, when the maUe is set in place the electric eye will readjust the f·stop to an improper setting. The electric eye sees manesas dark lIfl!llS In need of II larger lens opening and this tendency of the elec· tric eye will result in overexposed second·unit effects footage unless the aforementioned precllution is taken.

The Sellek matte Is now registered back into place. At this point, If the aerial image is viewed through the Cllmera, a black silhouette of Sellek

wi ll be observed standing on II transporter pod within the beam·down chamber. This is exactly how the first exposure will appellr on the film.

Filming the matte of Sellek on the pod is done one frame at a time according to a timing or cue chart (see figure ·I~ The chart shows when the mattes or counter mattes must be pYt in place-and for how long. The t iming chart also specifies when the fade·out effects must occur. In general it is a graphic chart that specifically shows when changes occur. Using the chart os a guide. the beam·down chamber Is filmed for 100 frames with the Sellek matte placed in the eel registllltion sheet. During the last 75 frames, the matte Is removed so that only the chamber is refilmed. The film is now wound back to its starting point in the camera and the first exposure is completed.

The second part of the composite ef· fect requires that Sellek be aerially im· aged into the beam·down chamber end faded out at the proper moment. The beam·down chamber film is repl.!lced

by the Sellek master in the printer's projector. The Sellek matte is removed and his counter matte is registered into pilice.

In this kind of printer the counter matte must be used to check the film's alignment. The alignment must be checked because when a master is removed from the projector and replaced by another it causes the fr.!lm· ing of the projector to change. Splices also affect the framing.

Next, the exposure must be deter· mined and locked ilto the camera. Then the second part of the effect is filmed according to the timing chart. Basically, what occurs during the first 100 frames of the second exposure is that Sellek is being exposed to the black silhouette area that his matte oc· cupied during the first exposure. Then, during the following 50 frames, the Sellek master is faded out so that he dissolves away to nothing.

The fade·out is accomplished by manually closing the f·stops on the camera. Another method of doing the fade·out (or a fade· in) is by rotating two

ONEMAG/C" S 9

pieces of polarizing material in front of the camera lens. The last 25 frames of the second exposure are totally black.

During the explanation of how the second exposure is made, I postponed mentioning a problem which occurs: how to find the correct f·stop needed for the rephotographing of Sellek. The camera's electric eye will set the wrong f·stop because of all the black that sur· rounds Sellek. There is no easy solu· tion to the problem. A common remedy is to film a series of " test ex· posures'" of the Sellek master, get it processed and then note which ex· posure is the correct one. Test ex· posures are common for matte work effects.

Another solution to this exposure difficulty is to film the Sellek master with him standing by a background other than black (preferably a gray one). The idea of using gray is to duplicate a gray scale card. In this way when Sellek, by the gray background, is aerially imaged into the camera, its electric eye will give an average light reading that is very dose to correct.

Superimposing titles over msster fUm

csn be tlone In o ne ~ss througb the o p ·

ticsl printer. Tltie must be front·llt

with pbotonoods or they'U be bboclr..

The gray background will definitely make the aerial rephotographing pro· cess much easier.

For the third and final part of the ef· fect, the film once again is backwound to its starting point. The Sellek film is now replaced by the twinkles master, which is aerially imaged into the camera. The counter matte must be removed so that the proper f·stop can be found and locked into the camera. Then the counter matte is registered back into place and the timing chart is used to guide the filming. First, 100 frames of total black is filmed (lens cap on), then a 25·frame fade·in of the twinkles occurs and is followed by a 25·frame fade·out of them. The last 25 frames are totally black (lens cap on). This completes the special effect.

Aerial Image Combined with Artwork

Combining art with an aerial image is probably the most useful feature of this kind of optical printer. No double exposures are necessary because the artwork is self·matting. What you see is

basically what you get. Composition aside, the success of the effect simply depends on balancing the light levels between the artwork and the aerial image. If so desired, the artwork can be animated as each frame of the aerial imaged film is re·copied. For a simple example of art combined with an aerial image I have chosen to demonstrate the title of my film over a bridge scene.

First, the master footage of the bridge scene is placed into the printer projector and aerial imaged into the camera. The correct f·stop is noted and locked into the camera. The f·stop for the master of the bridge scene now becomes the only setting acceptable for filming the title letters. In other words, the aeria l image light level determines what the light leve[ on the artwork must be.

For my titles [chose to use white rub·off lettering. [t is pressed onto the dear area of a registration cel so that it"" is positioned where I want it, relat ive to the aerial image. The ce[ is registered in place over the condenser lens.

•

Combination Malle Effects

The allen world m •• ter (top of ~ge) I. the flr8It .tep for the Or· gantlpu. effect. Next, the Organ · tlpu. ma.ter (above) I •• hot with castle .... tte In place.

Although the letters are white, the let· ters appear as black as the aerial image is viewed through the Camera. This happens because the letters block the light path of the aerial image. By shin· ing bright lights onto the title letters, they will become visible as white when they are viewed through the camera along with the aerial image .

Usually, two photo flood lights are placed as a light source above the titles at a 45·degree angle to the flat surface of the title cel. In order to balance the light on the titles to that of the aerial image, [ used a gray scale card. These are available at most photo stores and are used to find the correct f·stop at whatever point they are placed. The gfCly so:::tl l~ c<Hd is pltlced on lop of th", titles (covering them up). The camera's electric eye is taken off manual and put back on automatic so that it can re­spond to the light on the card. The photo flood lights are then moved closer or farther from the card (which ever direction is necessary) so that the camera's f·stop becomes the same as it was for the aerial image. When the cor·

Organtlpu • .... tte. (below) are obtained by painting on Mylar eel. while viewing ma.ter through camera's len.,

rect exposure is obtained, the card is removed and the composite effect is filmed in one pass of the film through the camera. This completes the title effect.

ComblnaUon Matte.a, BlIck Pro­Ject.lon. AerU.llnmge MulUple EIposures: Energy Emitting Organtlpus on an Allen World

By using mattes and doing multiple exposures, interesting aerial images can be added to rear projections. Because the condenser lens plate is in· terchangeable with a rear·projection plate, any rotoscoped matte work will accurately fit both the aerial image and the rear projection. This ability to have <I (''{)fI!1T!CN! reg~erOO fTldlle for multiple exposures is a great convenience for effects work.

The effect which is about to be described involves multiple exposures, mattes, an aerial image and a rear pro· jection. In the finished effect a creature with streaks of energy emitting off its body slithers out from behind a moun· tain castle on an alien world and grows

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The allen world mIIster Is an aerially projected 35mm slide.

in size. First. the masters must be filmed. A

35mm slide is taken of the alien world miniature set. It will be the rear projec· tion. The animated Organian Organ· tipus (the creature) is filmed within an all·black setting and will be the aerial image. In order to make the creature's size appear to change, the camera is zoomed from wide angle to telephoto.

The next step is to make the static matte of the mountain castle. The slide projector must be set up in place of the printer's usual movie projector, and the condenser lens must be replaced by the rear'projection plate. The alien world slide is focused on the rear· projection material (.003 foggy Mylar), a registration cel sheet is punched into place, and the matte is drawn. Then, the matte is removed so that the first exposure of the effect can be filmed .

The first exposure simply consists of filming the rear projection of the alien world slide. This was done with an B2A color correction filter over the camera's lens. This filter is needed to bring the color temperature of the slide projec-

12 ONEMAG/C"S

The Organtlpus mas ter Is s hot S9slost a blsck bac kdrop.

tor's bulb up from 3200 degrees Kelvin to 3400 degrees Kelvin, which is stan· dard for Super-S filming with type-A film indoors.

For the second exposure. the camera's film must be backwound to its starting point. The slide projector must be replaced by the movie projec­tor, and the rear'projection plate is replaced by the condenser lens. The movie projector has to be aerially realigned, but this is not very difficult to do because the rest of the optical system should still be very close to correct.

The master of the Organtipus creature is now aerially imaged into the camera, the f-stop is locked in place, the castle matte is registered in place, and the creature is refilmed_

This completes the second ex­posure_ Although the creature is mat­ted behind the mountain castle, it is simply double exposed over the alien skyline. In order to distract the viewer away from any slight bleed-through that might occur, I decided to add an energy-emitting effect to the creature.

Rather than use painted rays of energy, I decided to use streaks of light. A form of moving matte work is required for this techni que. Therefore, the creature footage within the projec­tor must be run back to its starting point. One frame at a time, one cel per frame, its movements must be traced and matted onto the cells. Next, scrat­ches are made into the black paint on each eel so that light can pass through them. The remainder of each eel must now be totally blacked in, which eliminates the silhouette of the creature and leaves only rectangular black mattes that have clear scratches across them_ These mattes, when used in sequence, appear as the energy that flows out of the creature as it moves across the alien world.

For the final exposure, the film in the camera is backwound to its starting point and the film in the projector is removed. All that is needed for the energy rays is a beam of light pro· jected up through the mattes into the camera. The mountain-castle matte is registered in place along with the first

,

•

•

Aerial Image and Multlple Mattes

Tbe completed OrganUpus on .lIen world effecl.

energy matte_ In order to give the rays some color and make them in­teresting, two Edmund Scientific color­burst filters have been placed between the matte and the camera lens_ One is right on the matte and the other is rais­ed above it and twisted so the rays bend. Then the first frame is filmed. Next, the first energy matte is removed and the second energy matte set in its place and the second frame filmed. This procedure is repeated until the last energy matte is filmed. This com­pletes the composite effect.

Concluding RelDalrlul Through personal experience [ have

become aware of some advantages and disadvantages of the type of optical printer described in this two-part arti ­cle_ The most convenient feature of this printer is the many different kinds of special effects that can be done on it. Another benefit is that the aerial im­age is re latively dear and bright when it is viewed, because it is not projected on a screen. Finally, the ability to re­film an aerial image master with art-

work in only one exposure has countless applications, especially for the Super-8 filmmaker.

However, this printer also has its negative points. For example, it pro­duces second-generation effects which are more grainy and less sharp than the originals. The printer itself can become very expensive to build if you incorporate high-quality optics, ac­curately registered camera and projec­tor components, and precision engineering_ Since Super-8 film and equipment is designed for the "masses" and not for professionals, any k ind of special.effects work becomes more difficult and challenging_

Despite the problems encountered by using a Super-S optical printer, I would not want to be without it. Mine was constructed specifically to do the special effects for my Super·8 science­fiction fantasy film feature, Paragon's Paragon, my own version of Star Trek. I hope that the public will eventually get to see my film this spring (1980) at comic-book and science-fiction conventions_

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ThcJUght-provctlf19 encounters w,th such future thinkers as Arthur C.

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SF TV AND CINEMA The most comp-ehensl¥e reporting in print d uPComll9 science fiction ard science fact motion pictures ar.d TV

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TOMORROW A.continuing column featuring visions

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FUTURE FEATURES A PdnQfaml: view of trends,

technologies af1d lifestyles to come. The WOfId of genetic engineering.

Arcosantl~~ity of the future, Holography. Videodiscs. Jacques

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energy. Future r:x.:k. Hardware, Book reviews. Databank nevvs.

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CiNEMAGIC -5 /3

Filmmakers'

arum 8cr.tch.buUtSp'.ce.ul'tl~------------~~ ATfEI'ITIOI'I

SUBSCRIBERSI · .. 1 ha~ made ~ ~lt thai is It copy of the one 1M1 W!lS I,I~ in the movie 2001: II Space Odyssey. There were mllny chil i­lenges ol)(! technical problems that had to be overcome In the reo creation of th is suit from KllIlch. The suit Ihat Is pictured here costs about $60 to make.

Joe R. Frlnd 939 Washington St. EllSton, PA 18042

Effective with the mail ing of this issue of ClNEMAGtC, 1111 renewals, notices of cl\ange of ad· dress lind other sobscription in­quiries should be itdd ressed to our new Subscriber Service Center: CINEMAOle, S ubscriber Services, P.O. Box 142. Mt. Morri • • IL 61 05 4 . We hope thai this new central loca· toln will enable us to serve you more effectively. Please be sure to IIdvise us of your change of ad· dress six to eight weeks before you move.

M.ore EzplosloD FX •.. After much experirncnUltion, I have finally c reated an inexpen­sive way to achieve exp losion FX like the ones seen in Sr4l' WIllS.

All you need is; flash powder (ttle stuff used by photographers

J , Frlozl's spacesuit'" faithful to 2oor. de. lgn, before flashbulbs were Invent.

Model Streaking Without Airbrush · .• 1 haye discovered a technique for streaking models for people who can·t affO#"d an airbrush. Paint your modele.s usual. Get some grllphl te and sprinkle a small amount on a pie<:e of cloth or your finger{don·t put too much on). Rub the graphite along the ~rt or ~rts of the model that you we.n t to streak (the e.irflow lines). Be sure not to lellYt' any fingerprints on the model.

Mark Niemilnn 2210 Grovewood Rd. Clearwater , FL 33516

Robot Rivets · .. In the IHticle, '·How to Build a Robot"" (CINEMI\GIC "3), you said tha t you should assemble the robot with pop riYets. I haye tried to find out what these are but I hllve had no luck. I am In· terested in building a robot and ..... ould apprecitlte it if you could explain wMt pop rivets are.

Scott At kins 8578 E. Belmont Ave. Fresno. CA 93727

Pop r1uets are uery ellSy fO use and can be (ound In your local hardware $lore. Yoo must buy a

14 ONEMAG/C-5

rivel gun as weU as the riuets, but ed-it is IIvaliable in most magic lhese {JI"f! re/alltJely ineJqJensiuf>. supply stores): flash Pftper{lIlso You alS<J need a drill 0#" a hole IIYllill1ble in rT"I!Igic supply stores): punch of lhe proper gauge (Of" the and regular aluminum foil. riuels you are using. The riuel gun Tllke some fillsh powder (II lit· should ~ complete wilh In. tie goes /I long way), ..... rap it in Slructions on how 10 use II. flash paper (use II lot of flash

----------- ---1 ~per) and wrap this in eluminum

Book. ..• I have been searching for Ki t Laybourne·s An£tnation Book, but I have not been e.ble to find It any· ..... here. Om yoo please tell me where I rnight be able to purchase • ropy'

Hans Kuer.schgen 31 St. Lambert Dr. Cahokia, IL 62206

IlJlIhe books thai ONEMAGIC reviews CIlfI be orc1en?d (rom !JCXY lo<:aI bookstore (or from Ihe pub. Iisher if /hey don ~ have il in $lode) . 0ccas;0naUy, ONEMAG/c will di$lJibute a book /hallhe OOifors feel II Is exceptionally good. Kodak's The World of Animation may be otdt>red through O·Quinn Srudlos. To order, wrile ""The World of AntmatOO~c/oOQu/nn Studios, 475 p"nr. Aue. South, N. Y., N. Y. 10016. E.ndosf: $7.95 (drawn to O·QuInn Sludios) kx each copy. Add $1.25 kxposl.age and handing (or each copy ordered. (Add $3.25 each for foreign posUtge and ~.)

foil. Next, place the explosive charge in your model. Tne model should be scored so that it flies eport easily.

There are two ways to ignite the chllrge. One method Is elec· trical ignition. Siring e thin, unin· sulated copper ..... ire from a I!Inlern battery, through a switch end into the flash paper. The heat from the wire will ignite the flash Pftper.

Another way to ignite the charge is to use II fuse. Twist some flash paper into a fuse. The tighter it is twisted. ttle slower it burns.

Be Careful! I cannot stress this enough. Fortunately, ttle powder ond paper cannot be purchased by anyone under 21. Younger readers will need parent&1 super· vision.

Berton Anderson 4120 Walter Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89104

FO#" man! b1{OI'I"TIaUon 01'1 EKpIo­soo FX, see the F"/Jrr1TMkers. Forum sectJon tI CJNEI.fAGK: "4.

Kool·Ald Martlans . • • If IInyone is planning a film version or any of the Edgar Ria: Burrougns' Mar1.ian. novels, then here's a suggestion for creating effective· looking red Martians. On damp skin, rub cherry· flavored KooI·Aid. This leaves e. ree.list ic red colora tion ..... hich can be we.shed off with soop end water

Michael J . Wolff 19 11 E, Southmore Pasadena, TX 77502

KooI·Aid works rille, buI. it"s a /it. . de sticky. In The WiUlrd of Oz. Ihe special·dfect 1«h1lique usa:f to c0l­or /he .. ~ of a dif(erenl ook:Ir~

was regular JeIJo. This worlred well, bulthe hcKses (ound the .JeJJo 10 be I.If!f!II4Sly and cotd<:t!~ Ireep from licking fhemseIues.

You might try red grease paint Inslead of KooI·A id. Grease pain1 iSn ~ unpkllSMlly slicky 10 weN.

You can orc#f.r rPrl !JfPrt.- pItinl from Bob Kelly CosmetiCs lroc., 151 West4&h Sr., N. Y. . N. Y. 10036. You ClII1 also get It aJ. mosl IIlealricaJ supply stOleS.

Electronic Sound FX . .• Concerning your request for informiltion on sa fe special ef· fects. I may haYe some Informa· tlon which could be of use to your readers. Although yOUf article on special effects went into great detail on filming, it pfoYided no Information for those who haye sound equipment and ..... ould wish to IKkI a special-effects sound· track 10 their film.

As an employee lit a Radio Shack store, It has come to my attention that Rlld io Shack sells an IC chip (RS" 27& 1765), ..... hich wi th a minimum of ellternal components. Ciln be used to generate all sorts of Sr4l' Trek. Srar Wars, GlIiadica·type space sounds. It can elso create gun· soots. explosions, music lind other sounds, depending on the application.

The chip alone sel ls for $2.99. and is ayallable at most Radio Shack stores. For further infor· rnation readers may contee\; Radio Shack, Diy. Tandy Corp., 14400 Tandy Center, Ft. Worth, TX 76102.

Cornelius A, Cronin Andover, M.A

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Australian FX Artist

" .T. Miller's depiction of s Moon shuttle landing.

.. . My aim in life is without fai l to somehow do special effects: mini"tures, pre·production, film· ing, anything. Unfortunately, in this country the art of speci,,1 ef· fects does not e~ist and there are no su<:h jobs available here in Australia. I have made miniatures from various SF shows and movies such as Space 1999.

My first film is a scien<:e fico tion/fact story about the explora· tion of the universe and our grow·

ing technology. It encompasses every major step in space ex· ploration from the 1969 landing on the moon and continues all the way to ~ giant space col· onies envisioned by Gerald O·Neil. Here is a photo from my film thllt shows a spacecraft· lo!Inding on the moon.

James T. Millett 41128 West Toorak Rd. South Yarra, Victoria Australia 3141

Window Jumping Woes

. . l"m having trouble with cer· tain stunts. For inst<lnce, how do stuntmen jump through glass (like" window)? Also, how do "r· tists get the effect of I"ser be"ms. like the guns in Space: J999?

Nick Streit 4724 W. 97th PI. Oklllllwn, IL 604.53

II is not. a good idea 10 go around jumping through windooJs. Professionals in Hollywood don 'I jump through glass, they use "inl glass (a special stWlI gldss thlll /lies apart wilhout. any sfwp edges). Mcxiern resin. {ormulas are also cun-ently being used in gldss· smashing stunts. Since you cannot afford these specilll Slunt glasses, slay IIway {rom gldss·breaking

Producer Wants Script

... I 11m very much interested in making a short (15·30 minute) SF film. However, IIIl of the ideas that I <:ome up with h"ve either already been used, are in the pro· cess of being used or are just plain dumb.

My friend o!Ind I would like to

slunts or you may wind up seriously injuring yourself .

In answer 10 your ques/.ion on laser·beam effects, try this lechnque:

ArsI., gel an airbrush and painl the laser beams 000 a pane 0{ glass. Try using {/ourescent posler palnJ. i!I1d sIlOOl.ing under a b/1JCk/!ght. Photograph the laser beam agams[ II black background, preferably b/lJCk velvet. Then back· wind, lind shoot your IiIJe adion 01"

animaLion sequences on the same 111m, cr vic:e versa. It doesn'l mailer which you shoot {1I"Sl as long as you know whkh paIt 0( /he {rarne you u;anl your laser ef{ecllo couer.

I{ you can'l afford iJIIlrirl::>tush. try usl'19 Bryan McLane's sugges· tion on crealing laser beam e{{ecls in Ihe Filmmakers' Porum s.xtion 0{ Of'lF"..M .... GIC #3.

Grease Paint Aliens ... I have found that creating alien makeup is troublesome. Well, one way to make it easier is with two basic colors. white and bla<:k (mime makeup, grease paint.)

---------------------------1 hear from the readers of CINEMAGIC if they have any original ide"s that they would like

Color the person's fa<;e white and outline all outstanding features in bl"ck. Make simple black designs on the actor's white face (like Kiss or Alice Cooper) and {or the [lnailouch, ouUine the simpk biack de~n.~ in rPd Space.hlp Shortcut.

... 1 was somewhat surprised at the attitude and comments of Ken Walker in his so-<:alled defense of the "toothpick-and·rubber·band method" of model building (ONEMAGIC ""2,) especially after reading his ilrticle on building a model spaceship out of modem materials. using sophisticated tools and lots of time.

I belong to England's only (I think) SF modeling club. The club's standards are very high !lnd the methods of scrnt<:h building are varied (as they should be). Club members' methods of scratdl building rnnge from the use of sophisticated methods and materials down to the use of odds and ends, but 1111 methods achieve good results. It's the finished pr0-

duct that matters. 111m interested in the dne sec·

tlon of our club. I think that Ken Walker, on reflection, will "p"

precillte th.!!t a filmmaker ckle$n't have endless time to devote to the construction of his miniatures. The filmmaker may need two or three ships, miniature sets "nd planets, costumes. etc. llle filmmaker must also attend to such details as scriptwriting, filming, work ing out FX sequences, editing, sound synchlng, etc. The Iow·t>udgeted amateur filmmaker welcomes shortcuts that produce acceptable effects in model construction.

Certain spaceship designs,

especially ,.;aue .. ",. requil? the use of resins. llle last saucer that I built took two weeks to build "nd <nst llbout $28. I consider this to be II moderate expenditure of time

"'" monoy. Not all professionals deliberate·

Iy use sophisticated techniques and materials. Bemard Wilkie, helld of the FX department at the B.B.C., says, "If somebody says 'Make me a spaceship: lim· mediately look around the shop to see wllllt there is whkh, with a bit cl ingenuity, I can use to make a spaceship." Mr. Wilkie works on a tight budget. He is highly re­spected in both professiofla! and amateur <:inematic circles.

I agree that anyone who is bUilding a model to enter into a competition would spend as much time as possible at constructing and detailing the model. But, if you are filming, you don't ho!Ive!lS much time to devote to the miniatures because you have so rTh'Iny other details to attend to. If II part of a model is not to be photngl1'lphfod. why Wllst .. til"nE" detailing that pan of the model?

There are no set rules for scratch building and I don't see any reason why new techniques and materials and "toothpk:ks and rubber bands" can't go hand in hand.

A. Sharples 191 Settle St. Bolton, BL3 3DN Lancashlre.England

to have made into" tilm. We would greatly appreci"te any ideas that would make a good SF film. We will a<:knowledge the contributors in the credits of our film. Any ideas thllt we don't use will be sent back to the writers.

We prefer dr"ma. action and love stories that deal with SF. Horror stories are "Iso welcome.

John Lawrence Celtic Produc tions 13642 E. Terrace PI. Whittier, CA 9060 1

Kaleidoscopic FX

grease painJ.. For a super·eerie effect. make

the simple designs in nourescent grease paint and film under a black light using Kodak: Ekta<;".rome 160 Type G as your film stock. Then dress the actor in all black with white gloves and there you h"ve it, the perfect alien. Don't forget to spray the ac· tor's hair with silver paint-Just kidding!

Brien O'Connell Oreat Neck, NY

.J.c:k Imme.' effect looks better In c:olor tb.n B £. W,

.. Super film effects from II 5O·cent mirror tile? Here's a shot showing just one of many special effects possible with a simple lens attachment made from II single

decorative mirror tile. ! made the attachment myself for 50 cents!

Jack lmmes Jr. 8 16 Washington Appleton, WI 5491 1

GNEMAGIC#S IS

Forced Perspective

T he art of simulating great dis­tances within limited .sp&ees is ell lied forced perspecUue. There are many methods of

IKhleving this eff@ct. Some of these methods have specific appliClltions. while others can be combi~ to form a "multiple effect,"

This lIrtide will describe the tech­niques involved in cr~ting a drematic feeling of depth for tiny diorama.

If you have collected a multitude of different scale models of people from model klu over the yetns you're ahead of the game. Buying new models just for the figures can be expensi~ , espedally if all you're after is d ressing for a diorama. A less expensive wolly to amass a collection of figu res Is to ac· cumulate a stock of miniature people sold by PJaslruct or other producers of scale figures. ~ Plastruct figures look like workmen, but can be altered by using standard modeling techniques. There liN!: II couple of different figure positions available in a number of scale sizes. The four figures in the photo are lIt6, 1124, 1148 and In2 scale.

Spacing between one scale and another can vary depending on the degree to which you want to create the illusion of depth. The setting also determines where the figures should be placed, and some experimentation is

(

By BRICK PRICE

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h)ItINlW/NGii' ZlUt ALL otI.7/U.TS ~J(lST '" PUINtS Of' 1>""~.s't:.toLof 11IIt; ~ "'DIN!f WALLf,FLDAlfS,Erc.

-- - -

probably In order-until you are satis· -.. fied with the results of the staging. -.. -.. I -A prototype can be constructed in· I expensively from light cardboard and '-____________________ -= ___________ -' the measurements taken from It can be i used for the final diorama. A handy shapes in raw plastic stock and many tool for figuring the rate at which your easily alterable models a re available. set "diminishes·' is a proportion grid. Make sure the figures and scenery of Refer to the illustration for directions each successive scale are In the same on how to make your own. vertic:al plane.

Some sections of the diorama may There are a few ways to Increase the have to be built from scratch or faked, apparent background distance. These due to the transitional areas between techniques are for use behind the front· one commercially available scale and stage setting of the diorama. another. This is not necessarily difficult The first method involves the addi· to do because there is a wide variety of tion of a forced ·perspectlve painting at

16 ONEMAG/C · S

the rear of the construction, which In· volves some skill at landscape painting unless a .suitable photograph can be found . This approach requires that you engineer the diorama so it can be view· ed only from a relatively small area straight in front of the background pic· ture. The camera lens must be perpen­dicular to the backdrop. A side angle will expose the flatness of the backdrop and d istort the perspective. A rear·

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B~I0w"4Y props for realisrc fi<tlt scenes.

AnirMtion on your hotner'nade stand. Build your own robcts 'Mth electronic Iish! dfects. MIlke your own loom Iato; llnimm.kJn models, molds lind ¥i'Mtures lind rMke thUn CCIITlI!: lIlive! ~ paintirl9S. l'Mtte box effects, spl it screens.

Reviev.ts cJ rtf:W equipment, lenses lind opticlll 9<'dgets for ((Wing speci/ll d · fea:sI Re&ders' forum-Irlte rs /lnd q uest ionS excMngirog t«:hniqlleS and prodlJCtion secretsl Step-by-step i~

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screen projected transparency will pro­duce the most realistic lighting for this, effect.

The second method involves the con· struction of diminishing scales in separate vertical planes with the transl· tional space deleted. Each sue<:essive plane is scaled down from the one in

front, and slightly ti lted. Overhead light ing should be widest and brightest on the planes closest to the foreground , with dimmer spot lighting 00 the background.

A third method is mainly for repeti· tive backgrounds such as long tunnels or concourses. Based on the infinity

Forced Perspective Figures

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Thea. flgurea are avaUple In _ ven.ldlfferent .we •• nd lend .......... lve • .,..11,. to forced perspectlve

dlor.m. •• The figure • • re m.nufactured. by Pl •• troct .nd come In 1 / 16. 1 / :Z4. 1 / 48 and 1 / 7:Z acale ••

FaKed per.pectlve-"Wrong."

)

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1

1 r

mirror effect, this am be a very startling visual t rick if properly lIChieved. See the diagrllm for construction details.

The methods described here lIlso in· dude the benefit 0( material economy, since the farther lIwlIY lin object is, the smaller it will be in site and cost.

In conclusion, fon:ed per5pI!(1ive

-

Forced per. pectlve-" Rlsbt,"

dioramas, though requiring more lItten· tion to detail than some scllie sets, com­mand far more visual Impact. A well­crafted scenario, creative staging of figures and subtle interplay 0( lighting wilt impress on your viewers a dynamic quality unobtainable in any other type of diorama. 01

The Dlu.lon doetln't work from .Ide view, note the different IIC.I_,

FILM MAGIC is the only book eVe!" published that gives you clear, detailed information, photos, and diagrams on dozens of special effects techniques .. in a visually exciting end enten:aining formatl

Just $IJ~ of the fabulous contents iocIude these step-by·step methods:

• Stop-mOlion animation models • Making full·body monstlll" suits • Foam-latex maklHJP made easy

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Producers',

U In Please {orward announcemenls of film projecls in current production or near complelion 10: CINEMAGIC, c/o O'Quinn Studios, Inc. 475 Park Avenue Sou/h. New York, NY 100 16. Please include il photograph of some phase of the production if possible.

Runners Down. It isn't a game, ifs a way of life. Producer: Homicopia Pro­ductions Unlimited. Director/FX: Carl Homer J r. FX include: pyrotechnics, mattes, animation. extensive miniature work. (Carl Homer Jr., 411 Beaver St., Mars, PA 16(46)

Super Teddy. Puppets star in this superhero spoof. Pro­ducer: Richard Shepard. DirectorlWriter: Richard Shepard. Cast: (off.camera voices) Jason White, Mark Peters, Richard Shepard. FX: Mark Peters. Richard Shepard, Jason White. Camera Operator: Peter Schwartz. FX include: aerial brace, double exposures. Super·a. color. separate soundtrack. Run· ning Time: 10·15 minutes. (Richard Shepard, 320 West B6th St., N.Y., N.Y. 10024.)

The Sword and the Blaster, Zentrons invade the planet Denuvia. Producer: David Hucke. Cast includes 22 animated characters. FX: David Hucke. FX include: stop motion animation. Regular·B, color, silent. Running Time: 20 minutes. (David Hucke, N4BW26388 Bayberry Ct., Pewaukee, Wis. 53072.)

The Stardust Cubes. The adventures of a long.haired trouble·shooter from Starfleet and his sword wielding, pixie· like alien sidekick on the planet Rigel 7. Animated. Producer/Director: Terry Homsey. FX include: stop· motion animation. substitution animation. Super·B, color, silent. (Terry Homsey, 3505 Ohio St., Alton, m. 62002.)

The Tears of Thorla. Legion Associates and Cliffridge Publishing are co·producing a special for television. Current· Iy titled The Tears ofThorla, this special will be done com· pletely in stop·motion and optical effects. Now in the final planning stage, the production company is looking for peo. pie interested in working on SF and fantasy films. The special will feature the Garthian Strider and other space hardware. Anyone interested in working on this production can apply by contacting Legion Associates by letter at 44 Montgomery ·St.. San Francisco. CA. Lee Seiler, who will handle the effects unit, has expressed interest in amateur filmmakers and encourages them to apply. (Legion Associates, 44 Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA or con· tact Lee M. Seiler, 225 Hyde St., Suite 421, San Francisco, CA 94 102. Tel. (415) 776-9571,)

Zombie. Skylab crashes to Earth in a small town during a local telethon and the dead come back to life. Producer/ Director: Mike Stanley. Cast: Phil Coco quyt, Bob Banek, Chuck lerland. Bob· bie Cocquyt. Super·B. color. Running Time: 25·30 minutes. (Mike Stanley, 19091 Frazho, Roseville, MI48066.)

20 CiNEMAGIC"5

Star Craft. The adventures of the Star Force as they pro· tect Earth and other peaceful colonies from mutated aliens known as Kreons. Producer: Starfilms Inc. Director: Paul Embrey. Cast: Paul Embrey and John Shanders. FX include: lasers, explosions, star fighter and attack craft models. Black and white videotape. In Preproduction, release set for fall 1980. (paul Embry, 904 Barracuda Dr .. Laurel Bay, Beufort, SC 29902.)

Earth Star. In the year 199B, five space travelers encounter sabotage, cosmic storms, a super nova and a giant alien on man's first intergalactic space journey. Producer: United Bros. Film Corp. Director: Lorenzo Black. Cast: Lawrence Copland, Gisele Gleaton, Sherril Spikes, Derick Mekinzie, Mark Jones. Super·B, color, sound. Running Time: 30 minutes. (Lorenzo Black, 18663 Klinger, Detroit. Mich. 48234.)

Target, Secret agent Matt Bond 7.00 must stop master criminal Esolaris from destroying the world with his heat ray. Producer: KRT Productions. Director/FX: Barry Kauf· man. FX include: explosions, stop·motion animation. squibbs(exploding blood capsules). mattes (ray guns, etc.) Super·a. color. music sound track. In Production . Running Time: 20·30 minutes. (Barry Kaufman, KRT Productions. 2901 Polly Lane. Flossmoor, III. 60422.)

Super Hero, Part 1. An alien fleet destroys a planet, but before the planet's destruction a scientist sends his son to Earth. The boy has super powers. which he uses to fight for good. Producer: Hank Morgan. Direc· tor: John Benson. FX include: nearly 200 FX accomplished by blackscreen superimposition, front and rear projec tion, stop-motion and optical painting. Super·a, color, sound. Running time: 50 minutes. Produced through Alpha Productions. Super Hero, Part 2 in preproduction. (Alpha Productions, Box 149, Buford, GA.)

The Delm os Facto r. A space station on Deimos, one of Mars' moons, is endangered when an uncontrollable ancient force is accidentally unleashed. Producer: Sippin·Smyth Productions. DirectorslWriterslFX: Steven Sippin and Kevin Smyth. Effects include: miniatures, slow motion, colored filters, superimposing. Super·B. Running time: Approxi· mately 15 minutes, (Sippin·Smyth Productions, 101 4 Hart· man La., Far Rockaway, NY 11691)

Valley of Day and Night. A reporter is sent to a seaside community in northern California to investigate reports of UFOs and other strange happenings in the valley on the other side of the hills behind the town. Producer: Can Enter· prises. Executive Producer: Ralph P. Morgan. Director: Andy Nelson. FX: Andy Nelson. FX include: stop· motion anima· tion, front·screen projection, rear·screen projection, miniatures. explOSions. Super·B. color, silent. Running Time: 25·30 minutes. (Andy Nelson. 415 Monterey Rd .. Pacifica, Calif. 94044.)

Electronic Special Effects

Using Professional Techniques For Your Own Special· Effects Films.

Motion Control Photography

By KENNETH WALKER [, JOHN COSENTINO

W hat do Luke Skywalker's X-wing fighter, berrel· rolling over the Death Star surface and the Ster­

ship U.S.S. EnLerprise streaking through spKe and time at warp.6 have in common? Both are examples of Hollywo()(fs relatively new state-of·the· art visual·effects process known liS motion-controlled photography, or to be more precise, computer·controlled, repelltable-move cinematography. The DykstTanex, developed for Star Wars by cinemagidan John Dykstrllllnd his engineers, was the first fully realb:ed ,

computer·asslsted system of its type to be used for theatrical motion pictures. It is capable of recording images of dogfighting spacecraft as if the camera itself were positioned right in the mid· die of the action.

Around the time that the Dykstranex was nearing completion, Douglas Trumbull was developing a motion­control system for a live-action camera that was used to film the stunning UFO sequences of Dose Encounters 0{ the Third Kind, This device was able to record camera movement with live ac, tor.;; on l'I set, Nllhallhis fnotlloe could

later be combined with various studio­photographed effects elements, like flying saucers, The result was a perfect melding of camera moves, focus changes and even lighting effects which gave the saucer shots a reality that had never before been achi~,

These two systems produced i!'1"1aQe5 that were e far cry from the locked-off, rether "stetic" visual effects seen In most previous films, But all of this amllzlng photographic technology didn't just spring up overnight. There were the pioneering efforts of John and James Whitney throughout I.h@ lale

Future General's computerized motJon 'conb'ol amer •• ystem, featuring eight programmable ctumnel. for move­mentof either camera or model, wa. used for fUming varlou. miniature effecf.a _quence.ln Star 1re1t.- TM Ho­tton PIcture. All of the movements are accomplished by using elecb'onlc stepping motor ••

ONEMAGIC"S 21

•

50s lind 60s, using 1I mechllnicll i /elec· tronic invention of their own design to crellte streak photography, slit· scanning and similar visual wonders. Essentially, their device (resembling 1I large animation stand) allowed both the camera and the artwork to be mov· ed around in any plane, the shutter of the camera remaining open for the duration of these complex moves. Suc· cessive frames were exposed while the device altered all of its movements slightly from frame·to-frllme. Follow· ing these developments came Doug Trumbull's slit·scan devk:e, built for 200 1: A Space Odyssey, to produce the "infinite corridors of lighe-the star·gate sequence-at the end of the film, a scene which continues to wow audiences to this day with its ethereal and hypnotic beauty.

The rudiments of repeatable· move cinematography were being sown­the spaceships in the film were photographed using extremely slow· speed camera movements and long time exposures, the camera traversing a precisely geared track. Later, Trum· bull and Dykstra worked together on the ecological science-fiction film, Silent RIJII1ling. For its effects se­quences, a special, motorized camera system was built, using variable.speed DC motors to drive the camera (rather than the spaceship models) down its precision track, thereby imparting film· ed movement to the minilltures them· selves.

All of these specialized devices were needed to photograph as many specilll· effects elements as possible onto the original film negative, in order to avoid the Image-degrading photographic duplication steps that lire so common in special-effects work. To accomplish

this, the cemera had to move precisely and repelltably, conditions which reo quired electronically controlled motors and precision tracks. And with the ad· vent of the OImera systems used for Star Wars lind CE3K, all of the available technology-stepping motors, minicomputers, more precise blue·screen techniques-were finaJJy brought together, and the term special photographic effect took on new life and meaning. For the first time it was possible to easily combine two, three or more separately photogrllphed, moving visual elements, precisely. As Dykstra himself has said, his was a system for manufacturing effects.

The word manuf&cturing is especial· Iy applicable here. The electronic and mechanical technology put to such aesthetic use in the Dykstrllflex camera system was actually borrowed from available industrial motion·control equipment-computer' lIutomated drill presses, lathes, welding machines and other numerically controlled machine tools that had been around for some time, on the assembly lines of American industry. But Dykstra (train. ed as an industrial designer) and his engineers saw the special phoIographic capabilities inherent in all of this, tech· nology which could be put to 1I new and novel use-much to the delight of science·fiction and fanlllsy film fans everywhere.

Why is such motlon·control equip­ment now almost essential to today's fantastic visulli effects? Whllt special photographic assignments dictate the use of computer-controlled, repeatable·move cinematography, and how does it all work? First, it should be stressed that in these systems, the camera does most of the moving, not

Clnemaslelan Jobn Dykaba cbecks ODe of the nlkon lensea uaed on the Dykstraflex,

22 C/NEMAGIC #5

the miniatures (although they can mov~ in restricted ways). A moving cllmera is used for three main reasons: the stationary model allows the camerllman to light it in any way he wishes, unrestricted by having to worry about mounting all of the photo lights on moving carriages as well; the model cen remllin directly in front of its blue screen (if this system of matting is be· Ing used): the part of the model that is visible may be just the "tip of the iceberg"-there could be complex and bulky umbiliclll power cords and mounting devices sticking out of its unseen side. This technique allows much finer control over the many photographic problems inherent In miniature effects photography.

Computer·controlled movement of the cllmera permits perfectly matched· up camerll passes to be made on two or more different miniatures at dif· ferent times, perhaps at different frame rates, with models that may have been built in different scales. Add to these features the ability to impart Indepen. dent motion to the camera itself-as if it were actUli lly panning and ti lting on the actlon- lind you have an extreme· Iy powerful and useful device, capable of tackling almost any photographic problem.

Another reason for precision motion·control is that, in order to keep the camerll's lens sharply focused on the entire model at once (out·of·focus miniatures being dead givawllYs as models), the lens diaphragm needs to be "stopped down" to f/ 16, f122 or higher, for increased depth of field. And as any photographer knows, this cuts down tremendously on the amount of light reaching the film (especially if the film has a very slow· speed emulsion, such as that presently used for much of Hollywood's effects work beclluse of its extremely fine grain.)

What to do? The most logical lip­preach would be to let the camera move at ultra·slow speed, while taking actual time-exposures on each frame of film. And this Is exactly what is done in modem errects photography of space­ship miniatures. (Some of the "Mother· ship" photography in Oose Encounters required a per·frame exposure time of 90 seconds!) But this slow·speed technique In itselfwouJd not require the services of a computer. What the computer does provide, in i!Kidition to the features previously mentioned, is the ability for the cameraman to plan the camera moves, in advance, and In " realtime"-thllt is, as if the camera were moving along at its normal 24 ffs pace. Later, when all the separate movements of the camerll hllve been run, are deemed to be correct lind have been recorded into computer memory, the whole system is slowed down into its ultra·slow speed time frame for the

I I

SIMPUFIED CAMERA TRACKING SET·UP

for sIlt-scan and streak photography

Th. mo"amenl of the car· rtlog. down Ih. track un be motorited; bicycle chain .nd g, .... make good qu.llty, IneKf*laive iIrIv, compon.nt, lor mounllng the motor and carrlllQI .

The c.m .... I, mounted to Ih. c.n1ag.e with. V." x 20" boll-thl. lite wlll lit the carner, '. tripod IoOChl .

You will need tour piec ..

ARTWORK or REAR·PRo. JECTION screen (outside Braal 8111 draped wilh bllek velvet).

01 1" x 'I." solid .Iuml- ___ num, ,Ix I.al long (IVlII ·

5/8" particle board

2"1l4" wood beams (studs)

PIntle or ,tee' furniture roUer. or cnterl mUI ' have fl.t roiling ,1II1_a. Fo .. roll.,.. .ra '«actMod to the camM, e.mage.

.bI •• t moll hardware

.torll).

"

The roll.,.. ride In ~chlfl' n.la" lonned by two plec .. ol.luminum.

The aluminum guide, mUlt be laid down per­fectly par.II.I.

The Inlck Ihould be about ,Ix IHI: long.

NOTE; Your clmer. musl be capabll 01 making 11m • .... posur.J on each Irame 01 111m.

i~ __________________________________________________________ ~

C/NEMAGIC"S 23

actual photogrllphy. And the visual result can be as spe<:taCular as the view from the front of an X·wing fighter as it literally ra~ down the Death Star trench, t~ walls of the canyon streak· ing by at breathtaking speed.

Do It YourMlr? Now that you know something about

the fundamentals of motion-controlled photography and its applications, ifs time to "jump in with both feet" lind build your own system, right? Well , It's not that easy, as might be expected. But not impossible, either!

First, a little background informa· tion is in order on the actual mechanical and electronic com· ponents that go into t~ modem mo­tion·control rig-which will explain why such complex systems are not, un· fortunately, within t~ financial reach of the backyard filmmaker/tinkerer,

Camerill Tracks: These usually can· sist of very expensive but very preci· sian parallel stl!el shafts, about one inch in diameter, which extend across at least 40 feet of the studio floor. The camera carriage itself, whether it has a fancy boom·arm camera mount at· tached or is just a straightforward plat· form, rides along on these rails on practically friction·free linear motion bearings-a sort of "Rolls Royce"" of ball-bearing device. Again, expen· sive-but you're buying precision. (If the camera tracks were bumpy or misaligned, or the bearings were not industrial quality, the steadiness of the cllmera itself would be sacrificed. When a piece of 35mm motion·picture film no larger than lin inch wide is pro­jected up onto a 'SCreen thousands o f times its Original size, even the slightest jiggle of the camera would be apparent.) The motor driving this car· riage down its tracks would need to be mated to some sort of very rugged ""rack-and.pinion" gearing device. To give you an idea of what such gears cost: Edmund Scientific has a hobby. quality, two-foot long rack-and-pinion available for about $25. Do the necessary multiplication- taking into account the higher cost for precision quality-and you'll find that some new car.s sell for less! (There is, of course, a way around all of this fancy designing lind exorbitant expense, geared more toward the Super-B and l&nm film­maker, which 1"11 get to later.)

Motorized Camera Head: This is probably the most complex part of a computer·controlled camera, mechanically speaking. The gimbal­type mount usually provides for move­ment in the up-down (lilt) direction, the lefHight (pan) direction and some· times even in the rotlltional (roll) direc· tion, where the entire camera does a barrel·roll around its own lens axis. Even the lens focusing collar may be motorized, for "follow focusing"

24 ONEM-'IG/C-S

automatically lIS Ihe camera ap­proaches a model. Bear in mind that all of the necessary motors, gears and drive belts must fit into the smallest space imaginable, if !he camera Is to get even remotely close to the miniature without bumping into it. In addition to all of these camera ad­justments, !herf! is the up-down (boom) movement of the entire camera head itself. Such a fealure allows the camera to go from within inches of the "oor to six feet or more off the ground. Now, you have five axes of camera motion which can be remotely controlled via computer with all mechanical p.!Irts machinf!d to the finest tolerances. Bul how are these precise movements ac· tually accomplished? By using spec:ializf!d eJectronicaUy operated motors, tied into the "heart" of the system, the computer.

Stf!pping Motors: These truly space. age motors operate in a very unique way: rather than rotating continuously when power is applied. they '"step" through their revolutions in very small , but precise and distinct increments. Say you have a commonly available stepping motor, one in which each reo volution of the motor's shaft turns through precisely 200 steps (identiclll to those used in many of Hollywood's professional motion-tracking systems). The motor-via a special electronic ""driver"-is patched to the computer, which functions as a timed memoty. When the computer's memory comes across a digital '"on·off· signal, il can send this on·off pulse to the motor. causing it to tum one step and one step only. (For a 200-step motor, this is a very small movement indeed- l oB degrees to be exact.)

Depending on the size of the gear

attached to the motor, and the tale at which computer signa1s are being fed to it, the camera will move down its track in a completely programmed and precise way. Back the camera up to Its starting point, reset the computer and, through the magic of motion contro l, the entire rig will repeat its movements exactly as before. (Of course, the movements can be changed in any and all ways by instructing the computer to do so.) In this way, moving spaceships and moving starfields, both pho­tographed at separate times, are made to appear as if they were actually photographed in outer spacel

BuDding Your Own While such a complex, computerized

device as the Oykstranex is nol practically realizable by the amateur filmmaker, there are ways of producing many similar special effects-such as streaking and slit·scanning -for a modest outlay of lime and money. By building a simplified camera track operated with easily obtained AC Mtim_ ing motors" or reversible gear molars. you can film your own dimensional titles sequences and ""star gate" effects. (See the listi ng at the end of this article for suppliers of the various parts.) And with a little bit of redesigning, you'll be able to do some streaked, " non· real­time" photography of models suspend­ed in front of a black background. Your miniatures will appear to zoom at the camera at incredible speed.

For all of the fo llowing effects, it is abSOlutely essential that your Super-B camera be capable of taking actual time-exposures on each frame of film. (Many of today's sophisticated cameras have this fealure- some Nizo, Bauer and Eumig cameras in particular_) Time-exposures are at the very heart of

ALTERNATE METHOD OF TRACK CONSTRUCTION

Parallel steel shafts and grooved pulleys

'OM canMfl cam. II mount" on lour pull,yl.

TheM P'"'~' tomeWtI,t '.penlll .. , but _It In llmooth« mo"""""tl 01 the e-.. (P.", .AI '''illhI,lrom Wlnllr.d M_ BIIlI, Inc.; _ !hi II....,. pll.,.. Ult .t thl.ml 01 thlll ."Iel •. )

o

VARIABLE TIME·EXPOSURE

CONTROL FOR AUTOMATIC

SUPER·8 CAMERAS

AU p.rts ,v,lIabie from Radio Shack.

Rl - 330 ohm r.sisfor (112 w. tt)

R2 - 1S.20 ohm resl510r (112 . 1111 )

CAM ERA

SpecI.1 time exposure eleclrlc eye Ie..,.).

Mlnl ... n Ilghlbulb-l.5 voIl, 15 mllilampa (Radio Sh.ck 11'272·1139).

If Ilghlbulb la not brigtrl enough when fully Ofl,

decr.". lhe nlue ollhla reslalor,

+ JL~~::!!,1. ~ 1000 ohm (lK) polenlio- ~ 50",11 power supply Is"

CINEMAGIC UIOI' build· lI,your$.tI circuli.) A 9-voIl Ir.nsillor r.dlo blll.ry cln be used, bot lhe ,.Iue of ,.alilor R2 musl be doubled.

mller

By turning knob 10 .... ry In· lenally of Ilghlbulb, you Cln kMp Ih...rttf 01 clmer. open for ,Iff.llle pmodI: of l ime.

effects like streak photography and slit-scanning, allowing the camera's shutter to remain open while complex light effects are "built up" on each frame of film.

Since most (if not all) Super·8's hoW' ing this feature automalicaIly control the exposure's duration according to the amount of light reaching a special electric eye (that is, with no provision for manually setting the exposure

The fOllowing companies offer devices and materials that can be used In special el· fects projects. Write for their catalogs. (A suggestion: type your request; you'll get a quicker response.)

DIGI·KEY CORPORATION P.O. Box 677 Highway 32 South Thief River Falls, MN 56701

electronic components; microswitches

AIRBORNE SALES 8501 Stellar Drive P.O. Box 2727 Culver City, CA 90230

government surplus: motors of all types; pulleys; odds and ends

C & H SALES COMPANY 2176 East Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91107

motors of all types; odds and ends

POLY PAKS P.O. Box 942 South Lynnfield, MA 01940

electronic components; mlcroswltches; literally thousands of useful Items for special-effects work; e)(Celient prices

time), the camera has to be tricked into thinking that the special eye has accumulated the proper amount of light. Only then will the shutter close, after the user·sele<:ted time. This can be accomplished in one of two ways: A variable rheostat (potentiometer) can be suitably hooked up to power a small lightbulb, which is taped directly over the time-exposure electric eye. By turn· ing the control, the brightness of the

EDMUND SCIENTIFIC COMPANY 101 East Gloucester Pike Barrington. NJ 08007

switches; many scientific and technical devices; slow·speed AC timing motors

BERG CATALOG Winfred M. Berg, Inc. 499 Ocean Ave. East Rockaway, Long Island, NY 11518

precision mechanical components; prac· tically a source book on the mechanical devices which go into motion tracking set· ups; quite technical; cost 01 catalog is $2.50 (lor sale from EDMUND SCIENTIFIC also)

For those readers desiring more informa· tlon on stepping motors and other types of in· dustrial control equipment, I refer you to an interesting but highly technical magazine: Control Engineering (most large libraries have copies 01 this available). This publica­tion regularly reviews the latest numerical control devices and technology, equipment that Is used in professional motion·tracking systems. But be forwarned: this is an engineer's magazine, not for the uninitiated.

lamp varies, thus allowing "manual" control of how long each time­exposure will be. Press the camera's trigger, the shutter opens for its "pro· grammed" amount of time and then closes automatically. (When the lamp is full off, the exposures will actually be infinitely long.)

The second method (also with a light over the electric eye, but with no v"riable brightness control), uses a series of on-off " microswitches" mounted at the head and foot of the long camera track. As the camera and its carriage start their motorized journey toward the artwork at the far end, the first switch-tripped by the carriage as it moves past-causes the camera's shutter to open, building up a time-exposure on the film in the nor· mal way (the electric eye lightbulb be· ing off at this time~ When the camera finally reaches the far end of the track, a second switch, wired to the mini· lightbulb, turns it on (to full), thereby immediately causing the shutter to close and the film to advance by one frame (Super-8 cameras can really be sophisticatedl). Once the camera returns to its starting point (either by manually moving it or by using a rever­sable motor), the whole process starts again: you trip the camera's trigger­meanwhile having turned the light or{- which starts the camera down its track. etc.

Suitably automated, all of these dif­ferent functions can produce some really incredible images on film, from the dimensional (streaked) lettering seen in the title sequence of Superman: The Mouie to the "classic" slit-scan ef· fect of 2001. For slit-scanning, the art· work at the end of the track is placed behind a blackboard into which is cut a very narrow horizontal slit. (Back-lit art works best for this.) The camera is poSitioned so that its lens is actually several inches above (or below) the sl it-but the lens is aimed right al the slit, so that its image slices the viewfinder into two equal upper and lower halves. As the camera moves down the track, the slit will appear to slowly move toward the bottom (or top) of the viewfinder. But as the camera moves, so does the artwork behind the slit-either up or down, but very slowly and in synchronization with the camera. What is produced by this te<:hnique is a "smear" of light and dark areas on the film that correspond to the same areas on the art-only now. the art appears to be zooming out toward the camera, a 121 200 1,

You will have to experiment with this te<:hnique to get the proper exposure times, camera speeds, synchronization of art with camera, etc. But the visual rewards are definitely worth the ef­fort-your filmmaker friends will be "oohhing" and "ahhing" at your amaz-ing images. (Jf

ONEMAG/C"5 25

Like llliens <!1M spoceshlps or heroes and villains, widescreen goes hand·in·hand with special effects as if the two were m&de

for each other. This is not surprising. since one of the reasons for the use of wldescreen (or as it is more commonly known, CinemaScope or Panavision) is to fool your senses into believing that you life actually there, on location.

In Its ultimate version, as typified by the three<amerlllthree-projector technique used in Cinerama, people ac­tually felt giddy and swayed with the film when they watched the roller coaster sequences. You can get SOfne+

thing akin to this with your Super·S. believe it or not!

Let's look at the various types of wldescreen that are available. There's Cinerama, which we've mentioned "I· relldy, lind [t probably is the ideal showman's system, but it requires three of everything. That's more than the average household (and average wife) is prepared to suffer, even if you have enough money to pay for three times t~ lImount of film, Then there's the format known as CinemaScope (or Panavision, which is exacUy t~ SlIme d~ree of compression/expansion), The lIdvantage here is that you need only one camerll, With CinemaScope you Clln use exactly the SlIme type of film thllt you have always used, the SlIme processing and the SlIme projector.

nit: funnCll fUf Cillt:fCl"'" Is 2,67 : 1, The format for a CinemaScope lens is 2.66: I; not all that much less but con· siderably less costly in actual cash outlay,

Widescreen burst upon the commer· cial cinema way back in 1953, with Cinerama and CinemaScope taking the lead, yet it has been only in the last 15 years that they finally reached the user of the smaller gauge- the 6mm man, It is probably one of the easiest of special effects to a<:hieve.

Squeeze I Onsqueeze Add just one lens to your camera- it

goes in {ronJ. 0{ your existing Iens-and this compresses or "squeezes" ~ image horizontally only. Imagine a wide,angle lens that had no effect in the vertlclli and you have an anamor· phic lens.

The word 'anamorphic' Is defined In the dictionary as "to distort" lind thIs Is just what this type of lens does, How· ever, when you transfer it from the camera to the front of the projection lens, it immediately expands the pic. ture back to the wider shape-and that 's aD there is toil. One lens does it all- use it on the camera and transfer it to the projector!

You would think that with something this easy just about every keen cine en· thusiast would have jumped on the bllndwagon, yet it is only now that this

26 ClNEMAG/C"S

is coming about. So, what is this anamorphic, Of

"A· lens," that we are talking about? How is it made? Instead of having nonnal spherical lenses it uses two (or more) lenses that have ~n cylin· drically ground. If you pick up an "A·lens" and look down the front of it you would see that the elements ap­pear to be oval in shllpe, The "A·lens" has absolutely no effect on the picture in the vertical plane and only acts on the horizontal plane. Thus, it gives the "squeeze" action instead of the highly increased perspective that you would get from a wide·angle lens of the SlIme

"""",. Due to the fact that the makers of

optical equipment can actually vary

the amount of "squeeze" in manufac· ture, It Is possible to have a choice of format. There are currently available three formats for amateur use, and if you look at the diagram with this arti· de, you will see exactly what is avail· able for eo!lCh format. (Fig. 1)

You will see that you can get 50% , 75% or even 100% more image on your screen at no extra cost in film stock, Think what you can do with that extra image area! You can create ef, fects that simply are not possible with the 'old' fashioned' format of 4 x 3: you can mentally involve your audiences In a way that just isn't otherwise possible,

Let's take each of the above points in turn, starting with the camera, Jusl as there Is no such thing as a perfect

WIDESCREEN How You

Figure "4. Home_de mount.

camera, (what suits you may well not suit someone else) there is no one ideal camera for widescreen work. Like everything else in life, it is a com· promise, but a good one.

Now, with a bit of luck, you may already have a camera that is suited to widescreen work. How, you may ask, do I know this? Well, here are a few

things to look for: A) Does your camera have a lens that produces very sharp pictures when set at the normal focal length of around I Smm? 8) Has it either a reasonably short zoom range or the facility for inter· changeable prime lenses? C) It is difficult to name cameras for

Wul You Need for Movie. In elnem.Scope

1 . You will need a aultable ca .. era. Z. You muat decide on the

wldescreen format that you re· quire, and then buy a .ultable "A· len •• " Thl. wllllQ,ve to be compatible wllb your came .. -more about that later.

3. You will need a method of

mounting the additional lena on to your camera.

4. You will need a ne. method of mounting the len. on your pro· Jector too, but here there are a number of .olutlona.

5. If you talI:e wide.creen movie., Jou'li _etA. wide .cre.:nl

widescreen work since they change constantly. bull ha\'e found that the following are compatible with a number of the currently available widescreen lenses. They are also on sale on a worldwide basis. I am not recommending them for any reason other than the ract that they can be used for widescreen or Cinema· Scope filming. They mayor may not have other features that you require:

Canon 514, Sankyo 3201420. Elmo 350, Eumlg Minl·S and some of the Chinon line.

If your camera is flOt among these. do not despair; it does flOt mean that your camera is incompatible.

The quickest way to determine if your camera is suitable for use with

- The Ultimate Special Effect By TONY SHAPPS

Can Film in the Panoramic Formats

I ~---- CENTASCOPE/ISCORAAA give a 2:1 screen snape I

HTPERGONAR/MAGNARAHA give a 2.35:1 screen shape

I I _. __ . - --- - CENTAAAHA/KOWA/ISCCfolORPHQT giYe a 2.66:1 screen

1

I

1-- ' "("d'·","lo.,d fonnat of 1 :1 . 33- 'I

The above dlagnlna .how. the v.rlou. ratio. of the avaU.ble wldeM:reeD fOI"llW .... A full 2 .66:1 ratio sc:reea Is .hown _ the f ....... of the dJagnna. Note lbe rel.tlv •• 1_ of the 1:1.33 fOl"llWt.

widescreen is to hold an "A· lens" up in front of the camera lens and look through the reflex viewfinder. Zoom back to the wide·angle end of the zoom range until you just see the "A· lens" becoming visible at the cor· ners of the viewfinder. This is an effect that is called vignetting (or simply cut· om. Now, take a look at the zoom ring of your camera and see how near you have managed to get to the standard focal length setting of 15 to 18mm. lf you have no cut·off at all at these focal lengths, then you can be reasonably sure that your camera will work with widescreen.

WldelKreen FOl"DUlt The next item on our five·point

check list is format. As mentioned earlier, there are three main widescreen formats that give either 50%,75% or 100% more picture. If you again refer to our diagram, you will see that these are translated into formats on the screen of 2: 1, 2.35: 1 and 2.66: 1.

You should not automatically assume that the widest is the best for your purpose. You must take into con· sideration such things as the location where you will most often project your films. After all, your aim should be to get the largest possible screen into your normal showing area in order to get maximum impact with your audience.

Speaking in plain terms, what docs 2:1 mean? Well, it signifies a screen that is twice the width of the height, so that if your present screen is-for example- 4 ft. wide by 3 ft. deep, it would become 6 ft. wide by 3 ft. deep.

Similarly, if you used the 2.35: I for· mat, your same screen would then become 7 ft. wide by 3 ft. deep; and with 2.66: 1 format that screen would enlarge to 8 ft. wide by 3 ft. deep.

Choose the screen format that suits your most·often·used location, and"the type of "A· lens·' will almost choose itself.

Cameralllountings There are a number of ways of

mounting your chosen widescreen lens to your camera. Just two of these methods are shown in accompanying photogrnphs. (Fig. II [, HI). For general purposes, and use with more than one camera, the tried and trusted Cuslom· Mount , is hard to beat. However, this is a compromise since to make it work with a large number of cameras it must have flexibility. A newer item on the market is the Cetanmount, which mounts directly in to the filter thread of your camera. There can be a number of objections to this latter system too, though it is convenient.

My personal objection to the Cetan· mount system is that I do not like mounting a heavy additional lens just

28 CfNEMAGIC-S

by the filter thread. Most cameras do not have the deep sort of thread that I like to see. However, some of the latest anamorphic lenses have been designed with a degree of lightness in weight that takes this into account.

If you are at all handy with tools, you could possibly fashion something suitable to your liking. You will see a nicely made mount in Figure IV.

PI'OJector MounUogs Moum;ng the "A· lens" in front of the

projector is an easier proposition because you do not normally expect to move this about during a show. (plenty of people insist on handholding cameras, but I know of no one who

handholds the projector!!!) This means that you can have a mount thai simply sits in front of the projector if you wish. (Fig. V)

The most popular type of projector mount is the upperbracket, which is to the projector what the Custom Mount is to the camera. This simply cl ips on to the front spool arm and extends a suitable bracket into place in front of the projector's own lens. (Fig. VI)

Owners of the Elmo GS 1200 projec. tor might also be interested in the range of adaptors specially made for this machine that allow the anamor· phic lens to be directly "plugged· in" to the front of the Elmo f/I .I projector lens. This is the ideal situation and

Anamorphic Projector Mounts

The IKost.t UJ" for holding aa UA" lens In front of. proJector'. leDS. It I. available from Steel Valley Plhll Servh::e . 1125 Gill H.II Rd ., Clairton, PA 15025.

ISCOSTAT III

----------------------------------------- , the one that I use for demonstrations.

If you are feeling very rich, you can also adopt the professional approach and have a separate anamorphic lens just for projection alone. In this case, you can have a much smaller unit which will "plug·in" or "dip-on" to most projector lenses. Another solu­tion is the complete, or compound, projection/anamorphic lens which simply replaces your existing projector lens. This is the easiest method of all.

Whichever method you use on camera or projector, it is essential at all times to keep the oval axis of the widescreen lens upright-unless you are trying a di/Terenl special effect, of course,

A , I

A

I

About the Screen I have briefly mentioned the screen

in passing, but I would like to explain a little more about it in relationship to total size. I am often asked, "How large can I really go with widescreen?"

[n answer to this question I will tell you that [ have projected very suc­cessfully the full Cinema$cope for­mat on to a 16 ft. wide screen. It Is essential to note that I was using the Elmo GS 1200 projector, a good quality screen with a high degree of reflectivity and most important, an fiLl projection lens. I even did II show at our National Film Theatre in London using the Fumeo Marc·300 Super-S projector where we were able

UPPER BRACKET

DE LUXE SWING AWAY

, , ,

/

I Spool arm Y of projector I

I -Screw towards J' Main Block f~0;:~~::::~~~ I

I

A

I I

/

Projector faci ng in this direction ~

I

Thl' de'tIce 11110< mounllrog 'fOAK ~Ic lena onto 'fOAK projIIcIor. Qamp IIIICtkln A to t .... fronl SPOOl arm 01 'fOAK projector ......... lng Il"I8t your *"-' ~ to the right 01 you. Next, "'-1 I18Ctkln B (short I!)d) "'10 A ., ehown. InMl1 ""'leal bar C "'10 I .... knurled .-.I 01 short bar 8 and gently clamp Into posI­IkIn by using ClUb ICI"ftW C. Next, "'MI1I1!or1 "lollipop" D "'to t .... bottom knurled aec1k1n 01 """Uon C MId ..:I/U51 R ... to an upright po:sI­IkIn beIore lightening ClUb ICI"ftW F. Now Idd /Ieioh1 adlust ... H and IocIc tJoh! tully lIusll w~h tOIl 01 knurled """,lion on short red B. F"'ally, Ioo8MI ClUb iICI'$W E 10 allow SWlflO" ,w'Y action.

0

I

/

I

A namorph ic Retaining

Ring

Section C

F

I CINEMASCopE I Write fo r list

LENSES Kowa 16H . .......... $197.00 Centerscope 2: 1... $129.00

Kowa 16H.... . . . . . $197.00 Centerscope 2: 1.. $129.00 Centerama 2.66: 1. U59.00 Magnaraina 2: 35: 1 $339. 95 lscorama Set (oraD $:tW9.00 lscorama 36 2: 1 . . ~436. 00 lscorama 54 2: 1.. $579.00

ACCESSORIES Custom Mt. (camera) $50.00 Centermount" $59.00 Upper Bracket (proj) $50 Lenshade ....... _ ... $65 . 00

SCREENS Centerfold Portable 38 x 100" Lenticular $:t29.00

FILMS Now or soon avail. in scope: ~ WaAA, Cio6e En~ount~ JatI.M, VJ!.. Vuvago, ta.lLthqua.l<.e The eM, Swa6ltbUc.l<.tVL, VIUlc.u,ta. titue H~. 8 N0W Tom&J~y ? MA Magoo~ many moJte-W~e!

GODZILLA THE GIANT CLAW

SPEC IAL! Bo:dt above 60Jt $12.50 tNo.t r <!oc.opeJ

GODZILLAvs MEGALON

COi04 T~e4 $12.95

2 3/4¢ PER FT

SOUND STRIPING REG 8 & SUPER 8 Student FUms welcome· any length

CC(..~og $1.00 i. , Post.g, & Picking

$2.00

Staal Valley Film Services 1125 Gill Hall RDad ClairtDn, Pa. 15025

(412) 653·6224 Evenings

CINEMAGIC -5 29

to blow the picture up to a fuJi CinemaScope screen size of 22 ft. wide! But with a Xenon arc projection bulb you would expe<::t to be able to do this.

Coming back to our average domestic situation, let me say that a 10 ft. wide picture should be within the reach of most of today's modern projectors that have a l2·voltllOO· watt tungsten/halogen lamp and an f/l.3 projection lens. I have found that the most likely size is usually B ft. wide by 3 ft. deep and this will pre· sent no problems in widescreen pro· jection. All these 'scope sizes have been quoted on the full 2.66: I for· mat, but you can easily work out the other sizes. (Take another look at the chi!lft).

Shoot Your Own Wlde.creeD

There is very little difference be· tween filming in widescreen and us· ing the old·fashioned format; except that what would be regarded as a "good filming habit" for the 4 x 3 shape becomes even more essential when you turn to the wider format.

What you should aim for is well · composed, steady, sharp pictures that let the action take place within the frame. Steady, sharp pictures can only really be obtained with the aid of a tripod. If you're aiming to get some spechll effe<:ts in to your panoramic filming then this will be doubly important. Try to use the shortest possible focal length, too. You do not get steady pictures by handholding your camera with the zoom set at 75mm's! It is extremely difficult to handhold visually accep· table pictures at any focal length longer than about 30mm with an anamorphic lens.

The finest widescreen pictures I have produced came from a little fixed·focus camera that sold for around $20. [fitted this with an equally inexpensive anamorphic lens called the Hypergonar.8 and the results have pleased many an au· dience of knowledgeable critics. For widescreen you do not require fan· tastically expensive equipment, but you do need a little patience and, above all, steadiness. If it looks bad in the old·fashioned format, you may be sure that it will look terrible in 2.66:1.

As far as focusing goes, 99 times out of a 100 it is better to use the so· called uniuersal focus setting (or hyperfocal distance) wherever possi· ble. This used to be also known as the "everything. in· focus" position. Naturally, this technique cannot be applied to all situations, particularly if the weather is a little dull. Then you'll want to focus a bit more ac·

30 CiNEMAG/C-5

Available Anamorphic Lenses and Their Formats

Lens Centascope Iscorama·36 Iscorama·54 Hypergonar·B Magnarama [scomorphot Centarama Kowa

Compression 1.5x 1.5x 1.5x 1.75x 1.75x 2, 2, 2,

&reeo Shape 2: 1 2:1 2:1 2.35:1 2.35:1 2.66:1 2.66:1 2.66:1

This turns a 4x3 picture into: 6x 3 shape 6 x3 shape 6 x 3 shape 7 x3 shape 7 x3 shape a x 3 shape a x 3 shape a x 3 shape

If you want to find out exactly the size screen that you will need for any selected anamorphic lens, simply multiply the width by the compression factor above. For example, if you use a screen that is 60 inches wide and you intend to use the Magnarama, multiply this by 1.75 and you will know that your screen will need to be 105 inches in width.

curately. Here again the answer is a simple one: estimate roughly the filming distance and set this on the anamorphic lens. then visually focus your camera behind it. For rostrum work, where you are after the ex · treme close-up, it becomes essential to use a qua l ity close-up lens since 1111 the currently available anamorph ic lenses for the amateur will only focus down to 5 ft. Remember the only axis on which the "A-lens" is really fo­cused is that on which it is actually " squeezing" the image_

When the film is returned from pro­cessing you will find that it has a lot of tall , upright people, that all automo­biles have upright oval wheels and tMt any other recognizable item is equally

compressed from side to side. Do not be alarmed! Just set the anamorphic lens at your projector-la-screen distance, thread the projector, put the "A_lens" in front of the projector's own lens and then focus the latter until you get a sharp image on the screen. Everything will be restored to its right shape and will be in the full grandeur of widescreen_

Packaged Movie. In CinemaScope

A fairly recent development has been the release of Super-a packaged movies in the full CinemaScope format and these are now many and varied. For the connoisseur this is an ideal cp-

portunity to study sane of the better effects that have been produced for such films as Aitport '75, Two-minwe Warning, Capricorn One and The Car, to name but a lew.

Further inlormation about these films and the complete range of anamorphic lenses detailed (on page30) can be obtained Irom STEEL VALLEY FfLMS, 1125 Gill Hall Road, Clairton , Pennsylvania 15025. Telephone Curt Buchanan at (412) 65)-6224_ (Jf

If you are in any doubt, I will be del ighted to answer your questions or try to solve your problems_ A line to me via ClNEMAGIC is all that is necessary; however, p lease give me a li ttle time to reply. T. Shapps.

Widescreen Expands Your Horizons The Clnemascope wldeacreen format Include. more Image area than the atanclard 1: 1.33 for· mat. aa tbeae photo. Wuatrate. Opper leFt: Show. the compression of an anamorphic Ie .... The Image la " squeezed" to Include more vlaualmformatlon. Tbe projector mu.t be nUed with an anamorphic lena to " uDNIueeze" the Image. or the picture will look like thla on the .creen, Lower left: Tbe .. me acene a.lt would appear In the standard fonnat If .hot from the .. me distance, Note that the enUre house can' t fit Into the frame. Above: Tbe " unaqueezed" ClnemaSc:ope photo gets the entire house Into the fr.me and fUi. a wldellCreen.

QN&lAGIC - S 31

KODAK'S ANIMATION

GUIDE

Kodak's, "The World Of Animation," Is an authoritative guIde for anyone whO Is Interested In making animated films. It Is jam-packed with tips on every aspect of film production and animation technique. This In-depth guide book was prepared by Kodak especially for the animator who wants to make professional-quality animated films on a MODEST BUDGET. "The Wor1d of Animation" INCLUDE5-

33 pages of complete blueprints for building your own animation stand. • A guide to all the Kodak films available for animation and when to use them!!! • A "hOw-to" guide for aChieving all the major animation techniques!!!

How to find work with a prOducerl!!

• How to break Into the buslnessJII . 152 pages-full COlor through-outm ----_ .. _------

I "The World of Animation" I c/o O'Qulnn Studios DEPT. C5 I 475 Park Avenue SOuth

New York. NY 10016 I 57.95 per coPY. add $1.25 for postage and I handling each ($3.25 for ForeIgn P&H)

I I I I I

I I I EncloseO$ Icneckormonevorder I I drawn to O'OUlnn StudIos. Ino I I I I I I NAME I I I

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32 ONEMAG/C "5

-------..,,-......... ~ -... -­_._--~---.... _---i!==~~~~~~~;;;-;·~=;'~~;·:=~=:= ..... :k~no:~:~oo::9:e contained in the book is

The Technique of FUm Anlm.tJ.on . By John Halas and Roger Manvell. Communications Arts Books, Hasting House Publish· ers, N.Y., N.Y. 5 1/a .. x8l /.".

327 pages. Both John Halas and Dr. Roger

Manvell have very impressive backgrounds in the fields offilm and animation. Mr. Halas heads Halas EJ Batchelor Cartoon Films, Ltd., and has served as President of the International Film Animation Association. Dr. Manvell has served as the director of the British Film Academy and as the editor of the London·based Journal of the Society of Film and Television Arts and Sciences. Dr. Manvell has also authored and edited many books on film and television.

With credentials as impressive as these, one would expect an author· itative book on the subject of animation from these two distinguished men. The Technique of Film Animation is such an authoritative book, but it reads like a college text book and the presentation of the admittedly impressive "olume of

very formal. The dedicated student of animation

may find the patience to read through this treatment, but the book is not for every animator. There are other books on the subject that make more en· joyable reading and contain the same information.

The book has many black and white illustrations from cartoons, but most of the cartoons are obscure and the packaging of this work is not as slick as other books on the subject that are printed entirely on glossy paper stock and feature color illustrations from famous cartoons.

Certainly, this book is intended for a sophisticated audience and is written in a style that requires a relatively high level of literacy. The young animator who is j ust starting out may want to bypass this admittedly fine book for some other, more easily readable books on the subject (see the Books section in CINEMAGIC #3 £,. "4). More advanced readers or college students of cinema animation will find The Technique of Film Animalion a useful book to include in their list of reference books. The World of Film and FUmmakers. Edited by Don Allen. Forward by Francois Truffaut. Crown Publishers, Inc. N.Y., N.Y. 9" x 12". 240 pages. $ 19 .95.

The World 0{ Film and FIlmmakers is a beautiful book. Edited by Don Allen, the book focuses on the work of nine contributing authors who all have im· pressive credentials in filmmaking.

There are over 400 illustrations; more than 125 in full color. The il· lustrations include color diagrams that help explain a multitude of facets

about the complell: business of film· making in simplified terms. There are hundreds of photos (color, duotones and black (, whites) from famous films that span the entire history of the cinema.

The book is a collection of well· written, informative esSllys on all aspects of the film industry and cinema as an art form. You don·t have to read the book from front cover to back cover to enjoy it or leam from it; you can skip from essay to essay without losing anything in continui ty. The bNutiful photographs and the attrac· tive design will hold your attention for hours. Keep this handsome bol.>k on your coffee table so that everyone can enjoy it.

There is a wealth of knowledge about the film industry in The World of FUm and Pdmmakers-and it is present· ed in such a way that it makes learning a pleasure. The World of Ptlm and Ptlm· makers Is highly recommended. The Saga of Spedal Effects By Ron Fry and Pamela Fourzon Prentice-Hail Inc.. Publishers Englewood Cliffs. N.J . 8 112"xll " 201 pages. $ 14.95

The Saga of Special Effects is charged with an enthusiasm for its sub. ject that can only be equalled by the most devout of SFX fans. The book, therefore, deserves the attention of fans who are eager to learn as much as possible about the history and methods of special effects.

Virtually all of the major special. effects masters in the history o f the art are represented in the book, with the notable ell:ception of John Dykstra, who was still working for Doug T rum· bull when the book was published in 1977. The SFX artists talk about their most challenging projects and how they achieved the truly remarkable special effects for which they are famous.

The book is presented as a chrono·

logical history of special effects and follows the ··saga·· from its beginnings in the late 1890s with director George Meties to the present (1977).

Fascinating stories of how the ·'im· possibleH came to the silver screen fill the pages of this wonderful book. There are over 130 black·and-white photos from films noted for their special effects, many of which are behind-the-scenes shots that reveal how the effect was accomplished. There are also photos of many famous FX artists.

The Saga 0( Special Effects is recom· mended for every avid FX enthusiast. The book is well-written and covers the subject completely. It makes for fascinating read mg. There is much knowledge to be gained about the histOfy of special effects from lhis book, as well as knowledge of how special effects are created. The ETY Model Book. By RoJHrt Schlek::her_ Chilton Book

Company, Radnor, PA 7 .. )(911 .... 181 pages. 57.95. ($ 13_95 hardcover)

Raben Schleicher"s E1V(Ex.trater­restnal Vehic1es)ModeI Book is spec:iflOllly for the Sf fan who has been bitten by the " modeling bug:· This new book will show the modeling enthusiast how to accomplish a number of very interesting modeling techniques.

The book ell:plains all of the tools and te<:hniques that lire requirl!d for building detailed , accurate models from scratch or from kits. There are many different types of models that fit into the ETV category; including rockets, spaceships, nying saucers, space buggies lind several others.

Tips on painting lind detailing models are presented and illustrated with many black [. white photographs. Air brushing techniques are discussed, as are masking techniques. decal ap­plication, detailing with spare parts

CineMagic MarketQlace

from model kits and giving the model a "weathered" look.

Some of the models in the book actually fly. Model rockets, rocket engines. launching systems and rocket!): safety codes are covered. The ETV Model Book will also teach the model rocketry enthusiast how to track the flights of his rockets and determine their mall:imum IIltitude (apogee).

Radio controlled models are covered in the book. These are ground transportation vehicles such as lunar rovers, dune buggies, etc. There are suggestions on how to build a fully functional hovercraft that can be maneuvered by remote radio control.

Mr. Schleicher ell:pJains how to build your own designs from scratch and what materillts work best for this kind of construction. The different mediums that are commonly used are discussed, and some building techniques used by professionllis are photographically illustrated.

Photography tips for the modeler who is also a filmmaker are included in the book. The construction of space· scene dioramas and special lighting techniques are discussed. The impor­tllnce of depth of field for realism is ell: ­plained lind black lighting as a special effect is covered. The steps for con­structing II starfield background are ar· ticulated. Mr. Schleidler does not cover any IInimation techniques or special eltects in this book.

The 120 black Ei white and 15 color photos that the book contains are in· formative and make the book attrac· tive. The glossary of technical terms Is II helpful addition. The list of supply sources gives the mailing addresses of virtually every major domestic manu· facturer of model kits and supplies that the modeler might need to know. The £TV Model Book can certainly teach most SFI FX modelers a few tricks and techniques that are worth knowing. (fII

For as Ilnle as $15.00, you can reach all your $peelal effects lans. DEADLINE: lor CINEMAGIC 1116 In OIIrolllce by February 18th.

CATEGORY;

PAYMENT:

Please be sure to Indicate the category you want to be listed uncle!".

BASIC RATE: $5.00 per line. Llmll-35 characters per line. Minimum ­three lines. Punctualion, symbols and spaces count as characters. Small diSPlay Ids-$40.oo per column Inch (ClifTMIfa·ready ONLYII)

HEAOLlNE: !'"irs! line only - Word(sj ot)'OUr choice (1.lnder1lne th&m) will be printed In BOLD CAPS.

~ Microphones, Projectors, c.tnefu, The Film Group produc1s, Write: JA C&rpenjer !CINE). P.O. BOX 1321. Meadville, f>a. 16335

MAIL TO;

_.' ... -_.

Cash, check, or money order must accompany ad order (checks payable to O·Oulnn Stlldrn, Inc.) CINEMAGIC, O'Oulnn StudiOS. Inc. 47~ Par\l A"8I108 South New York, NY 10016

.... 1""'...:1 In SI"", oueazIM aALACTIC IOUND EffECTS

EWA special elteets machine; $179.95; fWA backwlnders: $34.95; Bllorl fluid pan heads: $49.95: EWA SUp8r-8 fold ing shoulder support; $29.95. Catalog available! For Inl o, write to: Jim Celdwell', FILM WORLD, 2305 East Bay Dr1ve. Clearw.ter, FL33516.

.000. ,., OOA<WU ......... c ... "".

.v.lI~ _ on I • .,. c ...... n •. o..r e!> unique, pOW". ful otIeclron!c _no, by- Ken W.lk .. I()!' the acl­IlIflnl", fllm .... k ... 1nc:1...,.. BLASTING LASERS, HOVERHoa UFO., m()fll Only ~.~ ppd! Kln".th W.JktrlG,tacl!c LlQht. 5--12. Silbln Rd. Norl olk. V. 23609 OU!.C$ , ... ..

ONEMAGIC'S 33

Glowing Eyes This simple melhod creales glowing eyes of anger for your SlOp· motion crealures. A very special effecllhat

is both eerie and convincing. By DON DOH LER

In hi. neweat Super·8 anlnwtlon epic, Things That Go Bump, Ralph Mmer III of Elmhu ... t. IllInola, ••• faced with. very unique problem. There were _yenol Kenes that re o qulred b'- atop-motiOD model' • • y.s to " glo_." 10 the atory, t.ht. glo_log -ey_ represented the aDger of the Crelltu",-a mythological beast ulled. lllan· tleore. Otberwtse, we're lold,lIian ­tleore. are friendly critters who Just UppeD to look deadly-bead of • nYu, body of. Doo and the taU of • Horpionl

After some ,...arc h , Mtue .. came up with. simple '01_ for the glowing eye •• He cul out half circles of Scotch· lite and adhered them directly to the lIlanUeore'.

,"Hi,",j Source

pl •• Uc model eye • • 8cotchUte I. eztremely reflectlve.

34 ONEMAGIC-5

Two hall-elrcles 01 "$cotchIUa" attach direclly locreature's .,. ..

It I. verylmportlint to have the reflective (beaded) aur· face of the .... te .... l fa(;ing directly and perfectly at the camera lens with the IIgbt lIOurce aimed 8>quarely at the Scotchllte, so that the renectloD Is brightest.

To create the look of a " pulsating" glow for the Mantlcore's eyes,

Miller attached his lights to a rheostat (dimmer switch) so that he could Increase or decrease the light

intensity. The final effect Is quite eerie and conylncing' Scotchllte Is manufactured by the 3M Company and )" ayallable from many profes­

sional photographic supply stores. If you c;;on't find it In your area,

write: Electronic FI;;o"h B;;ockgrounds, 535 .Jon Lane, Des

PlaInes, IL 60016. or Photo -Control Corp .. 5225 Hanson Court, Min­

neapolis, MN 55429. Enciose a self ­addressed, envelope when you in­

quire about prices and the available "Izes of Scotchllte.

Here, you can see the face of the Manticore without the glowing. eyes effect and below the creature with his eyell aglow. 8cotchUte, unlike ordinary reflective materbls, reflects Dght sbalght back at the illuminating .ource. Thus, lttl reflections are eJltremely concentrated and bright. By having both your camera and light aouree aimed at the 8cotchllte from the same vanbge point, you'll get the proper to·and·fro· effect or the reflection. This property or concen· trated rerIection makes 8cotcblite the u"ual choice for a process screen ror rront-projectlon In con­junction with live·actlon and stop· motion roreground settl.

40 C/i'/EMA G/C"5

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