The Technique of Special Effects Cinematography

Preface Preface to the Fourth Edition Acknowledgements 1. The techniques available = 1 Nature of special effects = 1 The techniques classified = 2 Choosing the right technique = 3 Outside contractors = 5 Facilities for 16 mm = 7 2. Camera equipment = 8 The light-tight box = 10 Power drives = 11 Optical systems = 13 Viewfinding systems = 14 The intermittent movement = 18 Registration methods = 20 Registration procedures = 23 3. Glass-shots = 29 The need for image replacement = 29 Nature and origin of the glass-shot = 30 Glass paintings = 32 Photographing the glass-shot = 36 Photo-cut-out glass-shots = 42 Glass-shot transparencies for cloud effects = 44 The glass-shot: for and against = 52 4. Mirror-shots = 54 Superimpositions = 54 Image replacement = 57 Schüfftan-shots = 61 Some mirror-shot techniques = 68 5. In-the-camera matte shots = 72 History of the process = 72 Photographing the live component = 74 Preparing the matte-board = 79 Photographing the matted image = 79 Precautions against failure = 85 Placing the matte = 86 In-the-camera matte: for and against = 87 6. Bi-pack contact matte printing = 90 The bi-pack process = 90 Equipment = 92 Procedures = 95 Special techniques = 107 Special applications = 112 Bi-pack printing for color cinematography = 124 7. Optical printing = 126 Fundamentals of the process = 126 Equipment availability = 129 The process camera = 132 'Projector' or printer head = 132 Equipment support and movements = 133 Motor drives = 137 Controls = 139 Optical system = 140 Lamp house = 142 Accessories = 146 Operating the printer = 147 Plotting the printing operations = 149 Optical transitions = 151 Frame sequence and direction alterations = 156 Image modifications and distortions = 160 Salvage techniques = 168 Special equipment: double- and triple-head printers = 173 8. Traveling mattes = 177 The Dunning-Pomeroy self-matting process = 181 The traveling-matte principle = 183 Hand-drawn traveling-mattes = 185 Transferring to film = 186 Falling-debris composites = 187 Wipes = 187 Traveling-matte inserts = 190 Photographically-produced traveling mattes = 191 The color-difference process = 197 Other single-film techniques = 200 Multi-film systems = 203 Photography of background action = 215 Special techniques = 215 Special problems = 218 Special-design optical printers = 220 Traveling-mattes vs. background projection = 220 9. Aerial-image printing = 224 Principles of the process = 224 The animation stand system = 227 Applications and techniques = 232 Optical printer system = 238 The two systems compared = 243 10. Rear projection = 245 Equipment = 248 Still (static) backgrounds = 249 Moving (motion-picture) backgrounds = 252 Interlocking controls = 257 Background projection screens = 258 Photography of background plates and transparencies = 261 Automobile interiors = 271 Sound-stage operations = 275 Aligning projector, screen and camera = 278 Projection equipment = 279 Eliminating hot-spot and fall-off = 280 Special problems and techniques = 287 11. Front projection = 290 Principles of the technique = 290 Equipment = 292 Operating procedures = 301 Special techniques = 314 Front-projection vs. rear-projection = 319 12. Miniatures = 322 Time-scale relationships = 323 Miniature construction and operation = 327 Construction techniques = 359 The photography of miniatures = 369 Tank-shots = 376 Hanging miniatures = 386 13. Electronic and computer systems = 387 Blue-screen preview systems = 387 The electronic storyboard = 389 Motion-control systems = 393 Electronic rotoscoping = 402 Electronic-image compositors = 403 Bibliography = 407 Index = 433

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