High Definition Cinematography Third Edition

By

Paul Wheeler BSC FBKS GBCT

ELSEVIER

AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO

Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier

Contents

Preface xvii

About the Author xix

Introduction xxi

Acknowledgements xxi'ii

Part 1 High Definition: A Quick Overview 7

Chapter 1: Why Shoot on HD?. 3 1.1 What Do We Mean by High Definition (HD)? 3

1.1.1 The Knowledge Base 3 1.1.2 What Does It Mean to the Producer-Saving Money! 4 1.1.3 What Does It Mean to the Director? 4 1.1.4 What Does It Mean for the Director of Photography? 5 1.1.5 What Does It Mean to the Other Crafts? 5 1.1.6 Editing and Post-Production 5

1.2 Context 6

Part 2 Production Decisions 7

Chapter 2: Which Formats to Shoot On? 9 2.1 Progressive or Interlace? 9 2.2 How Many Pixels Do You Need? 9 2.3 Recording Formats 10 2.4 HDV-Can You Get Away With It? 10

Chapter 3: Picture Quality. 11 3.1 What Does HD Look Like? 11 3.2 HD Images Compared with 35 mm 12 3.3 Anamorphic 35 mm 12

v

vi Contents

3.4 Comparisons with Super 16mm 13 3.5 Comparison with Digi Beta 14

Chapter 4: Display Quality 15 4.1 HD Shown on Television 15 4.2 HD Written to Film and Projected Mechanically 15 4.3 HD Shown on a State-of-the-art Digital Projector 16 4.4 Digital Projectors 16

Chapter 5: High Definition Projection 17 5.1 Introduction 17 5.2 Examples of Venues 18

5.2.1 The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) 18 5.2.1.1 The venue 18 5.2.1.2 The digital projectors 18 5.2.1.3 Digital handling 20 5.2.1.4 What does it all get used for? 20

5.2.2 The National Film and Television School (NFTS) 20 5.2.2.1 The venues 20 5.2.2.2 The projectors 20 5.2.2.3 Digital handling 22 5.2.2.4 What do they get used for? 22

5.2.3 The Odeon Leicester Square, London 22 5.2.3.1 The venue 22 5.2.3.2 The digital projector 22 5.2.3.3 Digital handling 24 5.2.3.4 What does it all get used for? 24

5.3 How HD Cinema Projectors Work 24 5.4 Adding Color 26

5.4.1 Single-chip Projectors 26 5.4.2 Three-chip Projectors 27

Chapter 6: Delivery Requirements 29 6.1 For Delivery on Film 29 6.2 Higher Resolution in Post-Production 29 6.3 Multiformat Delivery Requirements 30 6.4 HD Projection 30 6.5 Encryption 30 6.6 Broadcast Delivery 31

Contents vii

6.7 Convertibility 31 6.7.1 Picture 31 6.7.2 Sound 31 6.7.3 Time Code 32

Chapter 7: Sales Potential 33 7.1 Multiple Standard Sales 33 7.2 Multiple Venue Sales 33 7.3 Additional Sales to HD Users 33 7.4 Future Proofing 34

Chapter 8: Cost Implications 35 8.1 Savings 35

8.1.1 Origination Costs - Different Formats 35 8.1.1.1 Stock savings - film to HDCAM 35 8.1.1.2 Insurance savings 36

8.1.2 Savings in Print Costs 36 8.1.3 Shooting for Anamorphic Release 37

8.2 Added Costs 38 8.2.1 Camera Kit Rental 38 8.2.2 Editing Costs 38 8.2.3 Writing Out to Film 38

8.3 A Cost Comparison Example - Oklahoma! 39 8.3.1 Stock and Processing Savings 39 8.3.2 Camera Rental 40 8.3.3 Additional Costs 40

8.3.3.1 Overall savings 40 8.3.4 Competitive Pricing 40

Chapter 9: Crewing. 43 9.1 Should the DP Operate? 43 9.2 Do You Need a Focus Puller? 44 9.3 Do You Need a Loader? 44 9.4 Naming the Camera Assistants 45 9.5 Do You Need a Clapperboard? 45 9.6 Do You Need a Dolly Grip? 45 9.7 Sound 46 9.8 Electricians 46 9.9 ANew Member of the Crew - the Data Wrangler or Downloader 46

viii Contents

Part 3 The Technology 49

Chapter 10: Digital Imaging 57 10.1 The History of Digits 51 10.2 Digital Tonal Range 51 10.3 Linear and Logarithmic Sampling 53 10.4 Image Resolution: Why So Many Pixels? 55 10.5 Required Resolution for HD 55 10.6 Data Quantity 59

Chapter 11: Scanning the Image 61 11.1 A Little of the History of Television 61 11.2 Interlace Scanning 63 11.3 Progressive Scanning 64 11.4 Traditional Cinema Flicker 64 11.5 How are Images Captured by the Two Scanning Formats? 66 11.6 Printing Out to Film 71

Chapter 12: Line Standards and Definition 75 12.1 Line Summation 75 12.2 Apparent Picture Quality 76 12.3 1080 Versus 720 in Television 78 12.4 Conclusions 82 12.5 Is HD Worth the Trouble? 82

Chapter 13: Three-chip Technology 85 13.1 Additive Color Imagery 85 13.2 The Three-chip Camera's Beam Splitter 85 13.3 The Image Sensors 87 13.4 The Sensor Chip 88

Chapter 14: Single-chip Technology 91 14.1 What is Available? 91 14.2 CCD Sensors 91 14.3 CMOS Sensors 91 14.4 CCDs versus CMOS Chips 92 14.5 Color Filtering in Single Sensors 93 14.6 Bayer Pattern Filtering 93 14.7 Sequential Filtering 94

Contents ix

14.8 Comparative Resolution 95 14.9 Using Sequential Pattern Filtering 96

Chapter 15: Data Files -A Simplified Guide 97 15.1 RAW Data Files, etc 97 15.2 4:4:4, 4:2:2 and All That 99 15.3 Look-up Tables (LUTs) 100 15.4 De-Bayering an Image 101

Chapter 16: The Video Tape Recorder (VTR) 103 16.1 The HDCAM Format 103 16.2 Helical Scan Recording 103 16.3 Mechanical Considerations 105 16.4 The Drum Lacing Mechanism 106 16.5 Operational Considerations 106 16.6 A Jammed Mechanism 107

Part 4 High Definition Cinematography 709

Chapter 17: Lighting and Exposing for HD 111 17.1 An HD Camera's Equivalent ASA Speed, or ISO Rating I l l 17.2 Tonal Range I l l 17.3 Lighting Ratios 113 17.4 Lighting to a Monitor 114 17.5 Highlights and Shadows 114 17.6 Exposure 115

17.6.1 Using a Monitor 115 17.6.2 Using a Meter 115 17.6.3 Auto Exposure 115 17.6.4 Exposing Using a Waveform Monitor 116

Chapter 18: Setting the Color Balance 717 18.1 White Balance 117 18.2 What is White Balance? 117 18.3 Neutral Density (ND) Filters 118 18.4 AWarning! 118 18.5 Setting the White Balance Using a White Card 118 18.6 Setting the White Balance Using a Colored Card 119 18.7 Setting the White Balance Under Fluorescent Lighting 119

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18.8 The Outer Filter Wheel on a Sony HDW Camera 120 18.9 Black Balance 120

Chapter 19: Camera Checks Before Shooting 121 19.1 The Camera Body 121

19.1.1 Menus 121 19.2 Lenses 122 19.3 Electronic Checks 122

19.3.1 Dead Pixels 123 19.3.2 Ringing - Or Whatever the Manufacturer Calls It 123

19.4 Temperature 123 19.5 Matching Cameras 124 19.6 Matching Lenses 125 19.7 Lens Vignetting 125 19.8 What Does It All Mean? 125

Chapter 20: Lenses 727 20.1 How to Choose a Lens 127

20.1.1 Resolution 127 20.1.2 Contrast 128 20.1.3 Perceived Sharpness with Regard to Contrast 128 20.1.4 Color Rendition 130

20.1.4.1 Overall color bias 130 20.1.4.2 Color fringing 132 20.1.4.3 What is fringing? 132

20.1.5 Breathing 132 20.2 Setting the Back Focus 132

20.2.1 Zoom Lenses 133 20.2.2 Prime Lenses 134

20.3 Focusing the Lens Using Back Focus Charts - Beware! 134 20.4 Back Focusing Using the Oval Rings Chart 135 20.5 Comparative Focal Lengths 136 20.6 Depth of Field 137 20.7 Calculating Depth of Field 138 20.8 Neutral Density (ND) Filters 139 20.9 Limiting Apertures 140 20.10 Filtration 141

20.10.1 Color Correction 141 20.10.2 Diffusion 142

Contents xi

Chapter 21: Monitors and Cabling 743 21.1 What Kinds of Monitor are Available? 143

21.1.1 Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Monitors 143 21.1.2 Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Monitors 143 21.1.3 Plasma Screens 144

21.2 Lining up Your Monitor 144 21.2.1 An SMPTE Line-up 144 21.2.2 Lining up Using EBU Bars 146 21.2.3 Using an Exposure Meter 146

21.3 Cabling your Monitor 147 21.3.1 Single Coaxial Cables 147 21.3.2 Triple Coaxial Cables 147 21.3.3 Termination 148 21.3.4 Serial Monitors 148

21.4 Best Practice 148

Chapter 22: Shipping 749 22.1 It'sNotENG! 149 22.2 Shipping Lenses 150 22.3 Transit Cases 150 22.4 Camera Set-up when Shipping 150 22.5 Size and Weight 151 22.6 Batteries 151

Chapter 23: Multicamera Shoots 753 23.1 Synchronization 154 23.2 Time Code on Location 154

23.2.1 Lock-it Boxes 155 23.2.2 Script Boy 155

23.3 Time Code in a Studio 155 23.3.1 Genlock 156

23.4 Menu Set-ups 156 23.4.1 The Sony RMB 150 156 23.4.2 Using Memory Sticks 157

23.5 Matching Lenses 158

Chapter 24: Hazardous Conditions 767 24.1 Resetting the Trips 162 24.2 Water 162 24.3 Heat 162

xii Contents

24.4 Cold 162 24.5 Dust 163 24.6 Gamma Rays 163

Chapter 25: Camera Supports 165 25.1 Fluid Heads /65 25.2 Geared Heads 165 25.3 Remote Heads 166 25.4 UnderWater 167 25.5 In the Air 167 25.6 Motion Control Rigs 167

Chapter 26: How HD Affects Other Crafts 769 26.1 Art and Design 169 26.2 Costume 169 26.3 Make-up and Hair 170 26.4 Sound 170 26.5 Script Supervision and Continuity 171 26.6 The Second Assistant Cameraperson or Ex-Clapper Boy 171

Chapter 27: Troubleshooting 773 27.1 Stating the Obvious 173 27.2 Problems and Solutions 173

Part 5 Examples of Shoots 779

Chapter 28: Birthdays 787 28.1 The Studio Shoot 181 28.2 The Location Shoot 182 28.3 Exterior Tracking Shots 183 28.4 Interior Lighting 184 28.5 Adding Gain 185 28.6 Hand Holding 186 28.7 Editing Birthdays 187 28.8 Viewings 187

Chapter 29: King Lear 789 29.1 The Project 189 29.2 The Schedule 189 29.3 Preparation 190

Contents xiii

29.4 Rigging and Equipment 193 29.5 Camera Equipment 197 29.6 The Shoot 198 29.7 Practical Matters 200 29.8 Monitoring, etc 201

Chapter 30: The Optician 203 30.1 How It Came About 203 30.2 The Shoot 203 30.3 How Did It Come Out? 205 30.4 Conclusions 205

Part 6 Cameras 207

Chapter 31: Cameras in General 209 31.1 The Choice of Cameras 210 31.2 In This Edition 211 31.3 My Disclaimer! 211

Chapter 32: The Arriflex D-21 273 32.1 The Camera 213 32.2 Significant Improvements Over the D-20 215 32.3 The Camera Sensor 216 32.4 Interface 217 32.5 Lenses 218 32.6 Recorders 218

Chapter 33: The Dalsa Origin and Evolution 221 33.1 The Dalsa Origin 221

33.1.1 The Look-through 222 33.1.2 The Sensor 223 33.1.3 Interfaces 224 33.1.4 Conclusions on the Dalsa Origin 224

33.2 Currently Available Recorders 224 33.3 The Codex Digital Media Recorder 225

33.3.1 The Touch Screen 226 33.3.2 Monitoring via the Codex 227 33.3.3 Conclusions on the Codex 227

33.4 The Dalsa Evolution 227

xiv Contents

Chapter 34: The Panasonic VariCam: AJ-HDC27H 229 34.1 The Camera 229 34.2 Frame Rates 230 34.3 Exposure Times 230 34.4 The Chips and the Processor 231 34.5 TheVTR 231 34.6 Time Code 231 34.7 An Overview 232

Chapter 35: The Panavision Genesis 233 35.1 The Camera 233 35.2 Menus 237 35.3 White Balance 237 35.4 The Camera Sensor 237 35.5 Formats, Outputs and Interface 238 35.6 Solid-state Recording 238 35.7 Viewing Logarithmic Images 239

Chapter 36: The RED One 241 36.1 A Little Background 241 36.2 First Impressions 242 36.3 The Camera 243 36.4 The Mysterium™ Sensor 249 36.5 Shooting Costs 250 36.6 RED Marketing 250 36.7 Design Philosophy 251 36.8 Recording Media 251 36.9 Which Drive to Choose? 252 36.10 Basic Camera Specification 253

36.10.1 The Mysterium™ Sensor 253 36.10.2 Image Processing 253

36.11 Conclusions 253

Chapter 37: The Sony HDW F790, F750 and F730 HD Cameras 255 37.1 Frame Rates 255 37.2 The Camera Body 256 37.3 Add-in Boards, etc 258 37.4 Image Control via the Menus 259

37.4.1 Multi Matrix 259 37.4.2 Auto Tracing White Balance 259

Contents xv

37.4.3 Color Temperature Control 260 37.4.4 Selectable Gamma Curves 260 37.4.5 RGB Gamma Balance 260 37.4.6 Variable Black Gamma Range 260 37.4.7 Black Stretch 260 37.4.8 Adaptive Highlight Control (Auto Knee Mode) 261 37.4.9 Knee Saturation Function 261 37.4.10 The Triple Skin Tone Detail Control 261 37.4.11 Level Depend Detail 261

37.5 Metadata Handling 261 37.6 The Sony Tele-File System 261 37.7 The Optional HDSDI Adapter 262 37.8 An Overview 262

Chapter 38: The Sony HDW F900R 263 38.1 The Camera 263 38.2 The Chips 264 38.3 The Processor 265 38.4 Additional Facilities 265 38.5 Menus 265 38.6 Overall Impressions 266

Chapter 39: The Sony F23 and F35 267 39.1 Some Background 267 39.2 Basic Specifications 267 39.3 Why Introduce These Cameras? 268

Chapter 40: The Thomson Viper 269 40.1 The Camera Body 269 40.2 Outputs from the Camera 271 40.3 The Hard Drive Recorder 271 40.4 The Beam Splitter 271 40.5 The Viper's CCD Array 271 40.6 The Mechanical Shutter 273 40.7 Frame Rates 273 40.8 Resolution 273 40.9 The Camera's Processor Configuration 273 40.10 The Camera Back 274 40.11 The Arguments for a Logarithmic Recording Format 274 40.12 Lenses for the Viper 276

xvi Contents

40.13 Monitors for the Viper 276 40.14 Camera Accessories 276 40.15 Shipping the Viper 276 40.16 Conclusions 277

Part 7 Star Gazing 279

Chapter 41: Where Do We Co From Here? 281 41.1 HD Cameras 281

41.1.1 Broadcast Cameras 281 41.1.2 Cameras That Really Emulate 35 mm Film 282

41.2 Recording Formats 283 41.3 Entertaining our Audience 284

Index 285