Cinematographers from this decay tried many different applications and techniques such as fast lens, “pushing” overdeveloping film, and fog filters in hope of differentiating themselves from other cinematographers. While the fast lens was used to capture image at minimal levels of light, overdeveloping increase its speed and causes lighting effects. The fog filter, normally used to create fog as well as soften the face on extreme close-ups was taken out of its context by continuously using it throughout the shoot and resulting in ones unique style of shooting by creating blur-like images.
With some influence not only from Television but also from European’s “New Wave”, the zoom lens also came to play as part of the Seventy’s cinema making style for their flexibility and economical gains. Not only was zoom lens used for its purpose, which allows for quick adjustments for up-close shots or distance while keeping the image in focus, but also it was also used to “heighten the optical violence of montage: and there was a mercifully brief fetish for using zooms to evoke the experience of tripping on LSD”. It also allows more freedom to maneuver in terms of framing during motion and finding frame size. Several zoom lenses were available during this period including the Taylor-Hobson Cooke Varotal 5-to-1 (20m to 100mm) and Canon 5-to-1 (25mm to 125mm) which made it easier to pan and zoom. In 1974, both German and Japanese companies developed “SuperSpeed” aspheric lens that utilizes computer technology to create fixed focal length that had floating internal elements to vary focus. These new developments allowed cinematographers to shoot minute objects with no loss of definition via a simple ring adjustment. Altman and Kubrick were among the two that most utilized the zoom lenses. An example of Kubrick’s usage is in A Clockwork Orange, Kubrick introduce the piece with a slow steady pull out zoom of his characters from the eye.
Cooke 20-100 mm Zoom Lens
The direction that studio were shooting from interior to on location shoots leads to new development of light kits as well. The first was xenon arc, “Sunbrute” which produce sunlight intensities. This type of light uses an enclose electric arc within a quartz bulb filled with pressurized xenon gas powered by a 30-volt D.C. source. This was intended to use as a daylight source on exterior scenes but later manipulated to light an interior scene by shinning it through translucent plastic sheets through a window by Kubrick. The other was the HMI metal halide arc manufactured by Mole-Richardson, which uses less power. This unit emits light from current arcing between two electrodes, and was originated for European television usage but later adapted for film.
HMI Metal Halide
Film stocks also played an important role in terms of new and improve developments in the seventies for advancement in Hollywood motion pictures. For instance, in 1973, Eastman introduces its 5247 color negative with improved sharpness and finer grain. But due to its low ASA rating and color saturation, it was not as popular to cinematographers. In response, Kodak marketed their 5247 Series 600 which is also a fine grain film stock. Fuji during this period also introduce their film stock that is similar to that of Eastman but at a cheaper price which quickly took over television productions as well as low budget films. At first Fuji was not too popular due to their low color fidelity in comparison with Kodak but as the twentieth century came to a close, Fuji quickly became the leader in high-speed film with their A250 stock.
Light weighted camera were also an essential to the new developments during this decay. For example, ACL 16mm developed in 1971 by the French Éclair Company runs on a one-lb nickel-cadmium battery. Arnold and Richter Company developed a 15 lbs camera called Arriflex 35 BL, which shoots 35 mm film stocks. Before light weighted cameras, good stabilizing systems such as cranes and tripods were essential in capturing moving shots. With the new light weighted cameras, cinematographers could simply shoot moving shots handheld such as in the Sugarland Express (1974) by Vilmos Zsigmond.
Among all of the new cameras developed, however, the Panaflex-a 35mm synch-sound reflex camera became the leader in the industry, weighing just 25 pounds. Panaflex is a redesign of the old Panavision Silent Reflex (PSR), which was specifically used in studio shooting. Panaflex although was the leader also under gone several modifications. Such additions included a thermostatically controlled heating system, which allows shooting at sub-zero temperatures, several super-fast wide-angle lenses such as “Ultra-Speed” series as well as redesigning the viewfinder to increase its brilliance. Although it became the industries standard, the Panaflex had a few drawbacks. Instead of selling it to cinematographers and other studios, it rented out its equipments as well as requiring a footage in return as royalty for anything that was shot by this camera. These requirements caused many producers to seek out other alternatives like Mark III 35mm by Mitchell and X35R made from redesigning the Mithell BNC by Cinema Products.
Panaflex 35 mm
Although handheld cameras added to the moving forward of motion pictures were a big step, keeping the framing and shots steady during moving scenes was still a challenge. Shortly after handheld cameras, stabilizing system soon came into the picture, making shots such as running up and down staircases possible. Earlier devices included the “gyro camera”, a gyro-stabilizing pan head, the “Dynalens”, a gyro-controlled liquid lens system that eliminated wobbling, the “Super-Grip”, mounting a handheld camera on smooth surfaces, the FERCO Dolly, a monorail system for rough terrain, and the Fleximount, a harness camera support worn by the operator. All of these earlier inventions was probably combined and created the new and improve Steadicam system by Garrett Brown and marketed by Cinema Products Corporation in 1976.
Steadicam System
The Steadicam system incorporated a shock-absorbing capacity of two to three feet where as its predecessors had only a few inches. This huge absorbing capacity plus the video viewfinder allows for operators to make shots such as turning and running around tight corners and hall ways without looking into the camera’s viewfinder. Some examples of these shots included but not limited to Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) running through town as well as up the stairs, Halloween (1978), the POV of a psychotic killer stalking his victims. Another great example of the Steadicam usage in modern day is in Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001). This is the scene when two men are talking about a dream in a restaurant and one man is walking the other man outside of the restaurant into the back dumpster and out comes a street bum. This scene starts out right away with the Steadicam, which makes you feel as if you are floating on water. It makes you uncomfortable watching already and as they slowly forward into the back, still floating on air, out comes the street bum and he faints. It’s a daylight scene, which should not be scary but with the help of the Steadicam and speed of the film, the viewers gets a scar from the street bum.
Scene represented by two female & Street BumOther similar systems included the Wesscam, a remote-controlled gyro-stabilized camera system enclosed in a sphere that suspended from a helicopter and the Louma crane, similar design to that of the microphone boom system. In conclusion, although some films such as Jaws refused to use the Steadicam system, Brown along with Cinema Products Corporation still won an Academy Award for its great invention. Some stylization was so great that it was compared to that of oil paintings. In short, Seventies “film innovations” is a good foundation for today’s motion picture industry particularly in terms of film stocks, light weight cameras, lighting, stabilizing system, and lenses.
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