1 The Director of Photography – an overview

Aspect ratios 181
Figure 20.8 The anamorphic
process
Anamorphic Taking Lens
Anamorphic Negative
Cinema Screen
Original
Scene
Anamorphic Print
Anamorphic Projector Lens
a name conjured from Richard Todd and the American Optical
Company who made lenses for him, must be a close contender. In both
these systems a 65 mm camera negative is employed using standard
35 mm perforations but utilizing five-perforation pull-down. With all
the other layout dimensions remaining similar to 35 mm and the image
going out to the perforations on both sides, no provision for sound is
made on the camera negative. This gives an image aspect ratio of
2.21:1.This aspect ratio is very close to CinemaScope’s, but by utilizing
a far larger image area gives considerably improved image quality. It
also enables simple, spherical (non-anamorphic) lenses to be used.
In order to deliver sound to the cinemas, the 65 mm camera negative
is printed on to 70 mm wide print stock. So that the image can still be
contact printed, both films have their perforations, and images, in identical
positions, the extra width coming as 2.5 mm outside each row of
perforations.This extra 5 mm of film accommodates the various sound
and control tracks. Figure 20.9 shows the layout of both the 65 mm
negative and the 70 mm print.
There are hybrid systems where, for reasons of origination cost, the
anamorphic process is used to make a 35 mm camera negative and this