Naming
[edit]
Cinerama was an earlier attempt to solve the problem of high-quality widescreen
imaging, but anamorphic widescreen eventually proved more practical. Cinerama
(which had an aspect ratio of 2.59:1) consisted of three simultaneously projected
images side by side on the same screen. However, in practice the images never
blended together perfectly at the edges. The system also suffered from various
technical drawbacks, in that it required a film frame that was 6 perf in height, three
cameras (eventually simplified to just one camera with three lenses and three streaming
reels of film and the attendant machinery), and three projectors, which resulted in a host
of synchronization problems. Nonetheless, the format was popular enough with
audiences to trigger off the widescreen developments of the early 1950s. A few films
were distributed in Cinerama format and shown in special theaters, but anamorphic
widescreen was more attractive to the Studios since it could realize a similar aspect
ratio and without the disadvantages of Cinerama's complexities and costs.
The anamorphic widescreen format in use today is commonly called 'Scope' (a
contraction of the early term CinemaScope), or 2.35:1 (the latter being a misnomer born
of old habit; see "Aspect ratio" section below). Filmed in Panavision is a phrase
contractually required for films shot using Panavision's anamorphic lenses. All of these
phrases mean the same thing: the final print uses a 2:1 anamorphic projector lens that
expands the image by exactly twice the amount horizontally as vertically. This format is
essentially the same as that of CinemaScope, except for some technical developments,
such as the ability to shoot closeups without any facial distortion. (CinemaScope films
seldom used full facial closeups, because of a condition known as CinemaScope
mumps, which distorted faces as they got closer to the camera.)
Optical characteristics
Naming
[edit]
Cinerama was an earlier attempt to solve the problem of high-quality widescreen imaging, but
anamorphic widescreen eventually proved more practical. Cinerama (which had an aspect ratio
of 2.59:1) consisted of three simultaneously projected images side by side on the same screen.
However, in practice the images never blended together perfectly at the edges. The system also
suffered from various technical drawbacks, in that it required a film frame that was 6 perf in
height, three cameras (eventually simplified to just one camera with three lenses and three
streaming reels of film and the attendant machinery), and three projectors, which resulted in a
host of synchronization problems. Nonetheless, the format was popular enough with audiences
to trigger off the widescreen developments of the early 1950s. A few films were distributed in
Cinerama format and shown in special theaters, but anamorphic widescreen was more
attractive to the Studios since it could realize a similar aspect ratio and without the
disadvantages of Cinerama's complexities and costs.
The anamorphic widescreen format in use today is commonly called 'Scope' (a contraction of
the early term CinemaScope), or 2.35:1 (the latter being a misnomer born of old habit; see
"Aspect ratio" section below). Filmed in Panavision is a phrase contractually required for films
shot using Panavision's anamorphic lenses. All of these phrases mean the same thing: the final
print uses a 2:1 anamorphic projector lens that expands the image by exactly twice the amount
horizontally as vertically. This format is essentially the same as that of CinemaScope, except for
some technical developments, such as the ability to shoot closeups without any facial distortion.
(CinemaScope films seldom used full facial closeups, because of a condition known
as CinemaScope mumps, which distorted faces as they got closer to the camera.)
Optical characteristics
