High Definition Cinematography

Transcription

1 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

2 Contents Preface About the Author Introduction Acknowledgements xvii xix xxi xxi'ii Part 1 High Definition: A Quick Overview 7 Chapter 1: Why Shoot on HD? What Do We Mean by High Definition (HD)? The Knowledge Base What Does It Mean to the Producer-Saving Money! What Does It Mean to the Director? What Does It Mean for the Director of Photography? What Does It Mean to the Other Crafts? Editing and Post-Production Context 6 Part 2 Production Decisions 7 Chapter 2: Which Formats to Shoot On? Progressive or Interlace? How Many Pixels Do You Need? Recording Formats HDV-Can You Get Away With It? 10 Chapter 3: Picture Quality What Does HD Look Like? HD Images Compared with 35 mm Anamorphic 35 mm 12 v

3 vi Contents 3.4 Comparisons with Super 16mm Comparison with Digi Beta 14 Chapter 4: Display Quality HD Shown on Television HD Written to Film and Projected Mechanically HD Shown on a State-of-the-art Digital Projector Digital Projectors 16 Chapter 5: High Definition Projection Introduction Examples of Venues The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) The venue The digital projectors Digital handling What does it all get used for? The National Film and Television School (NFTS) The venues The projectors Digital handling What do they get used for? The Odeon Leicester Square, London The venue The digital projector Digital handling What does it all get used for? How HD Cinema Projectors Work Adding Color Single-chip Projectors Three-chip Projectors 27 Chapter 6: Delivery Requirements For Delivery on Film Higher Resolution in Post-Production Multiformat Delivery Requirements HD Projection Encryption Broadcast Delivery 31

4 Contents vii 6.7 Convertibility Picture Sound Time Code 32 Chapter 7: Sales Potential Multiple Standard Sales Multiple Venue Sales Additional Sales to HD Users Future Proofing 34 Chapter 8: Cost Implications Savings Origination Costs - Different Formats Stock savings - film to HDCAM Insurance savings Savings in Print Costs Shooting for Anamorphic Release Added Costs Camera Kit Rental Editing Costs Writing Out to Film A Cost Comparison Example - Oklahoma! Stock and Processing Savings Camera Rental Additional Costs Overall savings Competitive Pricing 40 Chapter 9: Crewing Should the DP Operate? Do You Need a Focus Puller? Do You Need a Loader? Naming the Camera Assistants Do You Need a Clapperboard? Do You Need a Dolly Grip? Sound Electricians ANew Member of the Crew - the Data Wrangler or Downloader 46

5 viii Contents Part 3 The Technology 49 Chapter 10: Digital Imaging The History of Digits Digital Tonal Range Linear and Logarithmic Sampling Image Resolution: Why So Many Pixels? Required Resolution for HD Data Quantity 59 Chapter 11: Scanning the Image A Little of the History of Television Interlace Scanning Progressive Scanning Traditional Cinema Flicker How are Images Captured by the Two Scanning Formats? Printing Out to Film 71 Chapter 12: Line Standards and Definition Line Summation Apparent Picture Quality Versus 720 in Television Conclusions Is HD Worth the Trouble? 82 Chapter 13: Three-chip Technology Additive Color Imagery The Three-chip Camera's Beam Splitter The Image Sensors The Sensor Chip 88 Chapter 14: Single-chip Technology What is Available? CCD Sensors CMOS Sensors CCDs versus CMOS Chips Color Filtering in Single Sensors Bayer Pattern Filtering Sequential Filtering 94

6 Contents ix 14.8 Comparative Resolution Using Sequential Pattern Filtering 96 Chapter 15: Data Files -A Simplified Guide RAW Data Files, etc :4:4, 4:2:2 and All That Look-up Tables (LUTs) De-Bayering an Image 101 Chapter 16: The Video Tape Recorder (VTR) The HDCAM Format Helical Scan Recording Mechanical Considerations The Drum Lacing Mechanism Operational Considerations A Jammed Mechanism 107 Part 4 High Definition Cinematography 709 Chapter 17: Lighting and Exposing for HD An HD Camera's Equivalent ASA Speed, or ISO Rating Ill 17.2 Tonal Range Ill 17.3 Lighting Ratios Lighting to a Monitor Highlights and Shadows Exposure Using a Monitor Using a Meter Auto Exposure Exposing Using a Waveform Monitor 116 Chapter 18: Setting the Color Balance White Balance What is White Balance? Neutral Density (ND) Filters AWarning! Setting the White Balance Using a White Card Setting the White Balance Using a Colored Card Setting the White Balance Under Fluorescent Lighting 119

7 x Contents 18.8 The Outer Filter Wheel on a Sony HDW Camera Black Balance 120 Chapter 19: Camera Checks Before Shooting The Camera Body Menus Lenses Electronic Checks Dead Pixels Ringing - Or Whatever the Manufacturer Calls It Temperature Matching Cameras Matching Lenses Lens Vignetting What Does It All Mean? 125 Chapter 20: Lenses How to Choose a Lens Resolution Contrast Perceived Sharpness with Regard to Contrast Color Rendition Overall color bias Color fringing What is fringing? Breathing Setting the Back Focus Zoom Lenses Prime Lenses Focusing the Lens Using Back Focus Charts - Beware! Back Focusing Using the Oval Rings Chart Comparative Focal Lengths Depth of Field Calculating Depth of Field Neutral Density (ND) Filters Limiting Apertures Filtration Color Correction Diffusion 142

8 Contents xi Chapter 21: Monitors and Cabling What Kinds of Monitor are Available? Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Monitors Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Monitors Plasma Screens Lining up Your Monitor An SMPTE Line-up Lining up Using EBU Bars Using an Exposure Meter Cabling your Monitor Single Coaxial Cables Triple Coaxial Cables Termination Serial Monitors Best Practice 148 Chapter 22: Shipping It'sNotENG! Shipping Lenses Transit Cases Camera Set-up when Shipping Size and Weight Batteries 151 Chapter 23: Multicamera Shoots Synchronization Time Code on Location Lock-it Boxes Script Boy Time Code in a Studio Genlock Menu Set-ups The Sony RMB Using Memory Sticks Matching Lenses 158 Chapter 24: Hazardous Conditions Resetting the Trips Water Heat 162

9 xii Contents 24.4 Cold Dust Gamma Rays 163 Chapter 25: Camera Supports Fluid Heads / Geared Heads Remote Heads UnderWater In the Air Motion Control Rigs 167 Chapter 26: How HD Affects Other Crafts Art and Design Costume Make-up and Hair Sound Script Supervision and Continuity The Second Assistant Cameraperson or Ex-Clapper Boy 171 Chapter 27: Troubleshooting Stating the Obvious Problems and Solutions 173 Part 5 Examples of Shoots 779 Chapter 28: Birthdays The Studio Shoot The Location Shoot Exterior Tracking Shots Interior Lighting Adding Gain Hand Holding Editing Birthdays Viewings 187 Chapter 29: King Lear The Project The Schedule Preparation 190

10 Contents xiii 29.4 Rigging and Equipment Camera Equipment The Shoot Practical Matters Monitoring, etc 201 Chapter 30: The Optician How It Came About The Shoot How Did It Come Out? Conclusions 205 Part 6 Cameras 207 Chapter 31: Cameras in General The Choice of Cameras In This Edition My Disclaimer! 211 Chapter 32: The Arriflex D The Camera Significant Improvements Over the D The Camera Sensor Interface Lenses Recorders 218 Chapter 33: The Dalsa Origin and Evolution The Dalsa Origin The Look-through The Sensor Interfaces Conclusions on the Dalsa Origin Currently Available Recorders The Codex Digital Media Recorder The Touch Screen Monitoring via the Codex Conclusions on the Codex The Dalsa Evolution 227

11 xiv Contents Chapter 34: The Panasonic VariCam: AJ-HDC27H The Camera Frame Rates Exposure Times The Chips and the Processor TheVTR Time Code An Overview 232 Chapter 35: The Panavision Genesis The Camera Menus White Balance The Camera Sensor Formats, Outputs and Interface Solid-state Recording Viewing Logarithmic Images 239 Chapter 36: The RED One A Little Background First Impressions The Camera The Mysterium Sensor Shooting Costs RED Marketing Design Philosophy Recording Media Which Drive to Choose? Basic Camera Specification The Mysterium Sensor Image Processing Conclusions 253 Chapter 37: The Sony HDW F790, F750 and F730 HD Cameras Frame Rates The Camera Body Add-in Boards, etc Image Control via the Menus Multi Matrix Auto Tracing White Balance 259

12 Contents xv Color Temperature Control Selectable Gamma Curves RGB Gamma Balance Variable Black Gamma Range Black Stretch Adaptive Highlight Control (Auto Knee Mode) Knee Saturation Function The Triple Skin Tone Detail Control Level Depend Detail Metadata Handling The Sony Tele-File System The Optional HDSDI Adapter An Overview 262 Chapter 38: The Sony HDW F900R The Camera The Chips The Processor Additional Facilities Menus Overall Impressions 266 Chapter 39: The Sony F23 and F Some Background Basic Specifications Why Introduce These Cameras? 268 Chapter 40: The Thomson Viper The Camera Body Outputs from the Camera The Hard Drive Recorder The Beam Splitter The Viper's CCD Array The Mechanical Shutter Frame Rates Resolution The Camera's Processor Configuration The Camera Back The Arguments for a Logarithmic Recording Format Lenses for the Viper 276

13 xvi Contents Monitors for the Viper Camera Accessories Shipping the Viper Conclusions 277 Part 7 Star Gazing 279 Chapter 41: Where Do We Co From Here? HD Cameras Broadcast Cameras Cameras That Really Emulate 35 mm Film Recording Formats Entertaining our Audience 284 Index 285