ABSTRACT
In Europe, especially in the UK, big multi-camera shoots are not common. There is a small market for performance films – that is, taking subjects originally presented on the stage and transferring them to the screen – but it is limited. There are a few rock concerts shot with up to 10 cameras but again this is
a very small market. In the USA matters are very different. Traditionally, sitcoms have been shot on 35mm, most
frequently with a camera having a three-perforation (3 perf) mechanism as against the traditional
four, which as stated earlier saves 25 per cent of the stock and processing costs. The market is so significant that Panavision has developed a camera exclusively for this market. It is 3 perf, as one would expect, has 2000-feet magazines and usually carries a big, long range, zoom; 2000 feet of 35mm
film is heavy so the issue of the weight transfer from the front of the magazine to the back during a take becomes important. To overcome this, between the camera base and the tripod head there are two wedged plates slotting together with a lead screw arrangement so that the camera operator can smoothly move the camera fore and aft to re-balance the camera during a take.
