ABSTRACT
Although split-field diopters are not used as often as they were during the 1970s, they are making something of a comeback, and their use can be seen in films by some of the most famous directors working today. These lens attachments produce images that effectively have two distinct focusing planes, allowing subjects both near and far to be in sharp focus simultaneously, in a way that would not be possible with conventional lenses because of depth of field limitations. The unique focusing characteristics of split-field diopters are often used to visualize meaningful emotional or psychological connections between characters, particularly during tense or uneasy situations. Director Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible has a classic example of a split-field diopter shot, in a scene where Ethan Hunt, a daredevil spy unjustly accused of betraying his agency, attempts to steal a document to prove his innocence from a secured vault at the CIA’s headquarters.
