ABSTRACT

Improvements in film technology have resulted in emulsions composed of smaller silver halide grains. As a starting point in understanding the film-video interface, it is necessary to understand some of the physical basics of film technology, including film stock construction and image formation. This chapter provides an overview of the physical realities, which ultimately determine the quality of a film image when it is presented in the telecine. It describes some of the parameters of 35mm, 16mm, and 8mm motion picture film that are of particular interest to telecine users. Although wide-screen formats are not generally used in films specifically shot for video distribution, it should be remembered that video transfer often involves film material originally shot or printed for theater projection. Reversal film is a variation of the positive- and negative-working systems. Reversal film is initially negative, but is then specially processed to yield a positive image.