Ryan Patrick O'Hara: Learn

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Color Temperature

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Shooting Black & White: Part I

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Shooting Black & White: Part I, "Why?"
written by Ryan Patrick O'Hara

Since the advent of color motion picture technology, shooting motion pictures in color has grown to become the modern industry standard. So much so, distributors consider black & white films a financial risk! Thus, it is very rare to see a black & white film grace the modern day screen.

It is more common to find black & white within experimental, independent, or student films. Ironically, it is those groups who seem to lack from the experience or technical knowledge to shoot superior black & white image. Most filmmakers today, were born decades after color film took its seat as the dominant photography medium. The craft and tricks to shooting a good black & white image remain largely within the veterans of cinematography… those who are left. The purpose of this series is a crash course on black & white cinematography. Part One however will not jump immediately into the technical, but instead, examine common reasoning for choosing black & white as an aesthetic choice. Part two will examine different film and video formats to acquire a black & white image, and Part III will explore lighting, set-design, and camera tricks to make black & white read beautifully on the big screen.

Please note: All classifications are of opinion. These are not final or to be quoted as fact. If any readers have information they think would be helpful or to correct or confirm the opinions found in this article, they are welcome to send the information to Ryan@RyanPatrickOHara.com.

The Films

The following films will serve as case studies for the article:

• American History X, by Tony Kaye
• Clerks, shot by David Klein
• Coffee and Cigarettes, shot by Frederick Elmes, ASC
• Control, shot by Martin Ruhe
• The Elephant Man, shot by Freddie Francis, BSC
• Good Night and Good Luck, shot by Robert Elswit, ASC
• I'm Not There, shot by Edward Lachman, ASC
• Kafka, shot by Walt Lloyd
• Kill Bill, shot by Robert Richard, ASC
• The Man Who Wasn't There, shot by Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC
• Memento, shot by Wally Pfister, ASC
• Pleasantville, shot by John Lindley
• Raging Bull, shot by Michael Chapman, ASC
• Rumble Fish, shot by Stephen H. Burum, ASC
• Schindler's List, shot by Janusz Kaminski
• The Secret Garden, shot by Ray June
• Sin City, by Robert Rodriguez
• The Wizard of Oz, photographed by, Harold Rosson, ASC
• Young Frankenstien, shot by Gerald Hirschfeld, ASC

Why Black & White?

Color has been the film and television standard since the day it was reasonably available, around 1950. Since that time, black & white medium has quickly changed from industry standard to rare artistic and aesthetic choice. By today's standards, the advantages of black & white, outside the realm of artistic choice is virtually non-existent. Black & white film stock has not been improved upon since 1959 (Introduction of Kodak 5222 Double X Negative 250T). Meanwhile, color film stock has seen leaps of improvement, which continues, making color stock typically faster and with less grain. In addition, there is not a considerable price difference between the types of stocks, although black & white could cost more during developing; so always check with your lab first. Of course when shooting digitally such as HD or larger resolution cameras, one will find all imaging sensors are natively color sensors!

If shooting black & white holds little advantage, why choose black & white? With the exception of Clerks (1994), the choice of black & white has appeared to be held strictly for artistic purposes… to visually support the story. Organized below are three basic categories regarding typical reasons black & white is aesthetically chosen for filmmaking. Please note these are generalizations and are derived from the subjective opinion of this author. Exceptions will exist and films may fall into multiple categories:

1. The Period Piece
2. Flashbacks, Dream Sequences, & Alternate Universes.
3. Stylized or Radical Look

The Period Piece

The use of black & white has been used successfully many times on period pieces to help establish a time setting, state of realism, and/or mood of the story. I have broken this category down into two sub-classifications:

1. To emulate visual vernacular of the target period.

The decisions regarding the type of black & white film stock (or digital scenefile/etc.), exposure, camera movement, lens and developing are chosen to replicate the look of black & white camera work/technology from the target period; creating an additional sense of realism by allowing the film to look as if it were shot during the time of the occurring events. Films that occur before the birth of cinema cannot take full advantage of this technique. This method is successful mainly because the 'look' aligns with what the audience remembers from newsreel footage, photography, and motion pictures from that period.

2. To support the period of the story, but with modern visual vernacular.

The decision to shoot black & white helps establish the mood and period of the story, but does not necessarily abide by the periods visual style. The film will not attempt to appear to have been made during the time period.

NOTE: Both points mentioned above, can utilize black & white cinematography in a period piece additionally for nostalgic purposes or to echo memories of how we perceive events. Read more about this following the examples of points 1 & 2. Also, some films can utilize film vernacular or technical approaches from the period but not necessarily try to appear to have been from the period.

Examples of Period Piece Sub-Class #1: Emulating visual vernacular of the target period.

I'm Not There (2007)

The Bob Dylan biopic portrays Dylan in six different stages of his life, each stage having its own distinct look and lead actor. The segment of focus is "Jude", played by Cate Blanchett. The segment is a great example of emulating the film vernacular of a time period. The director of photography Edward Lachman, ASC, shot on Kodak Plus X 5231 and Kodak Double-X 5222. These stocks have not been improved upon since 1956 and 1959. In an article Deconstructing Bob Dylan, written by Jon Silberg for AC (Nov. '07), Lachman explains his choice in film stock:

"I know the recent trend with black and white scenes in movies has been to shoot color and transform it into black and white through printing or DI techniques, but the thing I wanted to reference was the way films looked in the sixties in terms of exposure, texture, grain and latitude." He Continues, "Kodak hasn't improved those stocks. If I shoot Double-X in 2006, it's like shooting it back in the sixties; it only has about 1 1/2 stops of over or underexposure."

Lachman also explained his use of vintage Cooke Panchro lenses,

"I find that Panchros have less of the flat field properties of newer optics, and that adds to the movie's period feel... They concentrate more resolution in the center of the image than the corners..."

(Apologies for the poor quality stills.)

Young Frankenstein (1973)

Young Frankenstein is another bold attempt at emulating the look of a time period's visual vernacular… this time for the purpose of satire. Young Frankenstein is a parody of the old Hollywood horror days. In an article, “A Conversation With Gerald Hirschfeld, ASC”, the director of photography speaks about Young Frankenstein:

"Mel Brooks is the consummate comedy director. It was not my decision to shoot it in black and white. He had to fight with Fox about that. They didn’t want to do it. He told them either we do it in black and white or we don’t do it. Mel and Gene Wilder arranged for me to watch a screening of the original Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein to remind me of the look of the originals. The problem to solve was recreating that look with different lenses, different film stocks and different lights than they had used in 1932. "

Schindler's List (1993)

Perhaps this touching story of the Holocaust is the most famous black & white film of modern cinema. Similar to I'm Not There, Schindler's List chooses black & white and a slight documentary style to create an additional layer of horrific realism. The film did not have storyboards while Spielberg looked to Holocaust documentaries for inspiration. In an American Cinematographer article titled, “Schindler's List Finds Heroism Amidst Holocaust” written by Karen Erbach (Jan. '94), Janusz Kaminski, Director of Photography, discusses the look:

"I was ecstatic to be working with Steven, and yet when we began filming it brought home the sickening reality of the Holocaust. The newsreel quality of the black and white seemed to fade the barriers of time, making [the footage] feel like an ongoing horror that I was witnessing firsthand. I think I can speak for the whole crew when I say the experience was sobering."

The film was shot without the use of modern filmmaking tools such as cranes, steadicam, and zoom lenses. Many of the moving camera shots were hand held, adding to the gritty and horrific realism. It is not confirmed this was to increase the illusion of the film being shot in that time period, but mainly the non-use of modern filmmaking tools was to not glorify or detract from the visuals. Schindler’s List is somewhere between the 1st and 2nd types of period piece sub-classifications.

Examples of Period Piece Sub-Class #2: To support the period and/or mood of the story, but with modern visual vernacular. These films are black & white period pieces, yet there is no further attempt to make the film ‘appear’ as if it were shot in that time period, although other components of the story may help add layers of realism.

The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

This Cohen Brothers film was written for a black & white image. A post WWII era barber tries to hatch a scheme to earn money and needless to say, everything goes wrong. Despite the use of black & white, and the noir-influenced lighting to establish the mood, this film does not try to look as if it were made in the late 1940's. In the American Cinematographer article, “The Root(s) of All Evil” by Jay Holben (Oct '01), Director Joel Coen offers his reasoning for black & white:

"For a lot of intangible reasons that aren't easy to explain, it seemed as if black and white was appropriate for this story. It's a period movie, and black and white helps with the feeling for the period. Black and white is evocative for a story like this [in ways] that color photography isn't."

In the same article, Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, adds:

"Joel and Ethan came to me and said, 'We have a black and white movie we'd like you to do.' I love black and white; I was a still photographer for a little while and always shot in black and white. It focuses you on the content of the story, and it really concentrates your attention on what's in the frame. All too often, color can be a distraction-- it's easier to make color look good, but harder to make color service the story. Black and white imagery is much more about the balance between the light and shade in the frame, and I think it can help convey story points a lot better with fewer distractions."

Good Night and Good Luck (2005)

This film portrays broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow as he attempts to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy during the communist scare in the 50's. The decision to shoot black & white presents excellent mood on the stark view of broadcast journalism in the 1950's. With the exception of the black & white image (and inspired lighting style) the film is a modern and clear vision of the past. There are not any vintage lenses in use, grainy 1950's looking footage, or likewise attempts to recreate the look of the period. The film is a brilliant modern black & white period piece, not attempting to create the look of films from the target era.

Control (2007)

Control is another biopic film, like the previously discussed film, I'm Not There. This time, it's 1979, and features the lead singer of Joy Division, Ian Curtis. Director Anton Corbijn and Director of Photography Martin Ruhe wanted to depict a realistic feel of the working class life in England during the Seventies. In the AC article “Losing Control” written by Bob Davis (Nov. '07), Ruhe explains the desired 'feel' of the film:

"We were struggling for both documentary realism and drama. We wanted to let the actors tell the story, rather than disrupting the narrative with overtly aesthetic choices."

Control is an interesting example because it takes place in 1979-1980, a time when color stock was the standard and highly available. Therefore, why was this 2007 film shot in black & white? The use of black & white was not necessarily to look like a late ‘70's rock documentary, but rather was a result of nostalgic desire from director Anton Corbijn. In an email to Martin Ruhe asking the intention of the use of black & white, the following response was received:

"Anton knew the band from that time and for him it was always a black and white movie. Like most of the joy division pictures, especially the ones he took, were b&w. We did not want it to look like a documentary from that time, that's not the case. Instead we wanted to take the audience to that time. That's also why we did not shoot on b&w film stock. It was too grainy, too far away from what we wanted."

Raging Bull (1980)

The boxing classic uses black & white for nostalgic reasons, as well as to support the visual gritty content of the story. This film does not fall under the first sub-category count as the cinematography, in regards to camera movement and shot design, is very inventive and by no means of the time period.

Nostalgia or Echos of the Past:

Black & white cinematography can be utilized in a period piece for nostalgic purposes or to echo memories of how we perceive/remember past events. It is actually the main reason it is used in period pieces… because the real world has been in color since the beginning of time. This can be utilized in both types 1 & 2 of period pieces. Three perfect examples would be Raging Bull, Schindler's List, and Good Night and Good Luck. One will see that sometimes using black & white can be to reflect a time of which we can only recall in monochromatic shades.

Nostalgia in Raging Bull:

Raging Bull, at first, was not immediately realized to be black & white. Color tests were conducted before the film was into production. In the book Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull, edited by Kevin J. Hayes, an excerpt (pg. 5) perfectly describes the effect Scorsese wanted the black & white medium to have on the audience:

The director of The Red Shoes (1948) [Michael Powell] found the appearance of De Niro's red boxing gloves distracting. Powell helped Scorsese realize that, for most adults, memories of boxing were black and white memories. Scorsese's decision to film Raging Bull in black and white partly stems from his desire to re-create such boxing memories. His growing dissatisfaction with color film stock also helped persuade him to make the film black and white. Scorsese named these two reasons as the ones that convinced him to shoot Raging Bull in black and white. There are others. Few can deny the influence of cinematographer Michael Chapman.

Images of our memory in Schindler's List:

Schindler's List, as mentioned earlier, emulates (not completely) the look of the period (1940's). By also finding influence from early documentaries, Schindler's List was incorporated into my part one category of period films. On the same note, the use of black & white to create a sense of realism to the period film, has an extra personal and touching meaning to director Steven Spielburg, who explains in the book Spielberg's Holocaust: Critical perspectives on Schindler's List (pg 155), edited by Yosefa Loshitzky:

Consider for example, the most distinctive aesthetic feature of Schindler's List- the use of black and white throughout the film (with the exception of selected colorizing in the body of the work- notably, the girl in the red coat- and its epilogue, which was filmed in color). Both producer/director Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski explain the decision as having been motivated by a desire "to remain true to the spirit of documentaries and stills from the period" of World War II. Indeed, by filming Schindler's List in black and white stock (as opposed to using color stock and then printing the film in black and white, as Universal Studios had suggested), Spielberg created a document formally analogous to vintage photographic records... Moreover, Spielberg has described the use of black and white in Schindler's List as constituting a more "realistic" approach to the subject, making the film "closer to [a] documentary":

"I think black and white stands for reality... I don't think color is real. I think certainly color is real to the people who survived the Holocaust, but to people who are going to watch the story for the first time, I think black and white is going to be the real experience for them. My only experience with the Holocaust has been through black and white documentaries. I've never seen the Holocaust in color. I don't know what Auschwitz looks like in color. Even though I was there, it's still black and white in my eyes. I think color would have added a veneer of almost farce."- Steven Spielberg.

Images of our memory in Good Night and Good Luck:

The images from Good Night and Good Luck, although modern in film making process, present a very strong feeling of familiarity which adds that extra layer of realism, otherwise made when a film tries to look as if they were from the period. This is the result from the cinematic approach to shooting Good Night and Good Luck for black & white, along with lighting. In the AC article Public and Private Battles, by Jon D. Witmer, the lighting approach was described by Director of Photography Robert Elswit, ASC:

…as though "somebody from Life or Look magazine went into the CBS news studio with a 35mm rangefinder camera and just started taking stills of these guys and their activities."

Despite the film not trying to look as if it were made during the target period, the style of lighting coupled with the simple use of black & white, reminds us of familiar images from the past creating the subtle layer of realism anyhow.

Flashbacks, Dream Sequences, State of Mind, & Alternate Universes.
The use of black & white can also be a visual story aid to establish a new state of reality.

Flashbacks & Past Events

Although commonly cheese, the use of black & white to create an alternate reality representing a flashback, has been successfully used many times. In modern cinema and television, flashbacks and memories are often portrayed in black & white and/or ‘blooming’ highlights. Modern examples may include American History X and the introduction to the film Casino Royale.

American History X (1998)

This modern day story of hate and forgiveness, utilizes many long black & white segments that occurred years before the color story’s beginning.

Casino Royale (2006)

Arguably, Casino Royale begins with a flashback or at best a scene, which is considerably removed from the plot timeline. The film begins with Bond, confronting a double agent and earning his double zero status, two kills. Following the ‘flashback’, the beginning title sequence initiates at conclusion of which, we are presented with the beginning of the Casino Royale plot storyline; a recent but indiscernible time in the future.

Some may argue that, in fact, this is not a flashback. The only reference explaining the use of black & white was from the American Cinematographer article “High Stakes for 007” by Jon Silberg (Dec. ’06). It is described that the black & white segement was a throwback to Soviet era spy films.

The filmmakers decided to confound Bond fans’ expectations from the very start by opening with a black-and-white sequence, which shows Bond committing his first two government-sanctioned murders. “If you want to do something quite different and turn everyone around, do something in black-and-white!” says Méheux. “People are so used to seeing all these stunts and everything in color, and we go right into a scene of black-and-white with very little stunt work.” The sequence was designed to feel more like spy films from the Cold War era, such as The Ipcress File and The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, than a big action film of 2006.

It is still in this author’s opinion that the use of black & white was a throw back to Soviet era spy films, but also serves as a device which successfully lets the audience know the segment is either a flashback or a relatively distant time period from the plots timeline. If anything should be learned from Casino Royale, it would be the use of black & white coupled with a jump in time, has been used so often as a flashback, viewers are conditioned to think 'flashback'.

Dream Sequences

Why are many dream sequences in black & white? Perhaps it is because humans supposedly dream in black & white. Regardless, of the many gimmicks used for to distinguish dream sequences from reality, black & white is positively one of them. It’s a trite and usually cheap way to convey the segment is not of the color films ‘reality’. Does the audience really need these obvious dramatic cues?

Alternate Universes

The use of black & white can be used to portray an unfamiliar place, time, or dimension in the story's base reality. This technique can be used with color footage for a greater contrast between two worlds, which occur in the same film.

In the early days of film, black & white was considered 'normal'. All movies were and had been shot in black & white. The only alternative process was to dye the film a single color in processing (slight warm tone for day, slight blue tone for night). As color technology slowly but steadily became more affordable, the use of color vs. black & white became creatively analyzed. The result was using color to visually establish an alternate universe, place, or time. Examples include The Wizard Of Oz (1939) and The Secret Garden (1949). The strange irony is black & white was the standard back then, their reality on film… while color was representative of another world, not their own. In modern times, color is the standard. Modern 'reality' is shot in color, while other universes/realities are at times presented in black & white. Think Pleasantville (1998).

Some films, which fit in the 'stylized or radical look' category also fit within this category, willing that the story's universe takes place in another than our own, and the difference is heightened by the use of black & white. An example of this cross-category film would be Sin City (2005). Not only does Sin City have a radical black & white look, based upon the creative decisions of its creator, Frank Miller, but it also (likely by Miller's design) supports the notion in the audiences mind, that Sin City is of another universe, place, or time... not our own.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Probably the most famous example of using color/black & white (sepia) to differentiate two different dimensions, places, or time is the classic film The Wizard of Oz. The film portrays the everyday world (reality) as black & white tinted sepia and the dream world in color.

The Secret Garden (1949)

The 1949 film, based on the famous book, is a black & white classic. During the time the film was made, color was certainly available but expensive, while the movie-going public still considered black & white as the standard. This film is a wonderful example of how the use of color vs black & white can create two different worlds. The main character, an orphan, must live with her rich Uncle. She soon discovers her cousin who is 'sick' and confined to bed. While exploring the vast property, she discovers a secret garden. When she and her cousin re-enter the garden, the film stunningly turns to color, revealing another world, where they can escape from theirs.

Kafka (1991)

This Steven Soderberg film is about the author Franz Kafka who died in the 1920's. Soderberg shot Kafka, as to look as if it were from the era, an example of sub-category one of the period piece. The use of black & white, vignette frames, old film look, and slightly off sync dialog support this effort. During the climax, the film turns to color. When Kafka returns to reality, the film returns to black & white.

Pleasantville (1998)

A great example of using color vs. black & white to establish two different worlds, but unlike past examples already mentioned, this is an example of how modern audiences have reversed the perception of reality vs fantasy. Today, 'reality' is portrayed in color, while the use of black & white takes us to a foreign place or time. In this case, color does not represent a departure of reality, but the black & white world does. When characters from our reality, enter this foreign world, the influence they cause begins to turn Pleasantville into color, making it like our reality.

Emotional State of Mind
The use of color combined with black & white imagery can lend extra meaning to the use of black & white medium. Just as black & white images juxtaposed with color images can represent multiple realities, worlds, or times... they can also be used to differentiate or symbolize the emotional, mental, or health status of a character's being.

Rumble Fish (1983)

A film by Francis Ford Coppola, set upon the homecoming of an older brother who finds his younger brother has become involved in gang life... the same gang life he had once been apart. The film is black & white with the exception of two scenes where color elements are introduced. The color, or lack of, represents moments or changes within the characters state of mind. Cinematographer Steven H. Burum, ASC, reveals wonderful insight regarding the black & white and color representations within Rumble Fish in an American Cinematographer interview (May 1984) with Anthony Reveaux. Burum discusses the use and reasoning for the film to be shot black & white, as well as the thought behind the color elements:

AC: So color appears in just those two instances?

Burum: Yes. It's in very small sections of the picture. It's used as a visual pen stroke to communicate an emotional feeling.

AC: You are saying that the color is showing that they are losing control whereas most people would think that the color would represent reality.

Burum: Yes, but remember the dialogue and what Motorcycle Boy says. To him, normality means that everything is in black & white. He could remember that he saw color at one time, but after their mother left them all he could see then was black & white. So when you go back to color you know it is another emotional schism. When that happens to Rusty-James you realize that it's an emotional schism for him as well. Here is somebody at the brink. Instead of having the actor foam at the mouth and rend his clothes, the color symbolism hopefully puts that across. This whole thing is an experiment. There are three aspects to this picture. There's a little bit of expressionism in it, a little bit of surrealism and some hyper-realism in it. The best of the worst of it all mixed together.

The use of black & white is primarily to portray how the world has 'become' since their mother left... more specifically, how they see their world. Not only does this set the perspective and mood of our protagonists, but also allows the carefully and starved use of color elements to reveal great emotional change or thought. The under-usage of this effect allows the two scenes to carry greater emotional value and weight when juxtaposed with the black & white footage.

Stylized or Radical Look

The last of my big three categories is reserved for all other reasons to shoot black & white as an aesthetic choice. Most common use is black & white simply for the stylized look. This choice may be chosen for many reasons.

Memento (2000)

The protagonist of this film journeys through his memories in two alternating narrative threads. The first is shot in color, unfolding in reverse chronological order. The second, shot in black & white, plays forward in chronological order.

The use of black & white (despite other possible aesthetic reasons) is clearly a defining visual for the audience to know which progression of time and events they are currently witnessing. The decision to use black & white for chronological order, and not reverse chronological is something still intriguing, as one would think chronological order would be ‘reality’ and therefore be in color. If any readers happen to know the answer to this question, please contact.

Sin City (2005)

The use of black & white, in this case, was purely to bring the artistic design and vision from Frank Miller's graphic novel, Sin City, to life. The visual black & white with colorized elements were direct representations from the artwork. Although film uses more selective color.

Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

A series of vignettes by director Jim Jarmusch, makes up this cult classic. In a Movie Maker article by Bob Fisher titled, “Cinematography in Black and White: Frederick Elmes on Jim Jarmusch's Coffee & Cigarettes” (Feb. '07), the director of photography reveals:

Jim always saw these stories in black and white and I enjoy shooting it because it makes me think differently about the light. Technically, I learned a great deal, because these films were shot in different gauges in different years with different budgets using different laboratories around the world. We had 16mm, Super16 and 35mm negatives.

Others
Films, which were not shot in black & white mainly due to non-artistic choices, include reasons such as ratings, lighting, and/or budgeting difficulties.

Kill Bill (2003)

In part Kill Bill Part One, during the Bride's fight with the Crazy 88's, the scene is abruptly cut to black & white as the Bride tears out an opponents eye. The reasoning for the stylistic diversion mid-scene was highly rumored to have been the desire to avoid an NC-17 rating. Black & white reduces the graphic representation of large amounts of blood.

It should be noted; Kill Bill does use black & white for flashbacks, as well. The church rehearsal and the Bride’s wedding day scenes are most notable. Even more odd, Kill Bill has other 'flashback' sequences that remain in color, such as her time with Pai Mei. This is what makes the use of black & white in Kill Bill, so hard to determine the motive of use.

Clerks (1994)

The use of black & white on this breakout Kevin Smith comedy was decided upon because of budget costs. The budget did not have enough money to rent daylight sources to compete with the locations large windows and fluorescent lighting.

Conclusion
These examples are just a small sampling of films, which utilize black & white. The groupings are not absolute, but rather are just an attempt to identify and organize uses of black & white. Some films fit into multiple categories or fall between two. All classifications are of opinion. These are not final or to be quoted as fact. If anyone has any information they think would be helpful to correct or confirm said opinions, they are welcomed. Please send to Ryan@RyanPatrickOHara.com. Please check out Shooting Black & White: Part 2 for creative and technical approaches to shooting for black & white.

- Ryan P. O’Hara
Cinematographer

Ryan@RyanPatrickOHara.com
Los Angeles, CA

Monday, July 21, 2008

Shooting Black & White: Part II

**Notice: All articles I have written are now available for free download at my website. These .pdf documents contain the text and the accompanying photographs and diagrams. Because I cannot copy and paste text and photographs into blogger... blogger will only have the text of the articles. I highly suggest downloading the .pdf documents over the text below. Either way, enjoy.**

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Shooting for Black & White
Part II: Camera Format
written by Ryan Patrick O'Hara

Part one discussed the aesthetic (or lack of) use of black & white in film. Part II will explore the different camera formats available to the modern cinematographer making a black & white picture. This article and the next (part III) are the original intentions of the 'Black & White' article series. Among many subjects, this article will focus on shooting black & white film stock, color film stock for black & white, and HD/digital for black & white.

At this time, it may be noted this article is not going to explore black & white lighting technique such as noir films. The article will focus on technical advice for achieving a strong black & white image albeit general mood or genre. Examples given will attempt to focus on modern black & white films.

Shooting On Black & White Film Stock

Black & white film stocks were the first developed and remained popular decades later even after the initial advent of color film stocks. Only when color film stocks grew increasingly popular and most importantly, more affordable, did color become the standard cinema experience. Since that time, the use of black & white has been used sparingly.

As of this writing, the current trend appears to be shooting color negative stock and removing the color information in printing or digital intermediate. There are several pro's and con's to this method, which will be covered at a later time. In my opinion, the main reason modern film makers have all but abandoned true black & white film stocks is due to the lack of technological development otherwise found in the new color film stocks.

This isn't your grandfathers film stock! ... oh wait, yes, actually it is.

This is somewhat true. Take a look at Eastman Kodak and Fuji Film; the largest (and arguably only) producers of professional 35mm film stocks. As of this writing, Eastman Kodak offers only two black & white negative film stocks, while Fuji offers none! The two Kodak stocks available are Eastman Double-X 5222 and Eastman Plus-X 5231.
Eastman Kodak Plus-X 5231 was introduced in 1956, although initially under the name Plus-X Panchromatic Negative film, 4231. Double-X 5222 would soon follow in 1959.

There has not been one black & white film stock available to the modern cinematographer introduced since 1960. Before I continue, 5222 and 5231 have been a very renowned and successful film stock. As for the main reasons I have observed for their desertion has been because of the lack of technological improvements found in their color negative counterparts. These features include faster ISO/ASA ratings, improved grain, and higher latitude.

It appears the modern use of 5222 & 5231 has fallen mainly to those who wish to better attain the vintage look, which these film stocks can provide. Relatively recent black & white films shot with either 5222 and/or 5231 include: I'm Not There (2007), the beginning of Casino Royale (2006), Memento (2000), Schindler's List (1993), and Kafka (1991). If you have read, Shooting For Black & White: Part One you should already know all of those films with the exception of Memento, used black & white film stocks to attain the look of older films. For example, an excerpt from the article “Deconstructing Bob Dylan”, written by Jon Silberg for American Cinematographer November 2007, states:

Lachman filmed Jude's story on Kodak Plus-X 5231 and Double-X 5222 black-and-white negative stocks. "I know the recent trend with black-and-white scenes in movies has been to shoot color and transform it into black-and-white through printing or DI techniques, but the thing I wanted to reference was the way films looked in the Sixties in terms of exposure, texture, grain and latitude," says Lachman. Working in black-and-white, he continues, is about more than just getting a monochromatic image. "Kodak hasn't improved those stocks. If I shoot Double-X in 2006, it's like shooting it back in the Sixties; it only has about 1.5 stops of over or underexposure. Also, they haven't T-grained it the way they have their color stocks.”

Another article, "Schindler's List Finds Heroism Amidst Holocaust" written by Karen Erbach (American Cinematographer, January 1994) discusses the use of black & white film stock:

Once Spielberg and Kaminski were in actual preproduction, the time had come to finalize decisions, such as which film stock to use. Against studio hopes, the final print of Schindler's List would be black & white. The filmmakers had to decide between shooting on black & white negative or draining the hues from color negative. Spielberg wanted to colorize specific elements in certain shots, ultimately forcing the duo to utilize some color negative. Kaminski's big concern was whether the manipulated color would match with the black & white.

"After doing some tests we used Kodak color 5247 and 5296 to match with black-and-white 5231 and 5222, which are the only available emulsions," explains Kaminski. "We had to really fight with relatively inferior and dated film stock, basically because technology has changed but the film stock hasn't.

A letter was sent to Eastman Kodak asking for an official statement on why there has not been a new black & white film stock released since around 1960. A quick reply was received from the good people at Kodak. As it turns out, it is not just coincidence that the vast majority of cinematographers use the stocks for a ‘vintage’ look. As demonstrated by a small excerpt from Kodak's response states:

During past technology upgrades for these two B&W camera films, it has always been our intent to maintain the look of “classic” B&W film that our customers have expressed a desire for.

To greater surprise, the previous statements, regarding black & white stocks lacking technological improvements, is in need of clarification. The extremely informative and well-written letter from Kodak explains that although the fundamentals of 5222 and 5231 have remained the same in terms of look, Kodak has improved the stock with multiple minor, yet important, upgrades. These upgrades made the film stock more ecologically friendly, safe to manufacture, and reliable in performance. The letter, in entirety is available to be viewed HERE.

Despite Kodak's belief, I think a modern black & white film stock could benefit the film community, as it would offer a true black and white film stock but with further technological advancements currently held by color stocks such as faster speeds, smaller grain, and wider latitude. As of now, we do not have black & white film stocks being manufactured to their full potential.

Pro's and Con's:

Pro's:

Classic Look:
At this point one may wonder what could possibly be the advantages to using available black & white film stocks? Assured, there are advantages. The first, and most obvious advantage is if the desired look of the black & white picture is to achieve a vintage look. In this case, 5222 & 5231 are very good base emulsions to start building the overall look upon. An excerpt from the article, "Schindler's List Finds Heroism Amidst Holocaust" written by Karen Erbach (AC Jan. '94), Kaminski discusses the comparison between black & white stock vs. drained color negative:

The first test Kaminski performed was to find out if a manipulated color negative could pose as black & white. "We had two cameras side by side with the lenses at the same focal length, shooting simultaneously. One camera was loaded with 5296 color negative. The other camera had 5222 black-and-white negative. Don printed the 5296 on color print stock but pulled out all the color. The black-and-white was printed on standard black-and-white stock. We set up the projectors side by side for viewing. The black-and-white had a completely different quality than the drained color negative. The black-and-white looked much more realistic, with more grain, while the color had a faint blue tint."

As described, the realistic 'classic' qualities of the 5222 worked for Kaminski's look of a realistic documentary holocaust world. Many like Kaminski have used black & white film qualities to their advantage.

Tonal Control:
During production, black & white film stocks have a very useful advantage; they can utilize colored filtration. The use of color filters give the cinematographer a wonderful tool for manipulating and adjusting tonal separations by restricting selective wavelengths of color from reaching the negative. Within the American Cinematographer article, "Deconstructing Bob Dylan", written by Jon Silberg, director of photography Edward Lachman, ASC reflects on the use of color filters for tonal separation:

"By shooting real black-and-white, I was able to use the same methods cinematographers used then to selectively alter tones, like say, using a Yellow 8, Orange 21, or Red 23A to introduce tonal separations. You can change some values if you use a DI to change color to black-and-white, but it doesn't feel or look the same in the values of tonal separation...”

Another example, once again, comes from the article, “Schindler's List Finds Heroism Amidst Holocaust” by Karen Erbach (AC Jan. 94). Kaminski discusses his use and testing of camera filtration and tonal separation:

The next phase of testing involved filters. Kaminski explains how he was trying to brighten faces so that they'd appear white rather than grey: "Sometimes I'd succeed, sometimes I'd fail. I used yellow #15 and orange #21 to brighten skin tones. The principals in black-and-white are as such: if you have a red object and you apply a red filter, the red object will become lighter. Because most people's faces have a lot of orange, when you apply an orange filter, it neutralizes the orange, making the face appear lighter. With red filters you have to be careful. We used red #23 on occasion, but the faces became too bright and the lips became to dark. Lips have a lot of blue in them and red accentuates this while increasing the contrast. Another technique was to 'over-light' the faces according to my meter; when we saw the dailies, they were the perfect tone of white."

Shoot Film, Print Film, Release Film:
Another advantage of shooting black & white film stock for a black and white picture is the ability to photograph, process, time, print, and release the picture in a photochemical process; skipping the process of a digital intermediate. Although it is possible to shoot color film and print to black & white stock for print/release all photo-chemically, most instances often require the use of a DI. As of the time of this writing, digital intermediates are commonly 2k or 4k scans, a lower resolution product versus a film print. These films are also often projected on digital projection systems, also currently at 2k resolution in the majority of digital projection screens. A photochemical 35mm print can offer a greater resolution picture.

Cons:

Lack of Modern Qualities:
Disadvantages of using black & white stock are mainly due to aforementioned lack of advancement otherwise seen in color stocks. Kodak 5222 & 5231 are both slower speed stocks, yet still retain grain usually reserved for faster stocks. The black & white film stocks also have less latitude and therefore tend to carry more contrast. These qualities aren't necessarily bad, as they are sometimes desired. But not possessing higher latitude is restrictive to the modern cinematographer, and may simply drive him/her to the color stock alternative. All of the 'old film look’ qualities can be attained in modern stocks by using lighting, filtration, developing, and printing techniques. Therefore, why are these stocks settling for the least common denominator? Perhaps, instead of preserving the "classic" qualities of a film stock for a niche look, make a faster, cleaner grained- high latitude stock everyone can use and those who desire, may degrade/alter the image to achieve a more 'classic' look at their discretion.

Post Production Headaches:
Sadly, disadvantages to black & white film stocks do not end at the production stage. As the world embraced color, the use and demand for black & white has decreased allowing many facilities and technologies to become less attentive with the differing needs of black & white stocks. Many film labs and lab personnel are increasingly becoming distanced from the experience and knowledge of handling black & white stocks. Some labs will not even process it.

Cost:
When printing a black & white film for release, the best method to do so, would be on black & white print stock. Black & white print stock, used very seldom, is considerably more expensive. When a production company is sending out 3,000 prints, the price difference is a large factor. Many films will have select theaters play black & white release prints, while the vast majority across the country will have black & white on a color print stock, which saves money but inherits another set of problems.

Projection Heat:
Because of the silver nature of black & white stocks, when the release stock is run through a projector, the film can become very hot and start to warp/melt causing the film to appear out of focus and with varying densities in the blacks. From an International Cinematographers Guild Magazine article, "Razor Burn" written by Kevin H. Martin, Roger Deakins recalls an instance that happened to fellow Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski during Schindler's List:

Deakins notes that releasing on black-and-white stock in this day and age is an undertaking not without drawbacks. "On Schindler's List [photographed by Janusz Kaminski, ASC], there was a problem with the amount of silver contained in a black-and-white print," he reports. "This caused too much heat buildup in some projectors, which as a result were more liable to experience damage while running hotter. To get around this, they wound up having to wax the prints. At this point, there's still a financial issue for us about how many prints will go out on the print stock.

In the article "Cinematography in Black and White" written by Bob Fisher for MovieMaker Magazine (Feb. '07), Frederick Elmes discusses projection overheating, during a screening of Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes:

MM: Why did he want to shoot it in black and white?

FE: Jim always saw these stories in black and white and I enjoy shooting it because it makes me think differently about the light. Technically, I learned a great deal, because these films were shot in different gauges in different years with different budgets using different laboratories around the world. We had 16mm, Super16 and 35mm negatives.

We scanned them all at DuArt in New York, corrected the contrast and black levels digitally and made black and white digital intermediates. Then we made very beautiful pristine black and white prints, which looked great in the lab in New York. Jim took a print on the road to the Berlin Film Festival for a premiere screening with thousands of people, but unfortunately, parts of the film played out of focus because the arc lights in modern projectors are very hot and black and white film absorbs most of the heat because of the silver in it. The film kept popping in the gate and changing focus, even though the same print looked great in smaller theaters where the lamp wasn’t as hot. This forced us to go back to the digital master, change the contrast to accommodate color intermediates and make color release prints.

The contrast is not as good as black and white release stock and there will always be a little color in the image. I think it’s time for a new black and white technology that combines the magical look of silver-based stocks with the projectability of modern color stocks.

Release to Color:
As Elmes mentioned, one way to circumvent the price/heat issues are to release a film shot on a black & white film stock on a color print stock. The drawback to this procedure is the color stock will always have a little color. The image will have a slight tint, depriving the audience of a true black & white experience. Robert Elswit discusses his experience testing a black & white film release on color stock, in the AC article, "Public and Private Battles" (Nov '05) written by Jon D. Witmer:

Another consideration for the film makers was that Clooney wanted to end the film with a color sequence, which mandated releasing the picture on color stock. "The problem with printing [black-and-white] on color stock is that there's always a little color," notes Elswit. "As monochromatic as it might be, it's definitely still not as true as a true black-and-white print. There's always a shift somewhere."

Clooney would later throw out the color ending to "Goodnight and Goodluck" and Elswit happily aborted releasing on color print stock. He convinced Warner Brothers to approve printing the film on black & white print stock "even though it was significantly more expensive to do so."

Shocking!

Although not common, there are occasional occurrences of static discharge in black & white film stocks under specific conditions, usually in very dry environments. Perhaps best documented from the experience of Janusz Kaminski on the set of Schindler's List. A passage from “Schindler's List Finds Heroism Amidst Holocaust”, recounts his experience:

Kaminski thought he'd solved all his problems with black & white- that is, until shooting commenced. "We began to have problems with the negative discharge of electricity that happens only with black and white because of the silver content in the emulsion. We would have spots on the negative that looked like little dots with arms of lightning. Sometimes we would have lines running across the top of the frame like lightning in the sky. It's very hard to avoid, and we failed. I still don't know how to avoid it. I read some comments in American Cinematographer by Walt Lloyd, who shot Kafka, [and he said] that he had the same problems. Basically, the room has to be static-free. We'd spray the room and be careful when loading or unloading to avoid any friction between the winds of emulsion. Soon we realized that a lot of the static occurred at the beginning of the roll. So we'd shoot off sixty to eighty feet at the head of every roll, providing [some room] to protect ourselves. However there's still some footage that has static and people will see it. I don't think it's terrible- the image is not ruined- but it's unavoidable. We were shooting under harsh weather and production conditions. All those elements contribute to static discharge.

Some recommended methods of dealing with static discharge include:

1) Using a humidifier in the environment where the film is being loaded, down loaded, rewound, etc. Even having a humidifier on set, could benefit the film, albeit it does not interfere with other elements of the film. (set, hair, etc.)

2) Spritzing water into the surrounding air, to increase humidity. A plant mister or likewise instrument is sufficient. John Sprung a member over at Cinematography.com, goes even further and suggests adding, "a little Downy fabric softener to the water you spray around, it helps to drain static better than just plain water. Try 4:1 to 10:1 mixtures."

3) Placing a damp sponge inside the camera body.

It should also be known that you can have to much moisture. If this happens, the moisture will dry after the film is spooled. This can allow the film to slightly stick to itself. Later at the lab when the film is unspooled, the stuck film will be ripped apart causing a spark of static, in essence creating an effect worse from what was originally trying to be avoided.

The Verdict

If you disregard the negative aspects of black & white film stock which are existent from lack of technological advancement, the prospect of shooting on black & white looks much more attractive, and perhaps more features would choose it over shooting color stocks. Until that day arrives, cinematographers must deal with grain, slower speeds, less latitude, and processing/print difficulties if considering black & white stock.

Shooting Color Film Stock

As you are now aware, limitations of modern black & white film stock has driven many cinematographers into the welcoming arms of more advanced color film stocks. Indirectly supporting this process, is the increasing use of a digital intermediate.

Pro's and Con's:

As with any medium, there are pro's and con's regarding the use of color film stock for the end product of a black & white picture.

Pro's

Advancements in Film Qualities:
After my previous writing, the obvious first advantage of using color film stock would be for the technological advantages in visual quality it possesses not otherwise found in black & white stocks. As stated earlier, there have been leaps and bounds in color stock improvement, which continue today. Increased film latitude, grain reduction, and faster exposure speeds among the obvious differences compared to the 'classic' look desired by 5222 and 5231 users. Thus, cinematographers who wish to shoot black & white, but not necessarily utilize the inherent qualities of older black and white stocks, choose modern color stocks. Robert Elswit talks about his decision to shoot Good Night and Good Luck in color stock in the article "Public and Private Battles" (Nov. '05), written by Jon D. Witmer for American Cinematographer:

Although Elswit loved the idea of shooting Good Night on monochromatic stock, practical considerations led him to adopt the approach taken by Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC on The Man Who Wasn't There: shooting on color stock and de-saturating the images in post. Elswit therefore chose to shoot the picture on Kodak Vision2 500T 5218, which he rated at ISO 400. "I needed a film stock that would allow me to use zoom lenses in low-light situations," he explains. "5218 is twice as fast as the fastest black and white stock, [Eastman Kodak Double-X] 5222 and has a grain structure and tonal range equal to the slowest black-and-white stock, [Eastman Kodak Plus-X] 5231. After doing photochemical tests in black-and-white George and I decided 5231 gave us the look we liked best. By choosing 5218, I hoped I would be able to make its contrast and tonal range resemble those of 5231 in post."

In this case, Elswit did like the contrast of 5231 but, however, desired the speed and low grain structure of a more technologically 'modern' film stock. Had there have been a black & white film stock which had the speed, latitude, and grain structure of more sophisticated color negative stock, then Elswit could have shot with it, and achieved the contrast with either traditional camera tricks, in processing, printing, or DI, if necessary. In another article, "The Root(s) of All Evil" written for American Cinematographer by Jay Holben (Oct. '01), Roger Deakins discusses his work on The Man Who Wasn't There: (The studio had made an agreement with distributors that foreign distribution would be in color, against the wishes of the Cohen brothers.)

That agreement forced Deakins to generate a negative that could work in both versions. As a result, he wound up shooting on color stock. "That wasn't such a bad thing, though, because I had been testing Kodak's Plus-X [5231, 64 ISO tungsten] and Double-X [5222, 200 ISO tungsten] stocks, and I wasn't very happy with the results," Deakins remarks. "I began testing color stock printed on black-and-white, and it was kind of a tossup. The monochrome stocks haven't really changed much for many years. They don't have the same [refined] anti-halation backing the color negative does, so you tend to get fringing and flares. They're also fairly grainy compared to the color stocks."

As you see, Roger Deakins shares a similar point of view and even offers an additional advantage of color film stock; the 'refined' anti-halation backing on the film negative, helping reduce fringing and flares.

Digital Intermediate Advantages:
If taking a color stock film to digital intermediate, the opportunity to control specific tones becomes possible, much to the similar effect of the colored filters used on black & white stock but with more precision and control, although many think it does not feel as ‘right’. In addition, John Lindley, ASC, director of photography for Pleasantville, has had interesting comments regarding black & white film stock versus color film stock. Found in the article, "Black-and-White in Color" written by Bob Fisher for American Cinematographer (Nov. '98) he makes the observation:

"When we tested black-and-white film, it was evident that by the time it was run through a recorder, it wouldn't be sharp enough to create the feeling of reality we wanted. Modern color films have multiple T-grain layers and therefore record much sharper and cleaner images."

The 'recorder' he is referring to is a scanning machine which will record every frame of film at 2k resolution, part of the process known as a digital intermediate. Yet again, we discover another advantage of color film stock, but as usual, only as a result of a lacking modern black and white film stock.

Although since the comments of Lindley, and as of the time of this article (2008), this specific disadvantage of black & white film stock seems to have been improved upon since the release of Pleasantville (1998). Another excerpt from the letter I received from Eastman Kodak reveals:

In the early 2000’s both the B&W negative emulsions were re-engineered and moved into Kodak’s state-of-the-art coating facility to provide a more environmentally friendly film which also resulted in noteworthy improvements to the product's overall uniformity and batch-to-batch consistency. Also around the same time period, an extensive research effort was undertaken jointly with Ryerson University looking at incorporating Kodak T-Grain technology into the B&W motion picture camera films, only to find the current emulsion sets actually provide finer granularity.

The letter never states that the film stocks granularity were actually improved upon, but rather found through a study to be on par with the color stocks. Whether this was a result from other improvements around that time, or simply findings which disagrees with Lindley's experience, is unknown to myself.

Special Effects: Mixing Color and Black & White imagery:
An obvious advantage of shooting color film stock for a black & white picture, yet deserving of a quick mention, is when the black & white image is to be accompanied by color elements. Instances include moments from Schindler's List (intro, girl in red dress, etc) and the majority of the premise of Pleasantville. It is an easy conclusion that the removal of color is much more time and cost effective then colorizing elements in a black & white film. Therefore any special effects needing simultaneous color and black & white photography would be shot utilizing color stock.

Cons:

Digital Intermediate Disadvantages:
Although the digital intermediate allows the cinematographer specific and extra tonal control by manipulating colors before the final removal of color, the digital intermediate is not ideal to many cinematographers. The first, and most troublesome disadvantage is the loss of resolution. Despite certain improvement with future technology, as of this writing a complete photochemical workflow will result in the highest resolution film print.

Second, when printing to color print stock, the use of a digital intermediate causes slight tinting and color shifting in the picture, resulting in the inability to have a complete black & white image.

To quote the article "Losing Control", written by Bob Davis for American Cinematographer (Nov. 07), Director of Photography Martin Ruhe reports,

"One problem is that black-and-white stocks are very grainy. The tests we shot already looked dated." So for Control, Ruhe ran two Kodak Vision2 color stocks through his Panaflex Millennium XL camera- 500t 5218 for every thing else- with an eye toward digital intermediate (DI) post-processing. "The tricky thing about the DI pathway is getting real black-and-white onto the screen," he says. "Most distributors aren't able to show expensive black-and-white prints, but when you write your DI back out to film, a shift of half a step in the print lights may result in a tinted image." Indeed, though the print that screened at Cannes convinced nearly everyone that the film had been shot on black-and-white stock, a couple of the reels projected at a press screening in Los Angeles had a slightly red or green cast.

In the article “Deconstructing Bob Dylan” (American Cinematographer Nov. 07). Edward Lachman, ASC noted this realization he had with Black and white stock (he shot both 5222& 5231):

"By originating on black-and-white emulsion, you're able to maintain a truer black-and-white look than if you shoot on color stock and convert the images to black and white... This was confirmed to me by the colorist doing the final prints at Technicolor, Lee Wimer, who had encountered this problem while converting color to black-and-white on other projects. Apparently, when you do a DI, there can be additional color shifting from your original DI negative, especially when you're at the dupe-negative stage."

Tonal Separation:
The use of colored filters cannot be used in color photography. Instead, a digital intermediate can isolate and manipulate specific hues/tones. Despite the previously mentioned advantage of precision and control, digital intermediate requires the film to be digitized, losing its film resolution down to a 2k resolution, unlike the colored filters, which will not necessarily allow a film to leave the photochemical process.

Shooting Digital Video

Shooting film stock may not always be possible due to creative, financial, or logistical means. In this case, many turn to HD video to shoot a film, which will have a final black & white image. Digital Video is simply a one-flavor medium: color. The process is much like that of color film stock.

Pro's and Con's:

Pro’s

Resolution:

Although shooting digital video and color film stock (most likely) will both go through a digital post workflow, digital video will not need to be scanned digitally because it will always be available in its native format and resolution. This spares the digital video from the costly and potentially negative process of scanning. As time progresses, film will be scanned at higher resolutions, as will digital video be shot at higher native resolutions.

Tonal Control:

Digital video cannot use color filters for tonal separation. They can appear to apply the same effect as in film, but run negative risks of doing strange things to the video picture such as artifacting, noise, and other unwanted effects. Instead, different hues and tones can be controlled via digital color correction before being transformed into a black & white picture. This is an artificial, yet more precise method of tonal control, versus the color filters used in black & white film stock.

Con’a

Resolution:

Digital video still lacks the resolution of film stock. This statement is quickly becoming false with the development of Dalsa Origin and Red-One cameras, capable of a close 4k picture. Despite 4k not being of film resolution, they are signs of the times. It is a matter of time before a digital camera can match not only the 35mm film frame size dimensions, but in actual resolution. The resolution gap is quickly narrowing. As of now, film is still possesses more resolution.

Tonal Control:

As mentioned, colored filters should not be used on digital video. This is not a terrible negative because unlike color film stock, digital video does not need to be scanned for DI and can have hues and tones manipulated at full native resolution, even if that may be equal to scanned film resolution.

Color Space:

Sadly, most digital video cameras, at this time, decide to use compression in the video signal to keep the data stream reasonable. A large part of this compression is the color space. Color space can be described by a system of three numbers. The optimal color space is 4:4:4, meaning each pixel has its own individual brightness and color level. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, very few digital video cameras offer a 4:4:4 color space. Many cameras are 4:2:2, 4:2:0, or even 4:1:1. This means each pixel is its own individual brightness, but to save information, is assigned a ‘color’, which is the result of a median of surrounding pixels. To find out more about what this all means please read my article on color space. Even uncompressed RAW cameras, such as the Red One are not true color space! Bayer pattern sensor chips use an even greater but perhaps more accurate averaging system.

Video Previewing:

Digital video cameras are all made for color acquisition. At times, there may not be an easy way to capture black & white, or preview it in camera. Cameras may have the option to desaturate an image in a menu option, but it will not be an optimal way to preview the black & white image.

End Thoughts:

As of the time of this article, Black & White film stocks are suffering from lack of technological improvements given to its color counterparts. Color film stocks are capable of a very nice black & white image, but often will require a DI limiting its potential resolution, extending time and cost factors as well. Digital Video cameras do not need to be scanned as color film stock does, but its resolution is currently inferior to that of film stock. Each of these three methods have been ideal for many large Hollywood productions, as to prove there is not necessarily a wrong way to go about it. Hopefully by now you know the advantages and disadvantages of each format and you may decide with an educated mind, which medium serves your needs best.

Best,

-Ryan P. O’Hara
Cinematographer

Ryan@RyanPatrickOHara.com
Los Angeles, CA

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Geared Heads!

**Notice: All articles I have written are now available for free download at my website. These .pdf documents contain the text and the accompanying photographs and diagrams. Because I cannot copy and paste text and photographs into blogger... blogger will only have the text of the articles. I highly suggest downloading the .pdf documents over the text below. Either way, enjoy.**

Download at this link below!
http://www.RyanPatrickOHara.com/Download/GearedHeads.pdf

Geared and Belt Heads
Professional motion picture camera support
Written by Ryan Patrick O’Hara

At the dawn of cinema, (roughly 1895), the motion picture camera found itself appropriately established upon the still photographer’s tripod system. It would not be long until motion picture cameramen discovered and desired the ability to move the camera during the shot. The earliest tripod heads, which incorporated the ability to pan (shortly thereafter pan and tilt), show an uncanny resemblance to future geared head technology and design.
The text, A History of Early Film Volume II by Stephen Herbert, is a series of collected film article reprints from material dating from the mid 1890’s to around 1914. These articles serve as a glimpse into the technical side of early film history. Within the collection, a reprint of The Handbook of Kinematography by Colin N Bennett (1911), outlines the main difference between the photography tripod and the motion picture tripod within Chapter III:
“…And that last remark about the tripod leads on insensibly to consideration of this absolutely indispensable part of the motion picture man’s equipment. Tripods for motion picture work differ from those used in still view photography chiefly on two points, one being their weight… and the other the presence of mechanical turning movements in the tripod head.”
The following diagrams and text are edited excerpts from The Handbook of Kinematography (1911). One can see the familiar resemblance to what can only be described as the foundation and evolutionary ancestor of the modern day geared head.

The simpler version of the motion picture tripod, the ‘panoram’ head, could only turn side to side, while the more complicated motion picture tripod possessed a second ‘tilting’ mechanism sometimes known as the ‘maxim’ movement. Both movements were mechanically controlled by the cameraman via handles or cranks connected to a series of gears. Noticing the placement, operation, and likeness of the handles and gears (especially in fig. 16), it should be obvious that even the earliest geared heads would serve inspiration to the future design of larger geared heads and the modern geared heads.
The larger cradle design geared head was developed around the time sound was being introduced into moving pictures. The cameras had grown in considerable size, now being contained within a blimp housing. Although the cradle design matchs what we consider the standard form of a modern day geared heads; these geared heads lacked technological advancements and performance standards which is associated with the modern geared head.
As time progressed, so would other tripod head designs, such as friction heads. In 1949 Chadwell O’Connor, an amateur locomotive filmmaker, invented the world’s first counterbalanced fluid drag camera head, which enabled his pictures to be smooth.

Three years later, in 1952, a man by the name of George Worrall invented the Worrall Geared Head. This milestone in professional camera support is considered to be the birth of the modern geared head. So much so, that in 1996 the Society of Operating Cameramen (SOC) awarded Worrall with the Technical Achievement award for the… “Invention, introduction, and the development of the Worrall Geared Head in 1952, the first stable, smooth and balanced triple- mode geared head.”

The following is an excerpt from the SOC magazine:
"The truth is, George Worrall refused to call it an invention," related Dean Cundey. "He insisted it was simply a mechanical device based on common sense." Cundey joked about his first job as an operator which ironically fell into his lap when his DP was not able to operate anything but a fluid head. Cundey said wryly, "Thanks George for all the laughs your device provided over the years as we watched producers and directors try to follow the action with those 'oh so confusing' wheels." Accepting the award on his father's behalf was George Worrall Jr. He thanked the SOC and then provided a short video of his dad working at their machine shop and saying to the attendees, "I'm gratified and very thankful to be honored by the users of my geared head. Thank you."

Worrall & The Worrall Geared Head

Upon the almost concurrent birth of the fluid head and what is considered the modern geared head, future professional motion picture camera support would be primarily divided between these two systems.

The following pages are a compiled listing of geared head makes and models which are common and uncommon in the industry. For the sake of brevity, it should be mentioned the phrase ‘geared head’ has and will continue to refer to both gear and belt driven heads. Many of the following makes or models are not currently produced and lack readily available technical information.

• Arrihead I
• Arrihead II
• Arri/Mitchell Geared Head
• Ceco Blimp Type 2-Speed Geared Head (TH-7)
• Ceco Pro-Jr. Geared Head
• GearNex Gearhead
• Houston Fearless Cradle Head (Not a Geared Head)
• MGM Geared Head
• Mitchell Geared Head
• Mitchell Mini (Lightweight) Geared Head
• Mitchell Vitesse Geared Head
• Mitchell Vista-Vision Geared Head
• Mole Richardson Geared Heads (Not a Modern Geared Head)
• Moy 16” Classic
• Moy 16” Standard
• Moy, Samcine Geared Head
• Moy, Samcine MkIII Geared Head
• Moy 16” Neptune Underwater Head
• Moy 22” Legend
• Moy 12” Mini
• NCE Geared Head
• NCE Cradle Geared Head & Model CGH
• NCE Jr. Geared Head
• NCE/Ultrascope MkI
• NCE/Ultrascope MkII
• NCE/Ultrascope MkIII
• Panahead
• Panahead, Super
• Panahead, Compact
• Raby Geared Head
• QuickSet 4-72512-3 Geared Head (slide tilt)
• QuickSet 4-72612-S3 Geared Head
• QuickSet 4-52217-3 Geared Head w/ Large Platform
• QuickSet 4-52926-9 Geared Head w/ Calibrations
• QuickSet 4-62926-7 Geared Head w/ Calibrations
• Sea Head (currently unknown)
• Technovision Technohead MkI
• Technovision Technohead MkII (H)
• Technovision Technohead MkIII
• Worrall
• Worrall Mini

Arrihead: Arri has two models on the market the Arrihead I, and the Arrihead II. However, the Arrihead I has been discontinued and can only be found in the rental market. The Arrihead II is the current production model and can be purchased from Arri Group Inc.

Arrihead I:
Tilt Angle: +- 30 degrees, +- 90 degrees with tilt plate.

Tilt plate increments: 13, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60 degrees

Gear Positions: (Belt Driven / Five position gearbox)
1 (65 turns for 360* pan)
Neutral
2 (35.5 turns for 360* pan)
Neutral
3 (19 turns for 360* pan)

1 (17.5 turns for full 60* tilt)
Neutral
2 (9.25 turns for full 60* tilt)
Neutral
3 (4.75 turns for full 60* tilt)

Camera mounting: Quick release. 180mm forward and back Arri bridge plate (dovetail)

Pan/tilt drive: Tilt handle laterally adjusts up to 38 degrees to right 3-speed gear drive, plus neutrals.

Gearboxes with 5:1 reduction ratio available.

Locks & Levers: Tilt has two positive lock off brakes, while pan has one. Both have friction levers at the hand-wheels.

Dimensions (w/out wheels): height 12”, length 20”, width 11”

Weight: 39-43 lbs.

Maintanence: Arrihead I does not need to be lubricated. Clean for dirt and dust.

Arrihead II: “Smaller, lighter in weight and equally efficient is the formula of the future… With an equal equipment range and operating convenience, it is 8 cm shorter and approximately 4 kg's lighter than the large ARRIHEAD.”- Arri Group Inc.

Tilt Angle: +- 30 degrees, +- 90 degrees with tilt plate.

Tilt plate increments: 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60 degrees

Gear Positions: (Belt Driven / Four position gearbox)
1 (65 turns for 360* pan)
Neutral
2 (35.5 turns for 360* pan)
3 (19 turns for 360* pan)

1 (17.5 turns for full 60* tilt)
Neutral
2 (9.25 turns for full 60* tilt)
3 (4.75 turns for full 60* tilt)

Camera mounting: Touch-n-go Quick Release
140mm forward and back Arri bridge plate (dovetail)

Pan/tilt drive: Tilt handle laterally adjusts up to 38 degrees to right. Gearboxes with 5:1 reduction ratio available.

Tilt has two positive lock off brakes, while pan has one. Both have friction levers at hand-wheels.

Dimensions w/ Handwheels: Length 22”/ Width 13” inch.

Dimensions w/o Handwheels: Length 18”/ Width 11” inch.

Weight: 33 lbs. / 39 lbs. (with wheels)

Maximum Load: 110 lbs.

Temperature Range: -4 to 122 F degrees/-20 to +50 C degrees

Maintanence: Arrihead II does not need to be lubricated. Clean for dirt and dust.

Arri/Mitchell Geared Head: No information is available at this time. The Arri/Mitchell head is mentioned within a Clairmont Camera advertisement around the 1970’s. This photo is from another ad, but the words “MFG BY MITCHELL (illegible word) FOR ARRIFLEX” can be read, engraved on the cradle. Most likely an custom modified Mitchell or collaboration with Mitchell before making the ArriHead I head.

Houston Fearless Cradle Head: In 1950, the Houston Corporation of Los Angeles and Fearless Camera Company of Culver City merged to form the Houston Fearless Corporation. Among the camera equipment manufactured would eventually include the Houston Fearless Cradle. By 1964, Houston Fearless would be through with Hollywood, and begin contracted work for the US Government supplying high speed photo processing equipment to the Blackbird and U-2 Spy plane programs. A cradle head is like a geared head but lacks the geared wheel control. It’s controlled instead, by a pan-handle.

GearNex GearHead: New to the market is the GearNex Gearhead; quite possibly the first geared head to hit the scene since the Arrihead II… over a decade prior! This head is mainly designed for medium -light weight HD and digital cine packages. It’s most distinct feature may be the affordable price!
^^STATS CHANGING, COMING SOON!^^

F&B/Ceco Blimp Type 2-Speed Geared Head (TH-7): At first glance it looks like a friction head, but look closely and you’ll see it’s a rather tall, strong, and heavy geared head!

Tilt Angle: 45 degrees Forward / 42 degrees Backward

Gear Positions: (Gear Driven / Two Speed Gearbox)

A 1967 Ad states the two speeds are ‘fast and slow’…

Height: 10.5”

Weight: 80.5 lbs.

Maximum Load: 200 lbs.

F&B/Ceco Professional Junior Geared Head: Nothing is currently known about this geared head except it has either a ¼ or 3/8” camera tie down screw and a ‘standard Pro-Jr’ flat base. It appeared in several brief advertisements in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. From the build, price and name, one can assume the Pro-Jr is designed to be much more compact and light, compared to its big brother, the TH-7. The hand wheels have been replaced with cranks… something very reminiscent of ‘pre-modern’ gear based tripod heads.

MGM Geared Head:

The only information found on the ‘MGM Geared head’ was simply this photograph from a Birns & Sawyer advertisement October, 1972. Described as a ‘MGM GEARED HEAD’.

This Mitchell geared head was on display at the 1979 SMPTE conference. The photograph’s original caption simply stated it was a ‘new’ Mitchell geared head with built-in adjustable wedge plate. Most likely a Mitchell Lightweight.

Mitchell Geared Heads: The Mitchell Camera Corporation, located in Los Angeles, CA, was one of the earlier companies to manufacture geared tripod heads. Ironically, in the early 1940’s, George Worrall was Chief Engineer at the Mitchell Camera Corporation. He left the company because he ‘felt he could accomplish more on his own.’ Less then a decade later, after founding the Worrall Camera Corporation, the Worrall geared head would revolutionize the industry, and dawn a new era of the geared tripod head; one in which the Mitchell Camera Corporation would continue to contribute.
To the best of this author’s knowledge, the Mitchell brand would produce four ‘modern’ geared head models: the Mitchell, Mitchell Mini (Lightweight), Mitchell ‘VistaVision’, and the Mitchell Vitesse geared head. Mitchell geared heads were discontinued long ago, but they are still found in many rental houses, visual effect houses, and film facilities all over the world.

Mitchell Geared Head: Surprisingly enough, it is very difficult to track down what is considered the ‘original’ or ‘standard’ Mitchell Geared Head. Thus far, from extensive research, it is thought that the ‘normal’ Mitchell geared head model is a four position, three speed gearbox.

Mitchell Mini/Lightweight Geared Head:
Tilt Angle: +-33 degrees, +- 50.5 degrees w/ Tilt plate, as told to me by a Mitchell Mini owner.

Built in Lift Plate: Advertised at +- 60 degrees in an old ad. This does not add up with the 17.5 degree tilt plate information given by the gearhead owner, perhaps the advertisement was a previous version of the model.

Gear Positions: (Gear Driven / Four position gearbox)
1 (63 turns for 360* pan)
2 (31.5 turns for 360* pan)
3 (21 turns for 360* pan)
N

1 (16.75 turns for 66* tilt)
2 (10.5 turns for 66* tilt)
3 (5.2 turns for 66* tilt)
N

Three Speeds Gear Ratios: 1:1 / 1½:1 / 3:1

Length: 17.25” / 20.75” inches (with wheels & handles)

Width: 10.5” / 14.75” inches (with wheels & handles)

Height: 9” inches

Weight: 44 lbs.

Mitchell Vitesse GearHead:
With regards to design, the Vitesse is quite possibly the most unique geared head of any. It is designed in a way, to allow 360* movement on two axis; pan and tilt. The inventor of the Vitesse is Joe Dunton who interestingly, later in his career, would head ‘Moy’; another manufacturer of geared heads.

Mitchell ‘VistaVision’ Geared Head: The large Mitchell ‘Vista-Vision’ geared head, is aptly named for its association and pairing with the Vista-Vision cameras. To operate around the bulging ‘elephant ear’ cameras, the hand wheels were extended along a shaft, away from the cradle.

Mole Richardson Geared Heads:
A ‘modern’ era Mole Richardson Geared head has not been found as
of yet. This model was described in the 1930 Cinematographic Annual as, “… another new device. It is a tilt head mechanism on a Rohing Tripod.” This is a great example of the geared heads which existed and were in use prior to the Worrall head, which because of it’s successful advancements, is considered the dawn of the modern geared head era, which today’s heads continue to advance.

Moy Geared Heads: Known as one of the more popular geared head brands, Moy was based in London, England and eventually, during its later years, fell under Joe Dunton & Company Limited. Panavision later acquired Joe Dunton’s company holdings in 1997, and presumably Moy with it, considering they inherited a very large quantity of Moy geared heads. (The pictured Moy ‘Classic or Standard’ has an auxiliary third wheel for pan movement.)

Today, Moy geared heads are primarily (& appropriately) found in rental facilities around the UK, including many Panavision Europe facilities. As of 2008, Panavision UK rented all four of the Moy Geared Head models which include the Moy 16” Classic, Moy 16” Standard, Moy 12” Mini, and Moy 22” Legend. Other European Panavision rental houses also carry what is called the Moy ‘Neptune’ Underwater Head.
One will quickly notice a strange and unique attribute of some Moy Models: a third wheel. In the photograph above, the third wheel is almost certainly an auxiliary pan wheel. In the photograph on the following page, the odd placement of the third wheel (within the cradle) may be an auxiliary pan wheel, or perhaps something else, such as for a crank up tilt wheel or auxiliary tilt wheel. Unknown at this time.

Moy 16” Standard/Classic:
The most common Moy, the Moy 16” Standard, is a two speed geared head. The Moy 16” Classic is found as a listed geared head in many rental houses, but perhaps is the same as the ‘standard’. No information known at this time suggests either possibility.

Samcine Moy Geared Head: A Moy Standard, re-engineered to rental house Samuelson’s specifications by Moy. Improves upon the previous Moy geared head, although the cradle movement and gears remain virtually the same. A new built in wedge allows for extra tilt function, camera quick release ability, and balance adjustment for long lenses or off center configurations.

Tilt Angle: +-35 degrees, +-70 degrees w/ built in wedge

Gear Positions: Two speed gearbox
1 (34 turns for full 360*)
2 (12 turns for full 360*)

1 (23 turns for full tilt)
2 (9 turns for full tilt)

Offset arms available and incorporates 2:1 pan and tilt speed increase.

Samcine- Moy geared head MkIII:

The MkIII head has a built in slide balancing adjustment, an either-way-round adjustable wedge, a dovetail camera attachment, optional off-set control positions, two speed pan and tilt action (four speeds with the offset arms) a large ‘T’ level, and adjustable pan friction. It is also advertised as a 13” head.

Moy 22” Legend:
As the photo demonstrates, the 22” Moy geared heads are meant for some serious weight and abuse. Pictured here, Jack Cardiff, BSC and Geoffrey Unsworth, BSC pose with a Technicolor 3-strip camera on a 22” Moy geared head. In today’s world it is very rare for any camera package to require a special ‘heavy duty’ grade geared head. Only fully loaded 70mm or Imax packages demand such extra support.

Moy 12” Mini:
The baby of the Moy family, the 12” Mini was designed and built in another attempt to reduce the size and weight of the geared head while attracting the smaller camera market, such as 16mm production. The 12” Mini is tough to find information on. It is advertised as a gear head, not cable driven (referring to the competitive Worrall Mini). The lowest gear ratio is 94 turns for 360*. The mini weights 38 lbs and extension boxes are available.

Moy 16” Neptune Underwater Head: European rental houses list it as MY-UH head. Any cameraman, who dares enter the ocean’s water with a geared head, might as well strap the camera to an anchor! Nonetheless, this is one of the most unique, mysterious, and interesting geared heads to date. Further information is top priority. Please harass Panavison UK, and/or Panavison’s associate rental house Sparks in Hungary… they won’t respond to email inquiries.
NCE Geared Heads: National Cine Products made the NCE, Cradle Geared Head (updated to ‘Model CGH’), NCE Jr, and finally the Ultrascope series MkI-MkIII. NCE no longer exists and NCE heads are rare in most capacities.

NCE ‘Cradle Geared Head’ and ‘Model CGH’:
Tilts +-35 degrees, wedge available. Pan has tension adjustment and lock. Tilt has only tension adjustment. Top plate is 5½” x 7”. Weighs 22 lbs and will carry cameras up to 30 lbs. Equipped with a ball level and Mitchell adapter available. NCE Advertisement, Nov. 1969.

The NCE ‘Model CGH’ is the updated and improved NCE Cradle Geared Head. The ‘Model CGH’ will carry 30lbs, same as the previous, except this ad from 1970, mentions a three-position pan gearbox: two speeds and a neutral. The tilt is a two-position two-speed gearbox. The top plate is larger at 6.5” x 8”. Also advertised: ‘Change in speed can be made by cameraman in seconds’… which suggests the previous model only had one non-adjustable gear speed. Pan and tilt locks and tension adjustment standard.
The NCE ‘Model CGH’:
NCE advertisement; two years later, in 1972. A ‘new and updated’ NCE Model CGH. This advertisement does not mention what is necessarily new about this make, but does mention fingertip controlled 2-speed pan and tilt. From the wording and mention in the ad, perhaps an improvement upon how easily the operator changes between gears. The riser plate seen in photo was available for the 1970 CGH.

NCE Jr.(Compact): The NCE Jr. Compact, might possibly be an NCE model CGH, but with a new name or features. The Model CGH is designed for small payloads and weight, so I am awaiting photographs and stats from DP Rachel Dunn to confirm. She describes the odd design of the pan wheel located at the front right side of the geared head, something one can clearly see in the above Model CGH. The following are her findings from the experience with her geared NCE Jr. head:

Tilt Angle: +-30 (estimate)

Gear Positions: (Gear Driven / Three position gearbox for Pan / Two position gearbox for tilt)
1 (__turns for 360* pan)
Neutral
2 (__turns for 360* pan)

1 (__turns for full 60* tilt)
2 (__turns for full 60* tilt)

To change gears; “lift a thin piece of metal out of it’s channel on the wheel axle and pull the whole wheel out (or push it in) about an inch or so, to engage the other gear.”

Tilt and pan have one set of friction levers and brakes.

The Pan wheel is oddly located at the front left, versus the standard location of the rear left.

Weight: 33 lbs.
Dimensions: 8”x8”x8”
Maximum Payload: Under 25-20 lbs
Maintenance: Takes lubricant grease for the gears.

NCE/ Ultrascope MkI Geared Head: +-40 degrees of tilt range and an unlimited pan range. Flat top with a 3/8- 16 inch tie down/ and full 3” balance movement. 6,9,12 degree pan gears.

NCE/Ultrascope MkII Geared Head: The same as MkI but has Arri Slide rails and an exclusive 1½” bridge plate. Advertised to have ‘6,9,12’ degree pan gears. Not sure what that really indicates. Does not have a geared wedge.

NCE/Ultrascope MkIII Geared Head: Same as the MkII but has the added geared wedge, for greater tilt ability. An additional 55 degrees of tilt is gained, for a total of +-95 degrees. A longer balance plate gives greater distribution of weight. Has the ‘6,9,12’ degree pan gears.

The Panahead: Panavison won the 1977 Scientific or Technical Award (Academy Citation) for the engineering of the Panahead geared head for motion picture cameras. A little known fact: Geared heads should generally not be under-slung, but certain Panaheads can be. Red engraved nameplates can identify them as units able to be under-slung.

Tilt Angle: +- 30 degrees, +- 90 degrees with tilt plate.

Gear Positions: (Belt Driven / Four position gearbox)
1 (75 turns for 360* pan)
2 (41 turns for 360* pan)
Neutral
3 (21 turns for 360* pan)

1 (15 turns for full 60* tilt)
2 (8 turns for full 60* tilt)
Neutral
3 (4 turns for full 60* tilt)

Camera mounting: Dovetailed top of a tilt or double tilt plate. Will accept a sliding plate from a Panaflex undercarriage.

Tilt and pan have one set of each tension levers and brakes.

Weight: 38.5 lbs.

Maintenance: Loosen screws on side of Panahead and remove cover: Try to brush dust away instead of blowing it with compressed air. Lubricate rails and dovetails with silicone only. Use low temperature grease on pan and tilt selector knob guides.

Super Panahead: The Super Panahead, is a wider, stronger, and more robust Panahead. It accommodates larger payloads, which make it ideal for large 35mm/zoom packages or 70mm photography. Super Panaheads tend to have the more robust geared crank tilt plate design.

Compact Panahead: The Compact Panahead is indeed a very rare model. There are currently only two available in Los Angeles and perhaps the world. They are thought to have been introduced around the same time as Panavision’s 16mm ‘Elaine’ camera, and have not been produced since.
The Compact Panaheads are simply smaller, more lightweight versions of the Panahead; only able to take lighter weight loads… appropriate to be unveiled with the Elaines. Sadly, they are not used often. Last I checked, there was only one at PV Hollywood and one at PV Woodland Hills. The PV Woodland Hills model has never gone out (on record) since the computer database was installed. Rightly so, when I went to use it, it was missing the sliding plate dovetail! Normally a substitute dovetail would be an easy fix, but since the PH-compact is so small, it was designed to have a smaller tilt plate, with a smaller dovetail track, requiring a proprietary custom machined size sliding plate dovetail; smaller then any other Panavision standard. Without the rare and specific sliding plate dovetail, the camera cannot dock to the tilt plate. I have personally inquired with several employees at Panavision to machine a replacement, but I was told there wasn’t enough demand for the small guy. I think I’ll try to get a photograph of it before they eventually melt it down or use it as a pricey paperweight.

Raby Geared Head: Found in a 1956 Advertisment, from the American Cinematographer Hand Book and Reference Guide, Raby MFG. Company produced its own line of blimps, geared heads, and dollies. The picture is unfortunately to small to make even the simplest deductions. Nothing else is known about this geared head brand.

Quickset Geared Heads:
QuickSet International is a maker of precision positioning systems. For commercial or government/military use, they offer many heavy-duty tripods and heads, which are made for accurate positioning, remote controls, and heavy payload security cameras or likewise equipment. In the opinion of this author, the products look like garbage and are not for professional motion picture use. Perhaps a cheap prosumer level?

The Quickset 4-72512-3 is part of the light/medium weight ‘Samson’ class. The unit can tilt 45 degrees up and 90 degrees down. The pan can rotate 360 degrees at a 1:150 single gear ratio. The camera mounts via a 1/4 inch screw. The head is 2.5 lbs and can hold a payload of 25 lbs. Its dimensions are 8.5” x 6.5” x 6”. The only geared function is the pan. The tilt is a ‘slide’ tilt.

The Quickset 4-72612-S3 is another light/medium weight ‘Samson’ class head. The unit can tilt 35 degrees up, and 90 degrees down. It can rotate a full 360 degrees at a single gear ratio of 1:150. The camera mounts via a 1/4 inch screw. The head is 2 lbs and can hold a payload of 35 lbs. Its dimensions are 11.75” x 8.25” x5.5”. Only the pan is geared, while the tilt is pan-handle controlled.

The Quickset 4-52217-3 is part of the heavy weight ‘Hercules’ class head. The unit can tilt +-45. It can pan a full 360 degrees with a single pan gear ratio of 1:96. The tilt function is geared with a single gear ratio of 1:129. The camera mounts to a 3/8th inch screw. The head is 12 lbs and can hold a payload of 50 lbs. Its dimensions are 8” x 10.5” x 11.5”. Both tilt and pan are single geared. The top plate is larger at 9” x 6”.

The Quickset 4-52926-9 is another heavy weight ‘Hercules’ class head. The unit can tilt 45 degrees up and 90 degrees down at a single gear ratio of 1:129. It can pan a full 360 degrees at a single gear ratio of 1:96. The camera mounts to a 1/4 inch screw. The head is 9 lbs and can hold a 30 lbs payload. Its dimensions are 8” x 9.5” x 10.75”. Both pan and tilt are geared, although gears are cut off in photo. This head has carefully marked calibrated markings along the tilt cradle and pan cylinder.

The Quickset 4-62926-7 is a Extra Heavy weight ‘Gibraltar’ class head. It can tilt 53 degrees up and 67 degrees down at a single gear ratio of 1:128. It can pan 360 degrees at a single gear ratio of 1:96. The camera mounts by a 3/8 inch screw. The head is 21 lbs and can hold a payload of 200lbs. Its dimensions are 10”x10”x12”. The top plate is the largest at 8” x 10”. It also has the calibrated etchings along both axis of movement.

The SEA Geared head: Likely this is the most difficult geared head to track down and find information. I have thus far only found the name listed on European rental catalogues. I have never heard of one being used, seen a photograph, or even a technical spec. It may likely be an underwater head. Another theory is pendulum ‘sea’ head. A pendulum hangs underneath the tripod head, which is on a ball type mount. Thus the head constantly levels itself to the horizon… good for when on a rocking boat or on the ‘sea’.

Technovision Technoheads: Technovision Camera LTD, was a camera rental company with facilities across Europe. In 1986, Technovision built their first ‘Technocrane’ marking the beginning of their departure from the camera rental business. Since that time, Panavision has bought some of Technovision’s inventory, such as Technovision France. Technovision London and Italia still exist today, specializing exclusively in crane and remote system rentals.
Technovision MkI: Unknown Information. The Technovision line is very hard to locate or find information on. Thus far no information on the original Technovision MkI can be found. It’s existence is only proven because a MkII and MkIII do.

Technovision MKII: A rare model even in the rental market, little can be found about the Technovision MkII. It is a brass geared head, three speed gearbox. Optional gear reducers available, providing more control with gear ratios. The Technovision head in this photograph is advertised as a Technovision MkII.

Technovision MKIII: The most advanced and modern geared head within the Technovision line. The MkIII comes with a double wedge tilt plate, for +-90 both ways. Weighs around 44 lbs.

Worrall Geared Heads: Finally, and appropriately the Worrall Geared Head. Invented by George Worrall of the Worrall Camera Company, this head is considered to be the birth of the modern geared head. The Worrall Geared Head was the industry workhorse. George Worrall would make more than 600 units before eventually retiring. The manufacturing rights would be sold to Cinema Products Corporation. This advertisement from February 1976, announces Cinema Products Corp, ability to now manufacture Worrall Gear Heads.

“It’s putting mechanical parts that are available to new use. I did what I though the cameraman needed for ease of operation… I made a couple for Warner Brothers. And then I never had to advertise from then on.” – George Worrall

Worrall Mini: Once Cinema Products owned the rights to the Worrall brand, they designed and developed the Mini Worrall, a cable/gear head. The Mini is the only cable/gear drive head in the world with aerospace-style high-tensile strength cables. The cables support pan and tilt loads… ‘maintaining constant tension throughout the entire range of cable travel without play.’

Tilt Angle: +-30 degrees, +- 92 degrees with tilt plate.

Gear Positions: Five position / three speed gearbox
(1-N-2-N-3)

Cable drive only permits 370 degrees of rotation… 185 degrees in either direction of a ‘neutral’ point.

Camera Mounting: Dovetailed tilt plate can take CP, Arri & moviecam quick release plates.

Pan wheel lock and brake, Tilt wheel brake.

Mini Worralls with serial numbers under 155, cannot remove their wheels. Those with serials 155 and over, can.

Made from anodized aluminum.

Weight: 39½ lbs.

Geared Head Facts & Reminders:
- Geared Heads should always be transported with gears either in neutral or disengaged. All pan and tilt locks should be left loose, including hand wheel brakes or tension levers. Remember to disengage travel wedge, gears, and etc… If geared head allows.
- Always keep geared heads clean and know proper maintenance. Some geared heads take oil, some a special high-pressure grease, and some require neither. Know maintenance; it varies.
- Almost all geared heads have pan-handle rosettes, for which a pan handle may be attached to the cradle. The pan-handle is to be used for quick whip-pans or other moves which are unattainable by using the wheels. To use the pan-handle, place the pan and tilt gears to neutral and for heads able, it is best to disengage the gears such as the internal worm gear from the central pan gear within a Panahead.
- Some geared heads have multiple ‘bushings’ (holes through the cradle) for the purpose inserting carry rods, should the geared head need to be moved with the camera mounted.
- All geared heads are either made to be used on a Mitchell mount or have adapters to do so. Geared Heads sit on Mitchell mounts 95% of the time.
- Although gear ratios are different on all heads. The wheels will turn the head in the same direction with the same action, just not in the same ratio of pan and tilt rotations.
- Belt driven geared heads need to be tightened periodically.

This concludes my second exploration into geared heads. If there is any misinformation or new information you would like to mention, please feel free to contact me via email at RyanPatrickOHara@gmail.com.

Thanks,
-rpo

The following are select images I found interesting. There are literally thousands of photos with famous camera operators and cinematographers using geared heads. These photos have some unique qualities and points.

The Empire Strikes Back; Motion control rigged geared head from ILM.

‘FPC 101’ Front projection unit, circa 1970. The Geared Head pictured is a 35mm ‘VistaVision’ Mitchell Geared head. The body and gears have been custom modified and redesigned for nodal point panning and tilting.

This geared head is electronically driven via motion control. Miniature cityscape from Blade Runner, 1981.

Sweden 1926: Ray Fernstrom, ASC standing with Swedish Crown Price and future King Gustaf VI Adolf. Notice the geared cradle with tiny crank arms. This is a great example of early-geared tripod heads, which would eventually evolve to the modern day geared head.

Harry Waxman, BSC sits at the wheels of a geared head identifiable as a Moy by the classic ‘Moy London’ badge.

Stanley Kubrick behind the wheels of a Moy Geared Head… all three of them! The ‘third’ wheel is an auxiliary pan wheel. The only reason I have found was written in an old American Cinematographer magazine. Apparently operators would occasionally have an electronic zoom lens control or likewise control mounted to the other side of the camera. When you think about it, that still doesn’t make to much sense. Operators don’t have three arms!

Robert Surtees, ASC helms what is assumed to be a Samcine-Moy geared head with the even more unusual third wheel attached to the cradle! What does this actually work? Auxiliary pan? Tilt? Geared tilt plate?

Another photograph of a Mole Richardson geared head, which was manufactured over 20 years prior to the Worrall geared head. This photograph was from the Universal film, The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry, 1945.

A Few Unusual Circumstances
This photograph highlights the importance and possibilities of a tilt plate. This geared head is most likely only able to tilt +-30 degrees, but with a sturdy tilt plate, can get to a full +-90 degree angle.

Unidentified geared head taking a 70mm camera on its side for vertical recording and future vertical display.

Geared head mounted to planks of wood, riding up in a bucket for some high-up shots of trapeze performers (aka cherry picker, condor, etc.)

Large Worrall geared head taking maximum punishment, in an Eastman Kodak advertisement 1966.

Just when one thinks it couldn’t get any worse! Ernest Haller, ASC and Ray Rennahan, ASC with a Technicolor 3-strip camera and blimp. Large geared heads of yesteryear were accustomed to such mammoths.

Timothy Galfas floats through the Okefenokee swamp with his Imax camera atop a classic Worrall geared head.

This setup, atop a Worrall head, is a unique system called LightFlex and FlexLight. It emits colored light toward a subject for fill, and/or it can emit the light toward the lens causing shadow areas to be tinted, while leaving skin tones and highlights unaffected.

A Worrall head is creatively placed upon a ‘monorail dolly’. This dolly is simply an ‘I beam’ like track for a smooth dolly action over rough terrain.

Camera operator sitting in the back of a camera car with unidentified make of geared head. Nuremberg Germany, 1967.

Unidentified Mitchell ‘geared’ tripod head. Notice the crank… quite possibly before the ‘modern’ geared head era. Photo stolen from Ron Dexter. Sorry!

Very good condition matte black Mitchell Mini owned by Jeff Crumbley.

Shooting Ryan’s Daughter in Ireland: Director David Lean looks through the viewfinder of a Panavision 70 film camera atop a Mitchell ‘VistaVision’ geared head. Notice the extended hand wheel shaft, that otherwise would be avoiding the elephant ear magazine drums on Vistavision cameras.

An example of an ‘Elephant Ear’ Vistavision camera. Notice how the hand wheel shaft gets the wheels a comfortable distance away from the film drum.

The Super Panahead is hard to identify at a glance or in a photograph. Looking for a geared tilt plate and the small word ‘Super’ written above the Panahead badge, are two of the few tell signs afforded to the observant.

Extremely hard to read from this reduced size photograph… this geared head simply says ‘Arriflex’. It looks like a Mitchell, so it is either an Arri/Mitchell geared head, or simply a Mitchell owned by Arri, and engraved for labeling sake.

Houston Fearless, is not a full functioning geared head, although it may look it. It is technically a cradle head. It pans and tilts on the same type of bearings and cradle design, but it lacks the wheels and internal gears to make it move. Instead a pan-handle attaches to the cradle and is used to manipulate the heads movement.

This is a ‘pendulum’ head of which was described under the ‘Sea Head’ description. It is possible the Sea Head, is a Geared Head which has been manufactured or affixed to this type of base, allowing the horizon to keep level aboard an oceanic vessel or otherwise wobbly surface.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Camera Reports: The Right Way

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Filmnut with Jeff Schubert

I found this web-series which offers some great insight from actors, writers, directors, and others. A recent interview features Steven Poster, which seems to be the only Director of Photography I could find in the series. This interview is well worth watching.

Check it out here

-rpo