I will be presenting a technical paper and film demonstration at the SMPTE Technical Conference in Pasadena CA on October 20. The title is "Scope 1.5X -- Squeezing Even Higher Quality from 35 mm Prints". Here is the synopsis of the paper:

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The trend to larger, wall-to-wall theatre screens has made film's superior image quality all the more important. Movie audiences expect bright, colorful, sharp, and steady images on these huge screens, but are sometimes disappointed, especially for the most commonly used 35 mm 1.85:1 "flat" format. Recent surveys by the Lucasfilm Theatre Alignment Program (TAP) and the KODAK SCREENCHECK Experience program have shown that many theatres fall far short of the 16 footlambert screen luminance aim specified in standard SMPTE 196M.

Today, two 35 mm print formats specified in standard SMPTE 195 are most commonly used for theatrical presentation. About 70 percent of feature films use the 1.85:1 "flat" non-anamorphic format, having an image area of only 0.825 x 0.446 inches. About 30 percent of feature films use the 2.39:1 "scope" format, with a much larger image area of 0.825 x 0.690 inches, using a 2X anamorphic lens to fill the wider screen. Because of the larger image and more efficient utilization of the film image area and projector light, the "scope" format is almost always brighter, sharper, steadier, and less grainy than the "flat" format.

The origin of the "scope" format was the very successful introduction of 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope format in 1953. By using an anamorphic lens, CinemaScope was able to fully utilize the image area on the film to fill larger screens, without significantly changing the well-established and standardized infrastructure of 35 mm film with 4-perforation pulldown, shown at 24 frames per second. The "simple elegance" of using an anamorphic lens to more efficiently use the film image area was a remarkable engineering achievement.

Can the same approach be used to improve the less efficient "flat" format? Yes! In 1984, Glenn Berggren proposed and demonstrated "IscoVision", a 35 mm print format that used a 1.5X squeeze anamorphic lens to produce a 1.85:1 aspect ratio using the larger "scope" image area on the print. The new format offered improved brightness, steadiness, color contrast, and depth of focus. Presentations to the MPAA, Inter-Society Committee, and SMPTE clearly showed the advantages over the normal "flat" format. Despite initial enthusiasm from the movie industry, the format was never adopted. Many believe it was a "chicken or egg" problem: lens manufacturers would not design and build 1.5X anamorphic camera lenses unless there was an established market, and there was no market because theatre owners would not equip theatres with new lenses unless productions were made in the new format.

The recent proliferation of huge screens in "megaplex" theatres has created a renewed interest in this improved 35 mm print format. Recent trends to "Super 35" production allow the use of available non-anamorphic camera lenses for the 2.39:1 "scope" format. The same could be done for the "Scope 1.5X" format, doing the anamorphic "squeeze" during printing.

This paper will reexamine and demonstrate the many advantages of a "Scope 1.5X" format, and explore ways in which this format could be implemented today.

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Pat Moore is correct: "Those of us on the image side of things would love to see it in theatre's today. Run that at 30FPS, with or without an anmorphic for ratio changes, and you've got a formidable image projection system that any digital format would have a tough time dealing with anytime in the near future. As it is, leave the soundtrack in place, use the whole frame and use a 1.5X Anamorphic for 1.85/1. John and others (myself included) advocate such a format -- again, use the whole film image and it's amazing how good it can be".

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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But the greatest challenge will be convincing theatre owners that a few thousand dollars for a new anamorphic lens is worth it to get 50% more light on the screen for the "Scope 1.5X" format. A theatre that is now struggling to get 11 footlamberts screen luminance will get 16 footlamberts by simply changing a lens. Also, originating in non-anamorphic "Super-35" format requires labs to print the master positive to duplicate negative stage on a pin-registered optical printer to do the 1.5X anamorphic "squeeze", which should improve steadiness and sharpness in the release prints.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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