Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Auto Focus

This is topic Auto Focus in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-12-2002, 03:53 PM:

Just thought I'd mention that "Auto Focus" which is the story of Bob Crane (Hogan on "Hogan's Heroes") life and murder makes good use of vintage video gear like the old 1/2" open reel recorders progressing through 3/4" U-matic, etc. and I think for the most part gets the timeline correct although they may have goofed when they showed an Advent VideoBeam being used at a demo of the first color portable (EIAJ presumably) video recorder. Hogan's Heroes within the movie is being shot on BNC's (likely correct, certainly the timing is right) while a later feature is shown shooting with a Panavision PSR.
I once had one of the B&W Sony cameras--the kind with the separable viewfinder almost as large as the camera, and plugged into an open reel recorder--got as a school cast-off. Still have the tripod from it. If you know the story of Crane's demise, let's just say that model figures prominently.

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 08-12-2002, 05:14 PM:

I know someone who was an advisor on this film, and he said it was fascinating how they found some guy who had a museum of sorts of all this video equipment. Apparently they got it all up and working correctly for the movie. I haven't see the movie yet, are some of the scenes in the movie transferred from video (meaning they show the video stuff Kinnear is shooting, etc and they transferred that to film)?

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-12-2002, 08:04 PM:

A bit, off monitors etc.