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Anamorphic format
Anamorphic format
Anamorphic format
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Anamorphic lens
TypeOptical technology
InventorHenri Chrétien
Inception1915 (1915)
ManufacturerBausch & Lomb
Panavision
Todd-AO
Cooke Optics
Carl Zeiss AG
Schneider Kreuznach
ISCO Precision Optics
Kowa
Technovision
Joe Dunton & Co.
Vantage Film
JSC Optica-Elite
Atlas Lens Company
Figure 1. Shooting without an anamorphic lens, in widescreen picture format on 4-perf film; some of the upper and lower film surface area is wasted on the frame lines.
Figure 2. Shooting with an anamorphic lens squeezes the image horizontally by 2:1 to record a wide image on the more squarish film aperture, resulting in a higher resolution but distorted image. When projecting the film, a reverse, complementary lens (of the same anamorphic power) stretched the image horizontally to the original proportions.

Anamorphic format is a cinematography technique that captures widescreen images using recording media with narrower native aspect ratios. Originally developed for 35 mm film to create widescreen presentations without sacrificing image area, the technique has since been adapted to various film gauges, digital sensors, and video formats.

Rather than cropping or matting the image and discarding visual information, anamorphic capture employs cylindrical lenses to horizontally compress or "squeeze" the image during recording. A complementary lens is then used during projection to expand the image back to its intended widescreen proportions. By utilizing the full height of the film frame or sensor, this method retains more image resolution than cropped non-anamorphic widescreen formats. Anamorphic lenses have more complex optics than standard spherical lenses, which require more light and can introduce distinctive distortions and lens flares. However, these artefacts are sometimes deliberately embraced for their aesthetic appeal.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the use of anamorphic formats declined as advances in film stocks and processing techniques, followed by the advent of digital intermediates, made the lower resolution associated with matting flat spherical formats such as Super 35 less of a limitation. Many productions shifted to spherical lenses, which are simpler, lighter, more cost-effective, and free from the optical distortions and artefacts characteristic of anamorphic optics. In the years that followed, the widespread adoption of digital cinema cameras and projectors contributed to a renewed interest in anamorphic formats, as digital sensors with higher base ISO sensitivity made filming in low light with anamorphic lenses more feasible.

The word anamorphic and its derivatives stem from the Greek anamorphoo ("to transform", or more precisely "to re-form"),[1] compound of morphé ("form, shape")[2] with the prefix aná ("back, again").[3]

Anamorphic format should not to be confused with anamorphic widescreen, a different video encoding concept that uses similar principles but different means.

History

[edit]

The process of anamorphosing optics was developed by Henri Chrétien during World War I to provide a wide angle viewer for military tanks. The optical process was called Hypergonar by Chrétien and was capable of showing a field of view of 180 degrees. After the war, the technology was first used in a cinematic context in the short film To Build a Fire (based on the 1908 Jack London story of the same name) in 1927 by Claude Autant-Lara.[4]

In the 1920s, phonograph and motion picture pioneer Leon F. Douglass also created special effects and anamorphic widescreen motion picture cameras. However, how this relates to the earlier French invention, and later development, is unclear.[5]

Anamorphic widescreen was not used again for cinematography until 1952 when Twentieth Century-Fox bought the rights to the technique to create its CinemaScope widescreen technique.[4] CinemaScope was one of many widescreen formats developed in the 1950s to compete with the popularity of television and bring audiences back to the cinema. The Robe, which premiered in 1953, was the first feature film released that was filmed with an anamorphic lens.

Development

[edit]

The introduction of anamorphic widescreen arose from a desire for wider aspect ratios that maximized overall image detail (compared to other widescreen formats, not compared to fullscreen) while retaining the use of standard (4 perf per frame) cameras and projectors. The modern anamorphic format has an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, meaning the (projected) picture's width is 2.39 times its height, (this is sometimes approximated to 2.4:1). The older Academy format of anamorphic widescreen was a response to a shortcoming in the non-anamorphic spherical (a.k.a. "flat") widescreen format. With a non-anamorphic lens, the picture is recorded onto the film negative such that its full width fits within the film's frame, but not its full height. A substantial part of the frame area is thereby wasted, being occupied (on the negative) by a portion of the image which is subsequently matted-out (i.e. masked, either on the print or in the projector) and so not projected, in order to create the widescreen image.

To increase overall image detail, by using all the available area of the negative for only that portion of the image which will be projected, an anamorphic lens is used during photography to compress the image horizontally, thereby filling the full (4 perf) frame's area with the portion of the image that corresponds to the area projected in the non-anamorphic format. Up to the early 1960s, three major methods of anamorphosing the image were used: counter-rotated prisms (e.g. Ultra Panavision),[6] curved mirrors in combination with the principle of total internal reflection (e.g. Technirama),[7] and cylindrical lenses (lenses curved, hence squeezing the image being photographed, in only one direction, as with a cylinder, e.g. the original CinemaScope system based on Henri Chrétien's design).[8] Regardless of the method, the anamorphic lens projects a horizontally squeezed image on the film negative. This deliberate geometric distortion is then reversed on projection, resulting in a wider aspect ratio on-screen than that of the negative's frame.

Equipment

[edit]

An anamorphic lens consists of a regular spherical lens, plus an anamorphic attachment (or an integrated lens element) that does the anamorphosing. The anamorphic element operates at infinite focal length, so that it has little or no effect on the focus of the primary lens it's mounted on but still anamorphoses (distorts) the optical field. A cameraman using an anamorphic attachment uses a spherical lens of a different focal length than they would use for Academy format (i.e. one sufficient to produce an image the full height of the frame and twice its width), and the anamorphic attachment squeezes the image (in the horizontal plane only) to half-width. Other anamorphic attachments existed (that were relatively rarely used) which would expand the image in the vertical dimension (e.g. in the early Technirama system mentioned above), so that (in the case of the common 2-times anamorphic lens) a frame twice as high as it might have been filled the available film area. In either case, since a larger film area recorded the same picture the image quality was improved.

The distortion (horizontal compression) introduced in the camera must be corrected when the film is projected, so another lens is used in the projection booth that restores the picture back to its correct proportions (or, in the case of the now obsolete Technirama system, squeezes the image vertically) to restore normal geometry. The picture is not manipulated in any way in the dimension that is perpendicular to the one anamorphosed.

Using wider film for movies seemed easier, but 35mm's widespread use made it more cost-effective to add special lenses to cameras and projectors rather than invest in a new format and equipment.

Naming

[edit]

Cinerama was an earlier attempt to solve the problem of high-quality widescreen imaging, but anamorphic widescreen eventually proved more practical. Cinerama (which had an aspect ratio of 2.59:1) consisted of three simultaneously projected images side by side on the same screen. However, in practice the images never blended together perfectly at the edges. The system also suffered from various technical drawbacks, in that it required a film frame that was 6 perf in height, three cameras (eventually simplified to just one camera with three lenses and three streaming reels of film and the attendant machinery), and three projectors, which resulted in a host of synchronization problems. Nonetheless, the format was popular enough with audiences to trigger off the widescreen developments of the early 1950s. A few films were distributed in Cinerama format and shown in special theaters, but anamorphic widescreen was more attractive to the Studios since it could realize a similar aspect ratio and without the disadvantages of Cinerama's complexities and costs.

The anamorphic widescreen format in use today is commonly called 'Scope' (a contraction of the early term CinemaScope), or 2.35:1 (the latter being a misnomer born of old habit; see Aspect ratio section below). Filmed in Panavision is a phrase contractually required for films shot using Panavision's anamorphic lenses. All of these phrases mean the same thing: the final print uses a 2:1 anamorphic projector lens that expands the image by exactly twice the amount horizontally as vertically. This format is essentially the same as that of CinemaScope, except for some technical developments, such as the ability to shoot closeups without any facial distortion. (CinemaScope films seldom used full facial closeups, because of a condition known as CinemaScope mumps, which distorted faces as they got closer to the camera.)

Optical characteristics

[edit]
Example of blue-line horizontal anamorphic flare

There are artifacts that can occur when using an anamorphic camera lens that do not occur when using an ordinary spherical lens. One is a kind of lens flare that has a long horizontal line, usually with a blue tint, and is most often visible when there is a bright light in the frame, such as from car headlights, in an otherwise dark scene. This artifact is not always considered a problem, and even has become associated with a certain cinematic look, and often emulated using a special effect filter in scenes shot with a non-anamorphic lens. Another common aspect of anamorphic lenses is that light reflections within the lens are elliptical, rather than round as in ordinary cinematography. Additionally, wide-angle anamorphic lenses of less than 40 mm focal length produce a cylindrical perspective, which some directors and cinematographers, particularly Wes Anderson, use as a stylistic trademark.

Many wide-angle anamorphic lenses render a cylindrical perspective, as simulated by this stitched panorama of Cavendish House, Leicester. Contrast the straight vertical plane with the curved horizontal plane.

Another characteristic of anamorphic lenses is that the cylindrical glass effectively creates two focal lengths within the lens. This results in out-of-focus points of light (called bokeh[9]) appearing as vertical ovals rather than circles, as well as an increase in horizontal angle of view, both in proportion to the squeeze factor. A 50mm anamorphic lens with a 2x squeeze will have the horizontal view of a 25mm spherical lens, while maintaining the vertical view and depth of field of a 50mm. This has led to the common claim that anamorphic lenses have shallower focus, as the cinematographer must use a longer lens to obtain the same horizontal coverage.

A third characteristic, particularly of simple anamorphic add-on attachments, is "anamorphic mumps". For reasons of practical optics, the anamorphic squeeze is not uniform across the image field in any anamorphic system (whether cylindrical, prismatic or mirror-based). This variation results in some areas of the film image appearing more stretched than others. In the case of an actor's face, when positioned in the center of the screen faces look somewhat like they have the mumps, hence the name for the phenomenon. Conversely, at the edges of the screen actors in full-length view can become skinny-looking. In medium shots, if the actor walks across the screen from one side to the other, he will increase in apparent girth. Early CinemaScope presentations in particular (using Chrétien's off-the-shelf lenses) suffered from this. Panavision was the first company to produce an anti-mumps system in the late 1950s.

Panavision used a second lens (i.e. an add-on adapter) which was mechanically linked to the focus position of the primary lens. This changed the anamorphic ratio as the focus changed, resulting in the area of interest on-screen having a normal-looking geometry. Later cylindrical lens systems used, instead, two sets of anamorphic optics: one was a more robust "squeeze" system, which was coupled with a slight expansion sub-system. The expansion sub-system was counter-rotated in relation to the main squeeze system, all in mechanical interlinkage with the focus mechanism of the primary lens: this combination changed the anamorphic ratio and minimized the effect of anamorphic mumps in the area of interest in the frame. Although these techniques were regarded as a fix for anamorphic mumps, they were actually only a compromise. Cinematographers still had to frame scenes carefully to avoid the recognizable side-effects of the change in aspect ratio.

Recent use

[edit]

Beginning in the 1990s, anamorphic began to lose popularity in favor of flat formats, mainly Super 35. (In Super 35, the film is shot flat, then matted, and optically printed as an anamorphic release print.) This was largely attributed to the artifacts, distortions, light requirements, and expenses (in comparison to its spherical counterpart), in the face of the rising use of digital visual effects. Moreover, with the advent of the digital intermediate in the 2000s, film grain became less of a concern with Super 35, as the optical intermediate/enlargement process could now be bypassed, eliminating two generations of potential quality loss (though an anamorphic negative, due to its size, still retained a higher definition widescreen image for mastering).

The aperture of the lens (the entrance pupil), as seen from the front, appears as an oval.

With the rise of digital cinematography, anamorphic photography has experienced something of a renaissance, as the higher light sensitivity (ISO) of digital sensors has lowered the lighting requirements that anamorphic lenses once demanded. Many vintage lens series, some of which saw little to no use for decades, have been sought by cinematographers wishing to add a more classic, film-like quality to digital cinematography; and manufacturers such as Panavision and Vantage have produced modern lenses using vintage glass for this purpose.

Emulation of anamorphic film has also been achieved in computer animation. One example of this is the animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch by Lucasfilm Animation, which mimics the natural behavior of an anamorphic lens through simulated depth of field effects and a faux-film grain applied to the footage.[10]

Aspect ratio

[edit]

One common misconception about the anamorphic format concerns the actual width number of the aspect ratio, as 2.35, 2.39 or 2.40. Since the anamorphic lenses in virtually all 35 mm anamorphic systems provide a 2:1 squeeze, one would logically conclude that a 1.375∶1 full academy gate would lead to a 2.75∶1 aspect ratio when used with anamorphic lenses. Due to differences in the camera gate aperture and projection aperture mask sizes for anamorphic films, however, the image dimensions used for anamorphic film vary from flat (spherical) counterparts. To complicate matters, the SMPTE standards for the format have varied over time; to further complicate things, pre-1957 prints took up the optical soundtrack space of the print (instead having magnetic sound on the sides), which made for a 2.55∶1 ratio (ANSI PH22.104-1957).

Anamorphic 4-perf camera aperture is slightly larger than projection aperture.

The initial SMPTE definition for anamorphic projection with an optical sound track down the side ANSI PH22.106-1957 was issued in December 1957. It standardized the projector aperture at 0.839 × 0.715 inches (21.31 × 18.16 mm), which gives an aspect ratio of c. 1.17∶1. The aspect ratio for this aperture, after a 2× unsqueeze, is 2.3468…∶1 (1678:715), which rounded to the commonly used value 2.35∶1.

A new definition issued in June 1971 as ANSI PH22.106-1971.[11] It specified a slightly smaller vertical dimension of 0.700 inches (17.78 mm) for the projector aperture (and a nearly identical horizontal dimension of 0.838 inches (21.29 mm)), to help make splices less noticeable to film viewers. After unsqueezing, this would yield an aspect ratio of c. 2.397∶1. Four-perf anamorphic prints use more of the negative's available frame area than any other modern format, which leaves little room for splices. As a consequence, a bright line flashed onscreen when a splice was projected, and theater projectionists had been narrowing the vertical aperture to hide these flashes even before 1971. This new projector aperture size, 0.838 × 0.700 inches (21.29 × 17.78 mm), aspect ratio 1.1971…∶1, made for an un-squeezed ratio of about 2.39∶1 (43:18).

The most recent revision, SMPTE 195-1993,[12] was released in August 1993. It slightly altered the dimensions so as to standardize a common projection aperture width (0.825 inches or 20.96 mm) for all formats, anamorphic (2.39∶1) and flat (1.85∶1). The projection aperture height was also reduced by 0.01 inches (0.25 mm) to give an aperture size of 0.825 × 0.690 inches (20.96 × 17.53 mm), and an aspect ratio of 1.1956…∶1, and thus retaining the un-squeezed ratio of about 2.39∶1.[13] The camera's aperture remained the same (2.35∶1 or 2.55∶1 if before 1958), only the height of the "negative assembly" splices changed and, consequently, the height of the frame changed.

Anamorphic prints are still often called 'Scope' or 2.35 by projectionists, cinematographers, and others working in the field, if only by force of habit. 2.39 is in fact what they generally are referring to (unless discussing films using the process between 1958 and 1970), which is itself usually rounded up to 2.40 (implying a false precision as compared to 2.4). With the exception of certain specialist and archivist areas, generally 2.35, 2.39 and 2.40 mean the same to professionals, whether they themselves are even aware of the changes or not.

Lens makers and corporate trademarks

[edit]
See also: List of anamorphic format trade names

There are numerous companies that are known for manufacturing anamorphic lenses. The following are the most well known in the film industry:

Origination

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  • Panavision is the most common source of anamorphic lenses, with lens series ranging from 20 mm to a 2,000 mm anamorphic telescope. These include:
    • B-Series (1965) - Panavision's second series of anamorphic lenses, these were restored and brought back into commission in 2013.
    • C-Series (1970s) - These are small and lightweight, which makes them very popular for steadicams. The 20 mm C-Series is Panavision's widest anamorphic lens, of which only two were ever made. The C-series remain popular among cinematographers for the broad pedigree of popular films they have captured.
    • Super High Speed (D-series) (1976) - Made with Nikon glass, these are the fastest anamorphic lenses available, with T-stops between 1.4 and 1.8; there is even one T1.1 50 mm, but, like all anamorphic lenses, they must be stopped-down for good performance because they are quite softly focused when wide open.
    • E-Series (1980s) - Made with Nikon glass, these are sharper than the C-Series and are better color-matched. They are also faster, but the minimum focus-distance of the shorter focal lengths is not as close. The E135mm, and especially the E180mm, are great close-up lenses with the closest minimum focus of any long Panavision anamorphic lenses.
    • Primo (F-series) (1989) - These are engineered with maximum aperture and optical quality in mind across all focal lengths, and as such are quite large and heavy by comparison to other series. They are the sharpest Panavision anamorphic lenses available, and are completely color-matched.
    • G-Series (2007) - These combine the optical quality of the Primo lenses with the size and weight of the C-Series.
    • T-Series (2016), Panavision's latest anamorphic lens series, designed for digital cameras initially, but also film camera compatible through specific re-engineering at Panavision. They are named for, and bear the signature of, Panavision's first lens engineer Takuo Miyagishima, and are based on many of his lens design ideas.
  • Vantage Film, designers and manufacturers of Hawk lenses. The entire Hawk lens system consists of 50 different prime lenses and 5 zoom lenses, all of them specifically developed and optically computed by Vantage Film. Hawk lenses have their anamorphic element in the middle of the lens (not up front like Panavision), which makes them more flare-resistant. This design choice also means that if they do flare, one does not get the typical horizontal flares.
    • C-Series - developed in the mid-1990s, these are relatively small and lightweight.
    • V-Series (2001) and V-Plus Series (2006) - These improve upon the C-Series as far as sharpness, contrast, barrel-distortion and close-focus are concerned. This increased optical performance means a higher weight, however (each lens is around 4–5 kg [8.8–11.0 lb]). There are 14 lenses in this series—from 25 mm to 250 mm. The V-Series also have two macro lenses (65 mm and 120 mm) with a unique focusing mechanism enabling the closest minimum focus of any anamorphic lenses available.
    • V-Lite - 8 very small anamorphic lenses (about the size of a Cooke S4 spherical lens), which are ideal for handheld and Steadicam while also giving an optical performance comparable to the V-Series and V-Plus lenses.
    • Vintage 74 - Similar to the V-series, but incorporating vintage uncoated glass from a spherical lens set built in 1974. These lenses have a softer quality and enhanced flares.
    • V-Lite 1.3× (2008) - The V-Lite series with a 1.3x squeeze factor, enabling the use of nearly the entire image area of 3-perf 35 mm film or the sensor area of a 16:9 digital camera to provide the 2.39:1 release format.
    • V-Lite 16 (2008) - Lenses for 16 mm anamorphic production, in both 1.3x (for Super 16 mm) and 2x (for standard 16 mm).
  • Carl Zeiss AG and ARRI developed their Master Anamorphic lens line, debuted in September 2012, to provide minimum distortion and faster aperture at T1.9. These are spherical lenses with the anamorphic element at the rear, as opposed to third-party modified Zeiss-based anamorphics such as JDC and Technovision.
  • Cooke Optics also developed their Anamorphic/i lens line, providing T2.3 aperture and color-matched with other Cooke lens lines, which is marketed as their "Cooke Look" feature. Like Zeiss, it's a totally new lens design which is different from third-party modified Cooke-based anamorphics such as JDC and Technovision. Cooke also developed its Anamorphic/i Full Frame Plus in 1.8× squeeze ratio for full frame cameras.
  • Atlas Lens Company: Manufacturer of lower-cost anamorphic prime lenses. They currently produce two lines of lenses:
    • Orion Series - 2x anamorphic lenses for film and digital use, which cover the Super 35 mm format. The lineup currently consists of 12 lenses, ranging from 18 mm to 200 mm. They are designed to emulate Panavision's C-series. The 18mm and 21mm employ fisheye optics at the front of the lens.
    • Mercury Series - 1.5x anamorphic lenses for use with full-frame (VistaVision) sized sensors. The lineup currently consists of 7 lenses, ranging from 25 mm to 138 mm.
  • Angenieux: Angenieux's first zoom for 35 mm film camera, the 35–140 mm, was equipped with a front anamorphic attachment built by Franscope. The 40-140 anamorphic was used on several Nouvelle Vague movies such Lola (1961) or Jules and Jim (1962). Panavision adapted the Angenieux 10× zoom for anamorphic productions. The 50-500 APZA was part of the standard anamorphic production package supported by Panavision from mid 1960s to the end of the 1970s. It has been used in numerous movies including The Graduate (1967), MASH (1970), McCabe and Mrs Miller (1971), Death in Venice (1971) and Jaws (1975). In 2013 and 2014 Angenieux released a new series of high end anamorphic zooms. These lenses, the 30-72 and 56-152 Optimo A2S are compact and weigh less than 2.5 kg.
  • Joe Dunton & Company (JDC): A manufacturer and rental house based in Britain and North Carolina, which adapts spherical lenses to anamorphic by adding a cylindrical element. JDC was purchased by Panavision in 2007.[14] Much of JDC's former lens inventory has since been scattered among various rental houses and private owners, though a new company called Dunton Cine has re-acquired a large portion of it.
    • Xtal Xpres (pronounced "Crystal Express") - This was JDC's most popular line of lenses. Three series were built by Shiga Optical Co. in Japan, from old Cooke S2/S3 and Panchro lenses, Canon lenses, and Zeiss lenses, respectively. The series overall encompassed a very wide range of focal lengths, from 18 mm up to 400 mm.
    • Speedstar - These are modified Zeiss Super Speeds.
  • Elite Optics, manufactured by JSC Optica-Elite Company in St. Petersburg, Russia and sold in the United States by Slow Motion Inc. They are similar in quality to Hawk lenses, and are known for their sharpness and contrast at wide apertures.
  • Todd-AO manufactured the Todd-AO 35 series of lenses in the 1970s. Designed by optical engineer Richard Vetter, these lenses were the first outside of Panavision to maintain a constant 2X squeeze across the entire focus range. They are known for having especially intense lens flares. The majority of these lenses are held today by Keslow Camera.

  • TechnoVision , an Italian manufacturer (Henryk Chroscicki [it]) with British and French offices,[15] has adapted and rehoused spherical Cooke, Zeiss and Leitz lenses to anamorphics.[16] Vittorio Storaro used them for Apocalypse Now and others.[17][18] TechnoVision France was purchased by Panavision Europe in 2004.[19]
  • Isco Optics, a German company that developed the Arriscope line for Arri in 1989.
  • Sirui Imaging builds specifically budget anamorphic hobbyist and cinema lenses. They build lenses made for all types of camera mounting systems, including those from Sony, Canon, and Nikon.[20]
    • Saturn Series are sets of anamorphic lenses for Full Frame, developed for many different consumer mounting types.
    • Venus Series are also sets of fast anamorphic lenses for Full Frame sensors. With a 1.6x squeeze factor, these lenses give you a 2.8:1 aspect on a 16:9 capture area, and a 2.4:1 on a 3:2 capture area.
    • The company also produces lots of hobbyist lenses, such as the 50mm F1.8 1.33x APS-C Anamorphic Lens[21] with a 1.33x squeeze factor. The hobbyist lenses are not measured in T-stops but rather F-stops for hobbyist simplicity.
  • Vazen Anamorphic creates fast and large squeeze anamorphic lenses built for proper cinema, with the lenses coming in PL and Canon EF mounts, along with many hobbyist mounts such as Canon RF and Micro 4/3 sizes sensors. The lenses are built to cinema expectations and have 1.8x squeeze factors on both Micro 4/3 and Full Frame.

Projection

[edit]
  • ISCO Precision Optics is a manufacturer of theatrical cinema projection lenses.
  • Panamorph is a manufacturer of hybrid cylindrical / prism based projection lenses specialized for the consumer home theater industry.
  • Schneider Kreuznach, (also called Century Optics) are makers of anamorphic projection lenses. The company also manufactures add-on anamorphic adaptor lenses that can be mounted on digital video cameras.

Super 35 and Techniscope

[edit]
Main articles: Super 35 and Techniscope

Although many films projected anamorphically have been shot using anamorphic lenses, there are often aesthetic and technical reasons that make shooting with spherical lenses preferable. If the director and cinematographer still wish to retain the 2.40:1 aspect ratio, anamorphic prints can be made from spherical negatives. Because the 2.40:1 image cropped from an Academy ratio 4-perf negative causes considerable waste of frame space, and since the cropping and anamorphosing of a spherical print requires an intermediate lab step, it is often attractive for these films to use a different negative pulldown method (most commonly 3-perf, but occasionally Techniscope 2-perf) usually in conjunction with the added negative space Super 35 affords.

However, with advancements in digital intermediate technology, the anamorphosing process can now be completed as a digital step with no degradation of image quality. Also, 3-perf and 2-perf pose minor problems for visual effects work. The area of the film in 4-perf work that is cropped out in the anamorphosing process nonetheless contains picture information that is useful for such visual effects tasks as 2D and 3D tracking. This mildly complicates certain visual effects efforts for productions using 3-perf and 2-perf, making anamorphic prints struck digitally from center cropped 4-perf Super 35 the popular choice in large budget visual effects driven productions.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Anamorphic format

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Anamorphic format is a technique that employs specialized anamorphic lenses to horizontally compress a image during capture on standard or digital sensors, allowing for a wider that is subsequently expanded during projection or post-processing to achieve aspect ratios such as 2.39:1. This method enables filmmakers to record expansive horizontal compositions without requiring larger film formats, preserving vertical resolution while enhancing the immersive quality of the image. The format is distinguished by its optical properties, including horizontal squeeze factors typically ranging from 1.33x to 2x, which differentiate it from non-anamorphic processes. The origins of anamorphic format trace back to 1927, when French astronomer Henri Chrétien patented the Hypergonar lens, an anamorphic system initially developed for military periscopes but envisioned for motion pictures to create panoramic views. Despite early demonstrations, such as a 1928 short film, the technology remained unused in commercial cinema until the 1950s, when 20th Century Fox licensed Chrétien's design and introduced with the 1953 release of , marking the first major anamorphic widescreen production. This innovation responded to the competitive pressures from television by offering theaters a visually spectacular alternative, initially standardizing the 2.55:1 (later adjusted to 2.35:1), and spurring widespread adoption across Hollywood and international filmmaking. Beyond its technical foundation, anamorphic format is renowned for distinctive aesthetic qualities that contribute to its enduring appeal in modern cinema. These include , where focus shifts cause elliptical expansion or contraction due to differing horizontal and vertical lens powers, adding dynamic visual cues; anamorphic flare, characterized by horizontal streaks from cylindrical lens elements that enhance dramatic lighting effects; and oval bokeh, where out-of-focus highlights appear elliptically shaped, imparting a signature softness and immersion. Additionally, it provides superior magnification and perspective compared to spherical lenses on Super 35 formats, capturing more natural depth and for epic storytelling. Today, anamorphic lenses from manufacturers like and continue to be favored for high-profile productions, blending historical legacy with digital workflows.

Overview

Definition and Basic Principles

The anamorphic format is a cinematographic technique that enables the capture of images on standard or media with narrower aspect ratios by horizontally compressing the image during recording and subsequently decompressing it for projection or display to restore the intended proportions. This process, known as , involves deliberately distorting the image through optical means to fit it onto a conventional frame, such as 35mm , allowing filmmakers to achieve expansive horizontal fields of view without requiring larger physical formats. At its core, the basic principles of anamorphic format rely on specialized lenses that apply a horizontal squeeze factor, typically 2x, which compresses the image width by half while leaving the vertical dimension unchanged. These lenses incorporate cylindrical elements—curved glass that magnifies or demagnifies only in the horizontal plane—to create this distortion during capture, ensuring that objects appear vertically correct but horizontally elongated when unsqueezed. The correction occurs either optically via a matching or digitally in , reversing the squeeze to produce a natural-looking image. This selective horizontal alteration stems from principles of , where the cylindrical curvature refracts light rays asymmetrically to reshape the field of view. The concept of anamorphosis originated in late 19th-century optics with early patents for anamorphic lenses, though its widespread application in film emerged in the 20th century to meet the demand for immersive cinematic experiences. In a squeezed anamorphic image, subjects appear unnaturally tall and slender, as if vertically stretched, due to the horizontal compression; for instance, a circular object might resemble an with exaggerated height. Upon decompression, the image expands horizontally to reveal the full composition, with the cylindrical lens effects illustrated by how light rays from the edges of the frame are bent inward during recording and outward during projection, effectively widening the perceived scene without altering vertical fidelity.

Advantages and Limitations

One key advantage of the anamorphic format lies in its efficient use of the film negative, particularly in 35mm productions, where it employs the full height of the 4-perf frame rather than cropping vertically as required for aspect ratios in spherical formats. This approach retains higher vertical resolution and reduces visible , providing an effective horizontal resolution comparable to that of larger formats when desqueezed, thereby enhancing overall image quality without sacrificing detail. Additionally, anamorphic lenses deliver a wider without the need for cropping the image area, allowing cinematographers to capture expansive scenes while maintaining the characteristics of standard focal lengths. Aesthetically, they produce distinctive optical effects, such as horizontal lens flares that streak across the frame and oval-shaped that imparts a romantic, cinematic separation between subjects and backgrounds, contributing to the format's immersive appeal. Despite these benefits, the anamorphic format introduces several limitations, including the potential for "anamorphic ," a where close-up subjects, especially faces, appear unnaturally widened due to variations in the squeeze factor across the lens field, particularly when positioned near the center or edges of the frame. This can complicate actor performances and require careful framing or corrections to mitigate. The format also demands greater complexity and cost, as anamorphic lenses are significantly more expensive to manufacture and maintain than spherical alternatives, often involving intricate that increase production budgets for both acquisition and rental. Compatibility challenges arise with non-anamorphic equipment, such as standard cameras, monitors, and projectors, necessitating specialized adapters or de-squeezing processes that may not integrate seamlessly with all workflows. In terms of workflow impacts, the requirement for de-squeezing the compressed image during editing and projection adds steps that can introduce artifacts, such as edge stretching or inconsistent scaling, if not managed with precise software or hardware, potentially extending post-production timelines and raising the risk of quality loss in non-specialized facilities.

History

Early Development and Equipment

The anamorphic format originated with the invention of the Hypergonar lens system by French astronomer and optical designer Henri Chrétien in the mid-1920s. Inspired by the triptych projection sequence in Abel Gance's 1927 film Napoléon, which utilized three synchronized projectors for a panoramic effect, Chrétien sought to achieve similar visuals using standard 35mm film. He developed the Hypergonar as an afocal anamorphic attachment consisting of cylindrical lenses that compressed the horizontal by a factor of approximately 2:1 during photography, allowing the unsqueezed image to be expanded during projection for a wider . Chrétien filed the initial for the system on December 9, 1926, focused on applications, followed by a key extension on April 29, 1927, specifically for using anamorphic compression and expansion. The system was first used in cinema for the 1928 short film Construire un feu directed by Claude Autant-Lara. The Hypergonar saw its first public demonstration in 1931 at the International Colonial Exposition in , where Chrétien projected short films such as Une visite aux merveilles de l'Exposition Coloniale Internationale and La Tour Eiffel avec Hypergonar onto a 13-meter-wide screen using twin projectors equipped with the lens attachments for both horizontal and vertical . Despite these innovative showcases, the system struggled to gain traction in the sound era due to high costs, technical complexities, and the dominance of standard formats, limiting its use to experimental shorts and failing to achieve commercial viability in feature films during the 1930s. The technology's roots traced back to military needs, where Chrétien adapted for periscopes in tanks to provide a wider through narrow vision slits, enhancing for crews; this wartime application laid the groundwork for its later civilian adaptation in cinema. Following , interest in widescreen formats revived amid competition from television, prompting Hollywood studios to revisit Chrétien's patents. In 1952, 20th Century Fox acquired rights to the Hypergonar prototypes, rebranding them as and commissioning to manufacture improved versions. Early anamorphic cameras were modifications of existing Mitchell BNC models, which were adapted with custom lens mounts to accommodate the heavy cylindrical attachments—typically front-mounted prismatic or aspherical elements that squeezed the image onto standard 35mm negative. These modifications included reinforced turrets and stabilized viewfinders to handle the added weight and optical distortions, though the setup often required precise calibration to maintain frame registration. Projectors followed suit, employing similar anamorphic attachments on standard lenses, such as prism-based expanders with multiple cylindrical elements to unsqueeze the image, but alignment between camera and projector optics was critical to avoid barrel distortion or focus shifts. The first major implementation came with Fox's (1953), the inaugural feature, shot on modified Mitchell cameras with 2x squeeze lenses that achieved a 2.55:1 (including magnetic sound tracks). Production faced significant challenges, including shallow due to the horizontal compression, which complicated focus pulling—operators had to align the lens elements meticulously to prevent vertical misalignment and , often requiring on-set tests with custom diopters for close-ups. These early setups highlighted the format's demands, as the anamorphic attachments introduced , , and uneven sharpness across the frame, yet they established the technical foundation for widespread adoption in the .

Naming Conventions and Commercial Adoption

The anamorphic process originated with French inventor Henri Chrétien's Hypergonar system, patented in 1927 as a wide-angle optical attachment for capturing and projecting distorted images that could be restored to their original proportions. In 1952, 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to Chrétien's prototypes and rebranded the technology as , trademarking the name in 1953 to market it as a proprietary format. This shift from the technical descriptor "Hypergonar" to the consumer-facing "CinemaScope" emphasized spectacle and immersion, though "anamorphic" emerged as the generic term for the compression technique, leading to ongoing distinctions between proprietary brands like and —later developed as a competing system—and the broader methodology. Early competitors, such as France's Cinépanoramic process introduced in 1953, adopted alternative trade names to challenge Fox's dominance without infringing on its . Commercial adoption of anamorphic formats accelerated in the early 1950s as Hollywood sought to counter the rising popularity of television, which had contributed to a sharp decline in cinema attendance from 90 million weekly viewers in 1948 to under 50 million by 1953. 20th Century Fox spearheaded this effort by licensing to other studios and theaters, requiring exhibitors to install curved screens and systems for optimal presentation, with over 200 weekly installation requests reported by mid-1953. The format's debut film, (1953), demonstrated its box-office potential by grossing over $36 million worldwide—equivalent to more than $400 million in today's terms—and setting single-theater records, such as $36,000 in one day at New York's Roxy Theatre, thereby revitalizing interest in theatrical epics. This success prompted widespread licensing, with studios like adopting the process by late 1953 to standardize offerings and boost revenues. Standardization efforts by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) in the mid-1950s addressed compatibility issues across early anamorphic implementations, which varied in squeeze ratios from the initial 2:1 design yielding a 2.66:1 . In 1957, SMPTE issued PH22.106-1957, defining projector apertures at 0.839 × 0.715 inches to achieve a consistent 2.35:1 with a 2:1 squeeze, ensuring frame compatibility with standard 35mm prints and reducing artifacts. These guidelines facilitated broader implementation by specifying optical and alignments, minimizing variations that had plagued initial deployments. The global spread of anamorphic formats in the was driven by Bausch & Lomb's production of lenses, which improved from prototype quality by early 1954 through refinements in coating and aberration control, enabling reliable manufacturing for international markets. Adoption began in with the U.K. premiere of in November 1953, followed by gradual uptake in and other countries despite economic barriers, as theaters upgraded for projection. In , the format gained traction through licensed productions and imports, with Japanese studios experimenting with similar systems by the late to compete in the expanding postwar .

Optical Innovations and Evolution

Following the initial adoption of anamorphic technology in the 1950s, optical innovations in the focused on achieving more consistent and optical performance. One major advancement was the development of constant squeeze lenses, which eliminated the variable issues of early attachments like those in by integrating the anamorphic elements directly into prime lenses for uniform horizontal compression across the frame. This was exemplified by Panavision's C-Series anamorphic primes introduced in 1968, which provided a reliable 2x squeeze in a compact design suitable for handheld and use. Concurrently, improvements in multi-layer antireflection coatings on lens elements reduced and veiling glare—common problems in early anamorphic optics due to the cylindrical elements—while minimizing at the edges and enhancing overall contrast. These coatings, refined through the decade, suppressed unwanted reflections without compromising the signature horizontal streaks from point light sources, allowing for cleaner images in high-contrast scenes. By the 1970s, refinements addressed compatibility with standard 35mm workflows and emerging broadcast standards. In 1970, SMPTE updated the standard (PH22.106-1970) to a aperture of 0.838 × 0.700 inches, establishing the 2.39:1 with the established 2x squeeze. This change provided more space for the optical and helped conceal frame line splices, improving print quality and versatility for theatrical and television distribution without altering the core compression method. In the 1990s, the advent of (DI) processes further simplified de-squeezing by enabling precise digital unsqueezing of scanned negatives, bypassing the limitations of analog optical printers and allowing for non-destructive adjustments during . Early DI workflows, emerging around 1995, were applied to anamorphic footage to restore full images with minimal artifacts, revitalizing the format's efficiency. Notable milestones underscored these technical refinements. Panavision's Primo anamorphic lenses, launched in 1989, represented a leap in image sharpness and color consistency through advanced aspherical elements and optimized coatings, earning multiple Academy Scientific and Technical Awards for their low-distortion performance across focal lengths. Similarly, Cooke Optics advanced anamorphic imaging in the 1980s with modifications to their Speed Panchro series, incorporating improved glass formulations and coatings to deliver sharper, higher-contrast images when paired with anamorphic adapters, reducing barrel distortion and enhancing focus falloff for a more natural bokeh. The 1980s marked a period of decline for optical anamorphic cinematography, driven by the rise of the VHS home video market, which favored 4:3 aspect ratios and encouraged spherical lens use for straightforward pan-and-scan transfers that avoided the complexities of de-squeezing analog prints. This shift prioritized broadcast and consumer video compatibility over theatrical widescreen, leading to fewer anamorphic productions as Super 35 spherical formats gained traction for their simplicity in post-production. However, the format experienced a revival in the 2000s and beyond through large-format applications, particularly in 65mm anamorphic systems like Ultra Panavision 70, which combined low-squeeze (1.3x) optics with horizontal film transport to achieve immersive 2.76:1 ratios for IMAX-compatible screenings in films seeking heightened visual scale. This resurgence emphasized anamorphic's unique distortions and depth for epic narratives, bridging analog optics with digital projection.

Technical Specifications

Aspect Ratios and Image Compression

The anamorphic format enables a range of aspect ratios on 35mm film by optically compressing the horizontal image dimension onto the available frame area, allowing for wider compositions without cropping the vertical height. Common ratios include the early standard of 2.55:1, which utilized the full silent aperture for maximum image area; the post-1957 2.35:1 ratio, adjusted for optical soundtracks; and the modern 2.39:1 (often rounded to 2.40:1), standardized by SMPTE for compatibility. Additionally, lower squeeze factors can adapt anamorphic imaging to the 1.85:1 flat ratio, typically achieved on film stock to minimize resolution loss compared to spherical cropping. These ratios are realized through precise matching of the film's physical frame dimensions to the desired effective proportions post-unsqueezing. For instance, the standard 35mm anamorphic camera measures 0.864 inches wide by 0.732 inches high, yielding a frame (AR_frame) of approximately 1.18:1, which expands to 2.39:1 with a nominal 2x squeeze. This taller compared to the 1.37:1 frame (0.864 x 0.630 inches) maximizes negative area usage while accommodating the compression. Image compression in anamorphic format involves horizontally squeezing the scene's rays by a factor S via elements, fitting a wide into the narrower frame width while preserving vertical fidelity. The squeeze factor S is determined by the ratio of the target effective to the frame's native : S = AR_effective / AR_frame. For the example of achieving 2.39:1 on a 1.195:1 frame (derived from adjusted dimensions post-1970), S ≈ 2.00, as 2.39 / 1.195 = 2.00; early implementations targeted 2.55:1 on a 1.275:1 frame with S ≈ 2.00 to leverage the full 1.33:1 silent before sound masking. In digital workflows, this results in non-square aspect ratios (PAR), where PAR = 1 / S horizontally, necessitating desqueezing software to stretch and restore geometric accuracy without interpolation artifacts. The fundamental equation governing the effective aspect ratio is: AReffective=ARframe×S\text{AR}_{\text{effective}} = \text{AR}_{\text{frame}} \times S This derives from the frame's physical dimensions: let the frame width be ww and height hh, so AR_frame = w/hw / h. The anamorphic lens compresses the scene's horizontal field by S, recording an image that, when expanded by S in projection or post-production, yields an effective scene width of S×wS \times w and height hh. Thus, AR_effective = (S×w)/h=S×(w/h)(S \times w) / h = S \times (w / h). For 35mm film, AR_frame values like 1.195:1 stem from aperture specs (e.g., effective usable width of 0.825 inches projected from 0.866 inches exposed, with height 0.690 inches), ensuring compatibility across origination and projection. Practically, horizontal compression redistributes across a wider effective area, making grain appear finer and less noticeable in the unsqueezed projection, particularly beneficial for 2.39:1 ratios that utilize nearly double the horizontal of spherical formats. In scanning analog negatives to digital, resolution mapping involves sampling the squeezed frame at full horizontal density (e.g., 2K or 4K), then desqueezing to yield effective horizontal resolution equivalent to twice the frame's native sampling, such as mapping a 2K squeezed frame to 4K desqueezed while maintaining vertical integrity. This process preserves the format's advantage during archival or restoration.

Lens Characteristics and Functionality

Anamorphic lenses incorporate elements that compress the horizontal onto the film or , in contrast to spherical lenses, which feature uniform spherical across all elements and produce undistorted, circular . This cylindrical design results in distortions, where the effective horizontal is shorter than the vertical one—for instance, a 2x squeeze anamorphic lens with a marked 100mm behaves as approximately 50mm horizontally and 100mm vertically, creating a wider post-unsqueeze horizontal while maintaining vertical perspective. These lenses often exhibit edge softness, barrel , and characteristic oval due to the asymmetric , though modern designs minimize these for sharper overall performance. In operation, squeeze elements in anamorphic lenses are typically integrated into prime lens designs for seamless attachment via standard mounts like PL, allowing direct use on 35mm or cameras. For zoom lenses, attachments such as front or rear anamorphic adapters can be clamped or threaded onto spherical zooms, though this adds weight and may alter balance, complicating handheld or rigs. Focus pulling presents unique challenges, as the differing horizontal and vertical magnifications cause disproportionate breathing—where the apparent field of view shifts more dramatically during rack compared to spherical lenses—requiring precise pre-marking and often blocking shots to limit pulls. Prominent types include Panavision's Primo Anamorphic primes, which deliver high contrast, even illumination, and consistent color across focal lengths from 35mm to 100mm. The G-Series Anamorphics emphasize balanced aberration control, glare resistance, and lighter construction for faster setups, with focal lengths spanning 25mm to 100mm. Zeiss eXtended Data anamorphics, such as the Master Anamorphic series, integrate metadata encoding for distortion and shading, enabling precise post-production corrections while covering sensors. For projection, anamorphic lenses must ensure uniform unsqueezing across the entire frame to avoid or barrel artifacts, typically achieved with dedicated that apply an inverse horizontal expansion matching the capture squeeze factor. Performance metrics vary by design, but modern anamorphic primes often achieve aperture ranges down to T1.9, as seen in the Master Anamorphic series, balancing speed with shallow . Weights typically range from 4 to 6 pounds for compact sets like the G-Series, facilitating easier compared to bulkier predecessors. These lenses maintain compatibility with standard 35mm stocks, such as Vision3, provided the format covers or Academy apertures to accommodate the squeezed image without .

Manufacturers and Proprietary Systems

Key Lens Makers and Trademarks

, founded in 1954 by Robert Gottschalk, emerged as a dominant force in Hollywood's anamorphic lens production, initially manufacturing projection attachments for the format before developing its own taking lenses. Panavision anamorphic photography uses anamorphic lenses to horizontally compress the image onto a standard 4-perf 35mm frame (4 perforations per frame), which is then unsqueezed in projection or printing. The company shifted to a rental-only model in 1964, which revolutionized access to high-end optics by allowing productions to lease premium equipment without prohibitive upfront costs, thereby influencing industry standards and enabling widespread adoption of anamorphic cinematography in major films. 's anamorphic lines, such as the C Series and later Primo primes, became staples in blockbusters, underscoring its market leadership through the with usage in hundreds of high-profile titles. Bausch & Lomb played a pivotal role in early anamorphic commercialization through its lenses, developed in collaboration with 20th Century Fox starting in 1953 and used until 1967, when the trademark was phased out amid evolving formats. This trademarked system, featuring 2x squeeze optics, set the benchmark for presentation and earned an Academy Award in 1954 for its innovative design. Todd-AO, introduced in 1955 as a 70mm process, extended into anamorphic variants for 35mm with 2.35:1 using 2x squeezed on reduction prints from 65mm negatives or direct 35mm anamorphic productions, distinguishing it as a wide-format alternative to standard 35mm anamorphics. The trademark encompassed both non-anamorphic and squeezed , impacting epic productions through the late . In modern developments, ARRI's longstanding partnership with Zeiss, dating back over a century but expanding significantly in the , produced the Master Anamorphic series starting in , offering high-performance 2x squeeze primes with minimal distortion and enhanced flare control for digital and film workflows. Cooke Optics introduced its Anamorphic/i lines in 2013, including full-frame coverage variants with 1.8x squeeze and organic , emphasizing color matching and aberration control across focal lengths from 25mm to 180mm; the line expanded with Full Frame Plus models in 2018. Vantage Film's Hawk anamorphics, launched in the early 2000s with series like V-Series and V-Lite, provide 2x and 1.3x options renowned for intense flares, elliptical , and versatility in capturing cinematic depth.

Origination and Projection Systems

In anamorphic origination, the camera is configured with a squeeze lens mounted in front of a prime or zoom taking lens to compress the horizontal field of view onto the recording medium, typically achieving a 2x squeeze for a final 2.39:1 aspect ratio from a 1.195:1 captured frame. Proper alignment of the anamorphic element is essential to ensure uniform compression across the frame and minimize artifacts like vertical pincushion distortion or breathing; this is accomplished using precision shims and calibration procedures that adjust the lens-to-sensor distance to within 6 micrometers. Integration with the camera's viewfinder or external monitors involves applying a digital de-squeeze factor in real-time, allowing operators to compose shots in the intended widescreen proportions without optical distortion in monitoring. Projection systems for anamorphic content vary by era and medium. In analog film theaters, projectors employ anamorphic attachments—often 0.5x expander lenses—to unsqueeze the horizontally compressed image during exhibition, restoring the full aspect while projecting onto curved screens for optimal . Modern projectors, such as 4K or 8K DLP or laser models, receive pre-de-squeezed imagery via Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs), where the active image area for scope formats is defined at 4096 × 1716 pixels within a 4096 × 2160 to maintain the 2.39:1 ratio without physical lens intervention. Workflows differ significantly between analog film printing and digital intermediate (DI) processes. In traditional analog pipelines, the squeezed camera negative is contact-printed or optically enlarged onto positive print stock using matched anamorphic optics to preserve the compression, resulting in release prints that require de-squeezing only at projection; this method adheres to SMPTE standards for aperture and squeeze uniformity but limits flexibility for adjustments. Conversely, DI workflows scan the squeezed negative at high resolution (e.g., 4K or higher), apply software-based de-squeezing during and conforming, and output to either re-squeezed film prints via laser recorders or native de-squeezed DCPs compliant with DCI specifications, enabling precise calibration for color, density, and across digital ecosystems. A notable case is the 2016 film The Magnificent Seven, which was shot on 35mm film using Panavision C, G, and E Series anamorphic lenses with a 2x squeeze to capture 2.39:1 imagery. The negative was scanned for digital intermediate processing and output to DCI-compliant DCPs for 4K digital projection.

Super 35 Format

Super 35 (S35) is a non-anamorphic widescreen film format that exposes the full silent-era aperture on 35 mm film stock, measuring 24.89 mm wide by 18.66 mm high, to capture a native 1.33:1 aspect ratio image. This allows for subsequent cropping in post-production or printing to achieve theatrical ratios like 1.85:1 or 2.39:1 without the need for optical compression. The format originated in the early 1980s when British cinematographer Joe Dunton revived the earlier Superscope 235 process for his 1981 documentary , using a full-aperture gate to maximize negative area on standard 35 mm stock. adopted and refined the approach as a cost-effective alternative to anamorphic shooting, promoting it under the Super 35 name starting around 1983 to leverage existing spherical lenses and simplify production workflows. It saw early commercial success in narrative features, notably (1988), where it was used for to blend live-action and elements efficiently. Technically, Super 35 requires no image squeeze during capture, relying instead on optical printing or digital cropping to extract the frame from the larger negative area. When cropped to 2.39:1, it uses approximately 24.89 mm of horizontal image width by 10.41 mm vertical height on the negative, providing horizontal resolution comparable to standard anamorphic (around 2,000 lines in prints), but with a different grain structure due to the unsqueezed —often appearing finer vertically but potentially coarser overall in prints from the reduced vertical area. Compared to anamorphic formats, offers advantages such as simpler, lighter spherical lenses that are more affordable and versatile for , along with streamlined that avoids desqueeze artifacts. However, for 2.39:1, the cropping discards about 44% of the captured vertical (or around 28% for 1.85:1), potentially leading to losses in detail and increased visible grain when enlarged for release prints.

Techniscope Process

Techniscope is a 35 mm motion picture camera that utilizes a two-perforation (2-perf) pulldown per frame, effectively halving the standard frame height to achieve a image without anamorphic compression during photography. Introduced in 1960 by the Italian division of Corporation, it features a frame size of approximately 22 mm in width by 9.5 mm in height, yielding a native that, after processing, supports a 2.35:1 presentation through optical enlargement. This format was designed as an economical alternative for producing films, particularly appealing to low-budget productions in during the 1960s. The development of stemmed from efforts to minimize costs amid the rising demand for cinema following the introduction of formats like . engineers created the system to allow standard 35 mm cameras to capture twice as many frames per length of negative, reducing material expenses by about 50% compared to traditional 4-perf formats. It gained prominence in Italian cinema, notably in the "spaghetti western" genre, with Sergio Leone's 1966 film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly serving as a landmark example that showcased its viability for epic-scale storytelling on limited budgets. Over 500 films were produced using by the late 1960s, primarily in and other cost-conscious markets, before its use declined with improvements in and alternative methods. In the Techniscope process, the camera advances the film by two perforations per frame instead of the standard four, exposing a compact horizontal image using spherical lenses. After development, the negative undergoes optical printing where each 2-perf frame is enlarged vertically by a factor of two and horizontally compressed (squeezed) to fit a standard 4-perf 35 mm positive stock, creating an anamorphic print compatible with conventional projectors equipped with unsqueezing lenses. This blow-up step, often performed via Technicolor's dye-transfer printing system, expands the small negative area to full-frame size while applying the necessary squeeze for projection. The primary advantage of Techniscope lies in its cost efficiency, as it consumes half the negative of full-height formats, making it ideal for extended productions without sacrificing the ability to project in 2.35:1. However, the smaller negative area results in lower resolution and increased visible upon enlargement, particularly noticeable on large theater screens. Compared to traditional anamorphic processes, which capture a full-height image with squeezed for inherently higher fidelity, Techniscope prioritizes economy over image quality, often leading to a coarser appearance despite the optical enhancements during printing.

Contemporary Applications

Digital Cinema and Post-Production

Since the 2000s, anamorphic format has been integrated into digital cinema workflows, allowing filmmakers to capture wide aspect ratios using electronic sensors while preserving the characteristic squeezed image. Digital cinema cameras, such as the ARRI Alexa series, support anamorphic lenses that apply a standard 2x horizontal squeeze to the image projected onto the sensor. For instance, the ARRI Alexa LF records the squeezed image directly without in-camera de-squeezing, utilizing areas of its 4.5K sensor to meet 4K resolution mandates when paired with 35mm format 2x anamorphic lenses. This approach maintains the format's widescreen potential, typically aiming for a 2.39:1 aspect ratio after de-squeezing, by leveraging the full horizontal resolution of sensors like the Alexa's 4448 x 3096 pixels in ARRIRAW or ProRes formats. In , de-squeezing is handled through specialized software that restores the image's proportions while accounting for pixel aspect ratios (PAR). Tools like Blackmagic Design's enable users to adjust clip attributes, setting custom PAR values—such as 2.0 for 2x anamorphic—to automatically de-squeeze footage during editing and , ensuring accurate preview and output without resampling artifacts. Similarly, The Foundry's Nuke recognizes anamorphic media via metadata and applies de-squeezing in its viewer and nodes, supporting non-square pixel workflows for . Codecs like incorporate PAR metadata in their container format, allowing squeezed images to be encoded (e.g., at 2048 x 858 pixels for 2K scope) and decoded correctly in compatible systems, preserving quality across editing pipelines. Digital anamorphic workflows adhere to (DCI) standards, which specify 2.39:1 as the scope for theatrical projection, with resolutions like 4096 x 1716 pixels for 4K DCPs to accommodate de-squeezed content. Metadata flags for anamorphic handling, often embedded in MXF or files per SMPTE ST 377-1, indicate squeeze factors and PAR to ensure interoperability during distribution and playback. These standards facilitate seamless projection on DCI-compliant systems without additional hardware, bridging analog anamorphic origins to digital delivery. A notable example is the 2015 film The Revenant, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and shot by , which employed XT, Alexa M, and Alexa 65 cameras with Zeiss Master Anamorphic lenses to capture squeezed 6K imagery under natural light conditions. The production's digital pipeline included de-squeezing in for a 2.39:1 master, optimized for HDR workflows that enhanced dynamic range in and formats, resulting in a reference-grade 4K UHD release that highlighted the format's immersive depth and detail. In recent years, the anamorphic format has experienced a revival in the film industry, driven by its ability to deliver immersive widescreen visuals in prestige productions. This resurgence is reflected in major awards contenders, including the 2025 Oscar-nominated and winning film Anora, which was shot on 35 mm film using 4-perf anamorphic format to enhance narrative depth and aesthetic appeal. The format's integration with advanced technologies, such as LED volumes and visual effects, has amplified its appeal; for example, virtual production pipelines now leverage anamorphic optics to combine real-time environments with post-production enhancements seamlessly. In television and streaming, anamorphic format contributes to a cinematic quality that elevates episodic content. The series (2019–), produced by and Disney+, prominently features Panavision's full-frame Ultra Vista 1.65x anamorphic lenses, which were paired with LED wall-based virtual production to create expansive, immersive scenes while preserving the format's signature flares and . Platforms like have facilitated this trend by approving cameras for anamorphic capture in 4K UHD deliverables, enabling squeezed footage that unsqueezes to ratios without resolution loss, thus supporting the format's use in original series and films. Looking toward future directions, anamorphic format shows promise in ultra-high-resolution applications, including 8K workflows, where specialized lenses maintain optical compression for even wider aspect ratios on sensors capable of capturing detailed, distortion-free images. The broader shift to digital capture and over analog aligns with goals in the industry, reducing environmental impacts from chemical processing and enabling more efficient anamorphic implementations across global productions. Market data underscores this momentum, with the global cinema lenses sector—including anamorphic variants—projected to expand from USD 7.41 billion in 2024 to USD 7.90 billion in 2025, signaling sustained adoption in blockbusters and streaming content.

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