Showscan
Showscan is a cinematic process developed by Douglas Trumbull. It uses 70mm film, but photographs and projects it at 60 frames per second – 2.5 times the standard speed of movie film.[1]
History
Trumbull had first come to the public's attention for his work on the ground-breaking special effects in movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Andromeda Strain, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He also directed 1972's Silent Running, widely considered a classic of 1970s film science fiction.
The Showscan Film process was developed in the late '70s and early '80s by Trumbull, when he became interested in increasing the fidelity or definition of movies. Similar to the quality issues addressed later by high-definition television, the then-state of the art of movies suffered from the limitations of the medium. When projected onto a large screen, the film grain of 35 mm film stock is often quite visible, which reduces the quality of the displayed image, a problem further exacerbated by the larger grain used in the fast film stock often used to capture high-speed action. Trumbull chose a 65 mm film stock for his new process to address this, providing a higher resolution image.
Trumbull also did research into frame rate, running a series of tests with 35 mm stock filmed and projected at various speeds, shown to audiences who were instrumented to biometrically test their responses. He found that as the frame rate increased, so did the viewer's emotional reaction.
Trumbull theorized that although viewers see smooth motion from film displayed at 24 frames per second (fps), the standard in motion pictures for decades, they are subconsciously still aware of the flicker. This awareness reduces the emotional impact of the film. As the speed of projection ramped up, so did the emotional response.
In 1993, Trumbull, Geoffrey Williamson, Robert Auguste and Edmund DiGiulio were awarded a Scientific and Engineering Academy Award for the Showscan camera system.[2]
Uses
The 1983 feature film Brainstorm was intended to be the first Showscan film, but plans fell through.[1] Since then, Showscan has been used mostly for short ride films in conjunction with powered motion simulator seats.
Demise
Showscan Film Corporation, which produced and marketed the equipment, underwent Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2002;[3] the process was then acquired by a new company, Showscan Entertainment.[3]
Archive
The Academy Film Archive houses the Showscan Collection, which consists of negatives and soundtrack elements for numerous short films created for World's Fair expositions, special venue attractions, and motion-based simulator rides.[4]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Interview: Douglas Trumbull". July 7, 2009. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- ↑ Lorraine LoBianco. "Special Effects by Douglas Trumbull". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- 1 2 "Show's Over For Showscan". Studio Briefing - Film News. Internet Movie Database. January 7, 2002. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- ↑ "Showscan Collection". Academy Film Archive.