On Mon, 24 Nov 1997 15:48:28 -0400 David Parkinson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
 
> This is a naive question, but isn't it the job of the director to make sure
> that NO SHOT has a boom mike in it? Letting a film go out such that sloppy
> projection lets the boom mike in is just asking for it. Naive question #2:
> after 100+ years of filmmaking, why is this still a problem?
 
It's been a problem since the introduction of 35mm widescreen, which is about
40-45 years ago.
 
The time and money involved in completely rebuilding the gate assembly in a
modern 35mm studio camera so that it has a widescreen mask (in whatever ratio
you choose) is such that a lot of studios do not want to do this.  All
but a few sfx and matte cameras do not have easily removable aperture plates in
the way that projectors do.  Besides, if you are a camera rental agency, why
spend a lot of money modifying your camera so that it can no-longer be used for
TV production?
 
Whilst you could introduce a widescreen mask in the lab, there would still be
the problem of racking.  Unless you go through every single shot, there remains
the risk that masking a boom mike in one shot might, for example, obliterate
subtitles in another.  I for one have no problem with the principle that the
masking in the camera viewfinder determines the aspect ratio - if this and the
projector aperture plate are in the same ratio, no problem.  All that is needed
is a way of telling the projectionist what that viewfinder ratio was.
 
If the ratio is correct to start with, then it really is not difficult to get
the picture properly in rack.  On the first MCU or CU shot of the film, adjust
the racking handle so you can see the actor's head (all of it) . If subsequent
titles bleed off the screen or if you see boom mikes, then either a wider ratio
is needed or there has been a lab cock-up. Simple as that.
 
Any projectionist who is not able to follow this procedure stands no
chance of getting a job in an "art" or repetory cinema (in this country, at
least).  Anyone who relies on censor certificates/credit titles or does not
know where the racking handle is (or what it does) might be acceptable in a
McMultiplex, but that's about as far as (s)he is likely to get.
 
Leo
__________________________________
Leo Enticknap
Postgraduate Common Room
School of English and American Studies
University of Exeter
Queen's Building, The Queen's Drive
Exeter
Devon EX4 4QJ
United Kingdom
email: [log in to unmask]
 
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