8mm Forum: Silence of the Lambs

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Topic: Silence of the Lambs

Ricky Daniels
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 587
From: London & Kent UK
Registered: Jul 2003

posted March 31, 2012 03:48 AM

Hi Osi,

You are correct.

The process is called 'shoot and protect' whereby a film is shot 'open frame' usually the full 35mm frame area in non-anamorphic and called Super 35mm, with the camera operator composing the Theatrical frame area viewed via an overlaid grid in the viewfinder. This grid can display various ratios but commonly 1.85:1 or even 2.35:1.

When printing for release the 1.85:1 images have 'hard matting' applied to the unwanted top and bottom of frame and the 2.35:1 Scope images are optically extracted and printed with the usual horizontal x2 squeeze and become 2.40:1 with the addition of optical and digital soundtracks. This method of filming in 2.35:1 is an alternative to using an anamorphic lens and somewhat similar to the original TechniScope type systems developed back in the 50/60's to avoid the need to buy new cameras or lenses or pay royalties to anamorphic lens manufactures.

The Super 35mm full frame image is supposed to be kept protected at the top and bottom of frame of anything irrelevant e.g. mics, lighting, camera dollies, etc. to allow a 4:3 TV version to be made from the Super 35mm full frame without the need to 'pan/scan' the Theatrical frame. However this format is not so common today with the roll out of widescreen TV and digital image sourcing.

The Super 35mm frame is nothing new because the full 35mm frame i.e. perforation to perforation and the maximum available frame height without encroaching into the next frame is the original 'Silent frame' used over 100 years ago.

So a mic in shot = shoddy camera work [Eek!]

Best,
Rick

[ April 01, 2012, 02:49 AM: Message edited by: Ricky Daniels ]

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Alan Rik
Film God

Posts: 2211
From: New York City, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted March 31, 2012 07:18 AM

I remember when I was a projectionist for Crest Film in Hollywood. We always had to make sure which gate we were supposed to use as Ricky says. The film was in 4:3 and then the gate would either make it 1:85, 2:1 or whatever they needed. And then the next thing was the framing. The first few things I projected for clients I could see the boom and they would yell in the booth.."Framing!". I learned pretty fast.
And this copy of Silence does have the 'boom" mic. Its actually kind of cool!

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James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003

posted March 31, 2012 08:30 AM

I had the Marketing "Saturday Night Fever" in the 70's, and I always remember the boom mic in the scene in the last reel, when John Travolta enters Karen Gorny's apartment. Kept thinking that I was seeing things. It was masked out at the movie theater and I believe on TV as well, but showed up in the full-frame super8 print!

James.

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Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003

posted April 01, 2012 02:40 PM

[ April 02, 2012, 03:57 AM: Message edited by: Rob Young. ]

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Burton Sundquist
Master Film Handler

Posts: 318
From: Burnaby, B.C. Canada
Registered: Feb 2017

posted June 03, 2018 08:52 PM

...I have wanted this one since I got back into collecting last year. I finally landed one, and screened it last night. It has the boom mike and "white hair" mentioned in this thread, though neither enough to distract from this compelling thriller.

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted June 04, 2018 01:36 AM

This is one ive always wanted to.great screen shots Burton. I remember reading how good this print was to look at. But could you clarify how good the sound on this film, does it suffer with the hiss that some of Deranns later releases did? How freqent are those "bumps or pops". I would assume this 90s release to have the oxide paste stripe like the madagasger penguines, the sound on that,while acceptable, is pretty poor compared to proper pre stripe stock.

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Burton Sundquist
Master Film Handler

Posts: 318
From: Burnaby, B.C. Canada
Registered: Feb 2017

posted June 04, 2018 01:31 PM

Tom, thanks for your comments. The print has the regular brown magnetic stripe as opposed to the grey stuff I've heard of.
There are no pops or hissing. Rather the sound drops half volume for a few seconds on reel one and when the audio ( musical score ) peaks there is distortion. I will eventually have it re-recorded in Stereo.
But for now just pleased to finally have it

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted June 04, 2018 03:37 PM

sounds fine Burton, thank you for your reply. it certainly looks a fantastic looking print. [Wink]

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Mark Mander
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1236
From: Dunstable ,Bedfordshire.
Registered: Jan 2005

posted June 04, 2018 04:03 PM

Nice looking print Burton,I had this but sold it,my print was very good,It had brown stripe that gave excellent results after recording so well worth doing,Mark

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted June 05, 2018 11:11 AM

GREAT screenashots Burton!

Getting back to that conversation about being shot 35MM and then being letterboxed for release (which is why the occasional "boom mike" and otherwise might appear) ...

On my super 8 optical sound print of "Greystroke: The legend of Tarzan" on the very last shot before the credits, you can clearly see on top and bottom the easel and such holding the matte painting in place. Someone has posted a picture from that moment somewhere here on the forum and if they know where it is, please post it on this series of posts?

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Burton Sundquist
Master Film Handler

Posts: 318
From: Burnaby, B.C. Canada
Registered: Feb 2017

posted June 05, 2018 10:22 PM

...Thanks Tom, Mark and Osi. I am really impressed with this print. Here are a few more...

...Worth the wait and the price to me...

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted June 06, 2018 04:51 PM

They are lovely images that can be produced by a little tiny cell of 8mm.... AMAZING! [Wink]

cheers,

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Winbert

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted June 07, 2018 10:31 AM

I agree Winbert!!!

It's not the same film, and it has a pinking to the color, but we were just watching "Gorky Park' (super 8 optical sound feature) last night, and it's one of those truly pin sharp features with such an easy focus that no matter how big I blew it up, it was still very easy to watch!

"Silence" isn't one of my favorite films per se, but i always love seeing those great screenshots, and the screenshots do not due justice in nearly in any case, for just how good it looks actually watching the film in person!

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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