Books on shooting anamorphic?

[Joerg Polzfusz]

Hi!

I have found several good articles in filmmaking magazines on this topic, e.g. in the CineMagic issue 5 that is also available on archive.org. But so far, I have only found a single book: „Breitwand-Film im Heim“ (aka „Schmalfilm-Truhe 15/16“). It doesn’t only focus on the technical aspect of mounting the anamorphic lens onto the camera/projector. Instead, it explains all related aspects. For example, it also explains the special problems of the correct framing. I have attached an example from a chapter where the books discusses the aspect of planning a scene, comparing the panning, that you would normally do when shooting this scene in 4:3, with a static camera shooting the same scene in widescreen.
Is there another book or article in English or German that you could recommend that is suited for amateurs and that focuses on the „aesthetic aspects“ like „proper, non boring framing“?

Jörg

[Douglas Meltzer]

Jörg,

While these two don't necessarily compare filming in 4:3 and scope, they are fine books on composition.

Gustavo Mercado's The Filmmaker's Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition

Bruce Block's The Visual Story

They've been around for a while so you might have come across them before.

[Ed Gordon]

Check your local library for for books on Anamorphic Cinematography. Here are a couple I found:

Wide Screen Movies
a History and Filmography of Wide Gauge Filmmaking
Carr, Robert E.
Book, 1988
Hello, Dolly!, Lawrence of Arabia, Sound of Music--200+ more. Enormous detail on CinemaScope, VistaVision, Cinerama, Todd-AO, Panavision, CinemaScope-55, Technirama, Thrillarama, Aromatama, Smell-O-Vision, stereophonic and special sound processes, even Soviet 70mm! Huge filmography, exhaustive credits. Much data never before published.

Widescreen Cinema
Belton, John
Book, 1992
Ladies and Gentlemen: This is Cinerama. With these words, on September 30, 1952, the heavy red curtains in New York's Broadway Theatre opened on a panoramic, Technicolor image of the Rockaways Playland Atom-Smasher Roller Coaster. The cinematic transformation heralded by this giddy ride was, however, neither as sudden nor as straightforward as it seemed. Widescreen Cinema leads readers through the twists and turns and decades it took for film to change its shape and, along the way, shows how this fitful process reflects the vagaries of cultural history.

Also go to Youtube. Several videos are available like this one:

[Ed Gordon]

Here is an article that gives a nice overview:

Understanding Anamorphic Lenses

Anamorphic lenses are specialty tools which affect how images get projected onto the camera sensor. They were primarily created so that a wider range of aspect ratios could fit within a standard film frame, but since then, cinematographers have become accustomed to their unique look. This article discusses the key considerations with anamorphic lenses in the digital era...

...Anamorphic lenses have played various roles as capture has transitioned from film to digital. With film, anamorphics were originally designed to utilize more film area with wide format imagery, which in turn increased resolution and reduced grain. However, digital sensors are typically better-suited to wide format cinema than standard 35 mm film. The benefits are instead primarily for imparting a unique look with a shallower depth of field and characteristic bokeh, flare and vignetting. This signature anamorphic style has been an important creative tool with several recent digital and film productions.

Source: https://www.red.com/red-101/anamorphic-lenses

Here is a video on Anamorphic Lenses - Everything you need to know

[Joerg Polzfusz]

Hi!

My copy of Gustavo Mercado's The Filmmaker's Eye arrived yesterday. I managed to take a quick look into it. My first impression is that it’s great and that it’s exactly what I wanted to have. Will read it after the „invasion of the relatives“ (=after Christmas).
So thanks for the hint, Douglas.

I will also take a look at the links and books from the other replies soon. Thanks to everyone!

Merry Christmas to everyone!
Jörg

[Brian Fretwell]

I wonder if the Widescreen Centre ever sold books on this topic. WHen I have time I'll look through some adverts in old Movie Maker magazines.

[Joerg Polzfusz]

Hello Brian!
Excellent idea! So I flipped through some of the MovieMaker issues on archive.org and that’s the only book/booklet I have found…