VistaVision

Made available to visitors of The American WideScreen Museum by Mr. John P. Pytlak, Eastman Kodak Company Transcribed and edited at AWSM, Houston, Texas, U.S.A. VISTAVISION is a new SIMPLE, COMPATIBLE and FLEXIBLE overall system of producing, release printing and exhibiting motion pictures. It will give to every theater the world over the finest possible quality on the largest possible screen at the lowest possible cost. In introducing VistaVision, Paramount has introduced the technique of optical reduction from a large negative image to the standard release print image . This is the most important and distinctive feature of VistaVision. It is VistaVision. It is the feature that others must follow if they are to reduce grain, eliminate fuzziness and gain bigger, brighter and better pictures. Larger screens and larger pictures, such as the old Magnascope, have always been possible. The limiting factors have been picture quality and adequate screen illumination. The metallized screens (which were introduced for 3-D) and new projector lamp houses have helped screen illumination. VistaVision is the first process to make a noteworthy and immediately apparent improvement in picture quality. VistaVision improves the front and side seat viewing , whereas, all other processes diminish the value of these seats. In balancing the overall system to this new level of quality we are making several changes. Most of these changes simplify the procedures, and most of these changes are made during production and release printing, not at the theater. -All of these changes are described herein. VistaVision release prints will play in any theater anywhere in the world with an improvement in picture quality . Some improvement will be apparent even on the old "postage stamp" screens in theaters where not one cent has been spent to improve the presentation. Theaters that have large seamless screens and good projection equipment will gain full advantage of VistaVision without further change or expenditure. Paramount makes no demand on any theater, but there is one thing on which there is complete agreement among all studios and all exhibitors, big screens are here to stay. They have brought a new look to motion pictures, a permanent new look. Paramount earnestly urges that every exhibitor who has not already done so install the largest feasible seamless screen both as to height and width . Our objective is to fill this screen with a clear, sharp and bright picture. Paramount urges that every exhibitor have good standard projection equipment, good standard type lenses and adequate screen illumination. Briefly, the VistaVision process includes new wider angle lenses to give greater scope on the big screens; new cameras through which the 35 mm negative travels horizontally eight sprocket holes per frame (instead of 4) giving a negative image with an area of nearly three times the area of the standard negative image. The picture negative is Eastman Mazda color taking stock. It is processed by Technicolor and optically reduced directly from the negative to the Technicolor matrix which in turn is used to stamp out the release print by the imbibition process. All release prints will have a single photographic sound track that will play on every standard sound reproducer the world over. Paramount does not contemplate the release of any pictures with either a separate or four-track magnetic film. Further, Paramount does not contemplate releasing any prints having the Fox-Eastman narrow sprocket holes. The technique of picture shooting with the VistaVision camera is the same as with any standard camera. The light level used on interior sets is between 350 and 600 foot-candles, with most shots running between 400 and 500 foot-candles. This is the same light level that has been in use at Paramount studio for nearly a year. The lenses are stopped to f:2.8 and f:3.2. At the present time Paramount is using cameras which were made by William P. Stein in 1926