Motion-Picture System from Camera to Viewer

THE PROPOSAL FOR a very special type of motion-picture presentation for Colonial Williamsburg specified a practical and economical system that would be able to project an illusion of reality beyond that of a conventional “movie.” The effect, as nearly as possible, would be that of living re-enactment of events just prior to the American Revolution. Also the presentation to the visitor to Colonial Williamsburg had to be unusual, differing from all of the comparatively new types of film projection being introduced at about the time this program was started. If Cinerama, CinemaScope or even just the most modest wide-screen developments, all comparatively new at the time, could have been exclusively used by Colonial Williamsburg the problem might readily and quickly have been solved. But we had to have something more than any of these systems could achieve and we had to accomplish it without any radical changes in any of the equipment, optics, or film developed to this time. We chose to use available equipments and processes in a new way to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Our goal was to build a theater and to produce a film, using the greater film area per frame available, that would enable the viewer to feel that he was “at the scene” and participating in the events shown on the screen.

Print ISSN

0361-4573

Published

1961-09

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J09375