American Cinematographer - August 1985 - 67

ARM(UMdMT[S
Published

periodically by the Arriflex Corporation

Vol. 7, No. 1, August 1985

LIGHTFLEX
As announced earlier, ARRI

purchased all assets and
worldwide rights to the LIGHTFLEX system from Leigh In¬

VAFE

photometric range of the film
several stops, without affecting
the grain. When Lightflex is used
on video cameras, it increases

The application of standard 80
bit, SMPTE Time Code to film
production and post-production

is

a

hot

now,

topic in

our

industry right

and for very good reasons.

The

"marriage" seems ideal-the
superior imaging characteristics
of 16mm and 35mm film, and the
highly cost-efficient post-produc¬
tion technologies of tape. With
this in mind, we've introduced
ARRI TimeCode (ATC), optical
SMPTE time code on film, and
VAFE, our tape-oriented film
camera system that utilizes ATC,
a new color video tap, and an

ATC Modules for camera, and

electronic frame store.

terests, PLC, in Birmingham,

England. We acquired Lightflex
because it's a technology that can
provide additional creative con¬
trols to both

and di¬

recording sensitivity without
increasing noise. The result, for
both film and video image record¬
ing, is more detail in the shadow

rectors

and a reduction in per¬
ceived grain or noise. Lightflex
also permits in-camera color

efficiencies.

modifications, using special
Lightflex filter packs, to selec¬
tively tone the image without af¬

cameramen

working in film and video
production. In certain situations,
it may also yield production cost
Lightflex the technology has al¬
ready been in wide use for many
years, and its effectiveness dem¬
onstrated as recently as with John
Alonzo, ASC and his work on
RUNAWAY and with Woody
Omens, ASC, whose three-part
show EVERGREEN was broadcast
NBC this past Februray. Light¬
flex the product, on the other
on

hand, required extensive re¬
engineering in order to make it
easierto handle, more predictable
in its performance, and more ver¬
satile in its range of applications.

areas,

(ATC)
ATC, co-developed with Coher¬
ent Communications, Inc., opti¬
cally records standard 80 bit
SMPTE time code

on

the sound-

Lightflex's New Design
The heart of every Lightflex unit
is the patented, curved reflector
which overlays a controlled
amount of white or colored light
on the image. The old system had
two: one for 14mm to 28mm

lenses, and the other for 35mm to
80mm lenses.

area to assure Super 16
compatibility. For 35mm
cameras, the Camera Module
generates "burst" code which is

and cannot be erased

all the modules used

System, with our new color
mounted on a 35BL-3.

video tap

track edge of the camera nega¬
tive. Already available in our 16SR

or

lost. The

ute, second and frame number,

(cont. pg. 2)

track

cameras, the time code is burned
onto the negative permanently,

VAFE

with the same results. Each frame
of film is encoded with hour,-min¬

Lightflex's new

vides standard continuous time
code for 16mm cameras in a thin
bar code just outside the sound

height and places itjustinsidethe
sprocket holes on the sound track
side. The Tape Recorder Module
will work with any multi-track re¬
corder, and places the time code
on the sync track or on either
audio track. Sync head offset is
automatically compensated for
during recording.
The Master Clock can perform
a variety of functions. Its main
purpose is to load time code into

system will use any film stock

"swing-away" housing.

ing the pulldown cycle. It pro¬

condensed to about 80% of frame

fecting highlights orfleshtones,
and for period or special effects.

The

Lightflex Principle
Lightflex is an on-camera ac¬
cessory, mounted in front of the
lens, which overlays a controlled
amount of light over the scene to
be photographed, at the time of
exposure. It allows the camera¬
man to modify the gamma curve
of any film stock in the camera
while filming, thus extending the

recorder, and Master Clock.

ARRI TimeCode

on a

shoot.

Other functions include

verifying
sync between cameras and tape
recorders, and simplifying the
record-keeping normally associ¬

plus up to 8 hex digits of user
information, such as camera
number, roll number, scene and

ated with feature

take numbers.

and

The system consists of three
modules. The Camera Module

Master Clock is unavailable

damaged, either the camera

controls the

or

special LED in the
camera aperture, which flashes
the code and exposes the film dur-

(Advertisement)

or

multi-camera

production. It also has a digital
readout that displays time code
user

bits. In the event that

the tape

a

or

recorder modules
time and user

may be used to set
information.

(cont. pg. 3)
American Cinematographer - August 1985

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