American Cinematographer - June 1991 - 96

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its way into non-broadcast video, prices will
drop enough to impact video assist.
The major drawback with CCDs
is image positioning. The ways film cam¬
eras transmit images to the viewfinder lack
standardization. Images entering the
viewfinder (depending on the camera de¬
sign) may be upside down, backwards or
whatever, with optical correction occurring
between the camera and the eyepiece.
Videotapes receive the inverted views.
Tube technology permits easy correction for
that problem but CCD technology does not
allow the same flexibility.
Computer developers, however,
may provide a more immediate answer.
Newtek, a small Topeka, Kansas computer
company, recently released an important
new product called the Video Toaster. This
product is a graphic example of flexible
video manipulation. New chip technology
developed by NewTek generates the com¬
plete range of image manipulations (re¬
versals, squeezes and flips) required to
solve the CCD problem. Digital image po¬
sitioning is a small part of the general ca¬
pabilities of the Toaster, suggesting that a
more limited use of that same technology
could be incorporated into taps for a very
reasonable price. Macintosh and IBM de¬
velopers are introducing products with
similar capabilities.
Cinematographers may soon see
a small box that will center the video image,
flip it, roll it, squeeze it or invert it with a
few simple on-off switch settings."When
electronic manipulation is inexpensively
available, then we will see good, 100% CCD
(video assist) cameras," says Schwinzer.
"This is especially important for someone
who is not 100% into video."
Al Jensen spends a good deal of
time thinking about the future of video as¬
sist. He is president of CEI, manufacturers
of video taps."We try to eliminate the word

'video,'" says Jensen. "We try to help

people who don't know anything about

Hollywood,

Athens, Tokyo, Lagos, Rio, Tel-Aviv, Reykjavik, Sydney, Toronto,

Geneva, Hong Kong, London

just

some

of the centres worldwide where

our

graduates

are

making films.
Students from over thirty different
take our two year Diploma Course.

making

countries come to the heart of London's West End to
Experienced professionals teach all aspects of film
covering studio feature and location documentary productions in 16mm and

video. Forget IRE levels and waveform
monitors. We want our systems to be easy
for the non-video person to use."
CEI's most recent contribution is
the VP-4, a flicker-free unit. Flicker-free tap
is only a couple of years old and has made
a

major difference in picture quality.

35mm.

Panavision has also introduced a flicker-free

Teaching of scriptwriting, direction, camerawork, sound recording, editing etc. ensures a
high degree of professionalism. And it must do - Governments, T.V. Networks and
Educational Foundations have been sending personnel to us for training for over twenty

tap, and the tap designed for the Arri 535

years.
This intensive

Course, demanding hard work and committment, produces over twentymany students working on more than one production.

five films each term

There

are

fresh intakes in

January, April and September.

Contact: The Administrator, London International Film School, Department AC2
24 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9HP, England. Telephone (London) 01-836 0826

has "reduced flicker" (flicker-free on Euro¬
pean power). All these units can turn on
flicker, which may seem like a step back-

American Cinematographer - June 1991

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - June 1991