American Cinematographer - October 1999 - 92

KENWORTHY
SNORKEL CAMERA SYSTEMS
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makers. Southon lit the stage

interior
using four 6Ks, two on each side of
the stage, bouncing off 20' x 20' silks.
Outside, Southon placed two 12K
HMI Pars on a cherrypicker to create
a swath of
light that would pour in
through the studio door as Toland
entered, an effect enhanced by a

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was

Southon, the shoot's

rather than

most

sets.

We did

things like rolling the camera and not
telling anyone except the lead actors,
so the extras wouldn't know
they
were
being filmed. We forced Ian to

bad

some

proper

camera

moves,

footage had to look as if

the newsreel

cameraman

didn't have

head to work with."
footage was shot

The newsreel

steady image is desired.
The 435 is

events

make

35 MM

amusing moments occurred when
he was asked to reproduce wellknown newsreel footage that would
later be integrated into existing mate¬
rial. "We had a ball trying to repro¬
duce the reality of newsreel footage,
the casual way accidents happen
when cameras are rolling on real

because the

The Fries model 435 is a new general purpose MOS production
35mm camera. With its optical printer compatible register pins,
steadiness and 150 FPS speed. The 435 is ideally suited for spe¬
cial effects, commercials or any photography where a quality

bounced
give the
a soft rim light.
a

sheet of white card

electricians

Brains not bulk.

British sunshine.

rare

spinning mirror reflex camera with a 170 degree
blanking shutter. The internal 30VDC motor runs the camera

35mm color stock and later

reduced

from 2 to 150 FPS forward and 2 to 50 FPS reverse, in one
frame increments all crystal. The camera is equipped with takeup and supply torque motors.

grain and

levels altered.
adding scratches to this
faux news footage, however, the film¬
makers tried to make it look as pris¬
tine as possible. Southon explains,
gamma

Rather than

There are both 1000 ft. and 400 ft. displacement type maga¬
zines. A new feature is Ihe light valve which allows the operator
to direct all the light to the viewing system, or to the video

assist, or combo which
video assist.

monochrome, with its

splits the light between both viewing and

"[In the context of RKO 281,] this
newsreel is

WHY NOT SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE?

was

The new Fries Director's Viewfinder allows the director to view the full camera aperture .980 x .735, thru
the same lenses that will be used on the camera when filming. Why aren't you getting the whole picture?

being

seen a year

after it

shot, and most newsreels looked

35mm. The newsreel
basically used the same
equipment and emulsions that

very

good

cameramen

Toland used to shoot Kane. The

[scratched-up vintage] newsreels you

today have been through a
projector at least 20 or 30 times.
That's not how they would have
see

looked in theaters

Film

Clip: The finder has a set of register pins that will hold a film clip the same as the Fries camera.
Groundglasses: Interchangeable. The same groundglass as is used in the Fries 35R and 35R3 cameras.

Director's

Viewfinder

the time.

"In fact," Southon adds with

and Vistavision

Engineering designs and manufacturers special effects cameras and conversions in 35mm, 65mm
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laugh, "if the footage had been
scratched, the cameraman probably

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Fries

■

American Cinematographer - October 1999

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - October 1999