thumb|Pair of Arrilaser film recorders

A film recorder is a graphical output device for transferring images to photographic film from a digital source. In a typical film recorder, an image is passed from a host computer to a mechanism to expose film through a variety of methods, historically by direct photography of a high-resolution cathode-ray tube (CRT) display. The exposed film can then be developed using conventional developing techniques, and displayed with a slide or motion picture projector. The use of film recorders predates the current use of digital projectors, which eliminate the time and cost involved in the intermediate step of transferring computer images to film stock, instead directly displaying the image signal from a computer. Motion picture film scanners are the opposite of film recorders, copying content from film stock to a computer system. Film recorders can be thought of as modern versions of kinescopes.

Design

Operation

All film recorders typically work in the same manner. The image is fed from a host computer as a raster stream over a digital interface. A film recorder exposes film through various mechanisms; flying spot (early recorders); photographing a high resolution video monitor; electron beam recorder (Sony HDVS); a CRT scanning dot (Celco); focused beam of light from a light valve technology (LVT) recorder; a scanning laser beam (Arrilaser); or recently, full-frame LCD array chips.

For color image recording on a CRT film recorder, the red, green, and blue channels are sequentially displayed on a single gray scale CRT, and exposed to the same piece of film as a multiple exposure through a filter of the appropriate color. This approach yields better resolution and color quality than possible with a tri-phosphor color CRT. The three filters are usually mounted on a motor-driven wheel. The filter wheel, as well as the camera's shutter, aperture, and film motion mechanism are usually controlled by the recorder's electronics and/or the driving software. CRT film recorders are further divided into analog and digital types. The analog film recorder uses the native video signal from the computer, while the digital type uses a separate display board in the computer to produce a digital signal for a display in the recorder. Digital CRT recorders provide a higher resolution at a higher cost compared to analog recorders due to the additional specialized hardware. Typical resolutions for digital recorders were quoted as 2K and 4K, referring to 2048×1366 and 4096×2732 pixels, respectively, while analog recorders provided a resolution of 640×428 pixels in comparison.

Higher-quality LVT film recorders use a focused beam of light to write the image directly onto a film loaded spinning drum, one pixel at a time. In one example, the light valve was a liquid-crystal shutter, the light beam was steered with a lens, and text was printed using a pre-cut optical mask.

  • Matrix, originally ImaPRO, a branch of Agfa Division, produced the QCR line of CRT-based motion picture film recorders.
  • CCG, formerly Agfa film recorders, has been a steady manufacturer of film recorders based in Germany.
  • In 2004 CCG introduced Definity, a motion picture film recorder utilizing LCD technology. In 2010 CCG introduced the first full LED LCD film recorder as a new step in film recording.
  • Cinevator was made by Cinevation AS, in Drammen, Norway. The Cinevator was a real-time digital film recorder. It could record IN, IP and prints with and without sound
  • Oxberry produced the Model 3100 film recorder camera system, with interchangeable pin-registered movements (shuttles) for 35 mm (full frame/Silent, 1.33:1) and 16 mm (regular 16, "2R"), and others have adapted the Oxberry movements for CinemaScope, 1.85:1, 1.75:1, 1.66:1, as well as Academy/Sound (1.37:1) in 35 mm and Super-16 in 16 mm ("1R"). For instance, the "Solitaire" and numerous others employed the Oxberry 3100 camera system.

History

Before video tape recorders or VTRs were invented, TV shows were either broadcast live or recorded to film for later showing, using the kinescope process. In 1967, CBS Laboratories introduced the Electronic Video Recording format, which used video and telecined-to-video film sources, which were then recorded with an electron-beam recorder at CBS' EVR mastering plant at the time to 35mm film stock in a rank of 4 strips on the film, which was then slit down to 4 film copies, for playback in an EVR player.

All types of CRT recorders were (and still are) used for film recording. Some early examples used for computer-output recording were the 1954 IBM 740 CRT Recorder, and the 1962 Stromberg-Carlson SC-4020, the latter using a Charactron CRT for text and vector graphic output to either 16 mm motion picture film, 16 mm microfilm, or hard-copy paper output.

Later 1970 and 80s-era recording to B&W (and color, with 3 separate exposures for red, green, and blue)) 16 mm film was done with an EBR (Electron Beam Recorder), the most prominent examples made by 3M), for both video and COM (Computer Output Microfilm) applications. Image Transform in Universal City, California used specially modified 3M EBR film recorders that could perform color film-out recording on 16 mm by exposing three 16 mm frames in a row (one red, one green and one blue). The film was then printed to color 16 mm or 35 mm film. The video fed to the recorder could either be NTSC, PAL or SECAM. Later, Image Transform used specially modified VTRs to record 24 frame for their "Image Vision" system. The modified 1 inch type B videotape VTRs would record and play back 24frame video at 10 MHz bandwidth, at about twice the normal NTSC resolution. Modified 24fps 10 MHz Bosch Fernseh KCK-40 cameras were used on the set. This was a custom pre-HDTV video system. Image Transform had modified other gear for this process. At its peak, this system was used in the production of the film "Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl" in 1982. This was the first major pre-digital intermediate post production using a film recorder for film-out production.

In 1980 film recorder was made in LIKI in USSR.

In 1988, companies in the United States collectively produced 715 million slides at a cost of $8.3 billion. Steurer was awarded the Oskar Messter Memorial Medal two years later in 2014 for his role in the development of the Arrilaser.

See also

  • Film-out
  • Tape-out
  • Grating light valve

References

  • Cinevator
  • Arri
  • Lasergraphics
  • Definity
  • CCG
  • smpte.org EBR
  • The History of Television, 1942 to 2000, By Albert Abramson, Christopher H. Sterling, page 125
  • Cinmatographe Recorders, Posted on 27 December 2011
  • Film Recorder 4 July 2011
  • Movie Recorder
  • LVT Rhino Image Recorder, 2008
  • The Philips-Miller Film Recorder, Early Audio Recorders
  • Cinematographe Terme Conseill Film recorders
  • smpte.org A Short History of Television Recording: Part II, Albert Abramson
  • kodak.com IMAGICA Film Recorder Rewrites the Speed Limit
  • Digital Film Recorder recommended film types
  • Using the Polaroid Film Recorder, from marietta.edu
  • Film Recorders
  • What is a film recorder? dslreports.com
  • Lasergraphics Film Recorder
  • film output faq
  • editorsguild.com DI work, The Editors Guild Magazine, Vol. 23, No. 3 – May/June 2002
  • Lasergraphics specs
  • CREATING 35mm SLIDES WITH THE FILM RECORDER – Polaroid 8000 and Polaroid 7000
  • SFE Developers of film recorder to receive Oscar
  • Visual effects in a digital world By Karen E. Goulekas, page 283
  • 4K VERSUS 8K IMAGING
  • A brief history of scanning and recording by C Glenn Kennel, director of technology for Cinesite’s Film Scanning and Recording and Digital Mastering divisions.
  • Film recording from pgreen.co.uk
  • Lux Laser Cinema Recorder: Get Speed and Quality with Laser Recorders, Jan 1, 1999 12:00 PM, Tom Thill
  • Autologic Terminates New Activities on Laser Recorder, 7 March 2000|BARBARA MURPHY
  • Light Illusion on Film recorders
  • How to Use the LFR Plus Film Recorder from Oregon State University
  • Solitaire Cine III FLX Specifications
  • imapro.com film recorders
  • Focus on Imaging, December, 2001, Film Recorders in the 21st Century by Jack and Sue Drafahl
  • Difference in resolution 4k and 8k with examples