American Cinematographer - February 1988 - 80

around July of 1985, and now just about all
the TV film shot at Lorimar is transferred

directly from the original negative to video
tape for post-production.
Lorimar operates two RankCintel color telecines of its own, and is

currently using the Ediflex off-line video
editing system. "We do about 80 percent of
film-to-video transfer work," said
Knox. "The biggest benefit is reduction of

our own

post-production time."
The Max project presented an
evident technical challenge. Numerous
scenes involve footage encompassing video
monitors. There are some 40 monitors in the
control room of the Edison Carter Show at
Network 23. And, Edison Carter is almost
t\bove: Edison Carter
'Max

with his camera recording live
news images. These are frequently inte¬
grated into scenes; and, of course, Max's
persona is always presented on a TV
always

Brewer) talks

with head of net¬

work

on screen.

Right: Theora Jones
1Amanda Pays) at
computer controls.

seen

monitor.

Traditionally, film cameras roll at
second, while NTSC video
images are displayed at 30 frames per
second. The result is that if you shoot film at
traditional frame rates, the images on the
video displays will flicker and roll in bar-like
24 frames per

fashion.

Max is

a

wild card. He gets

of the networks

computer, and pops up where and when he
chooses, dishing out a menu of delicious
irreverence that viewers love to devour.
One of the

key behind-theplayers is Matthew Knox, vice presi¬
dent, network post-production for LorimarTelevision. Knox was born in England but he
has family roots in the U.S. film industry. He
worked in England for awhile before coming
to the U.S. during the early 1970s. Knox
started at Lorimar as an apprentice in the

post-production department in 1974. Today,
he's responsible for all post-production for
episodic network TV (Falcon Crest, Our
House, Dallas, Knots Landing, et al) as well
as for network pilots, telefilms and mini¬
series.
Lorimar was among

the first film

large scale charge into
video post-production. The trend started
producers to lead

78

American

a

Cinematographer

Testing was completed by Janu¬
(1987), and production began shortly
thereafter. The unique visual language of
the series evolved during the first six epi¬
sodes and was based on the English origi¬
nal. During the pilot episode, graphics
ary

created for the Channel 4 program were
used and augmented by the Post Group and
Video

Image, in Los Angeles. For following
episodes, more original graphics were
created.

Pacing has a lot to do with the
Max look. "We are doing our best to blow
the editing system out," said Knox. "Max is
a

visually-layered show with a rich comple¬
creating a look and a

ment of sound. We are

sound for

a

future which

no one

has

ever

described before."

Bruno George was associate
producer for the six episodes created during
the spring of 1987. "We forced a breakdown

various remedies, but

of the territorial attitude between film and

tape people. You've got to embrace the
strengths of both types of media or the

are

problem, and it also enriches the quality of

show doesn't work. We

visual information. In effect, the TV viewer is
treated to 25 percent more pictures per
second. This technique is occasionally used

tape aesthetics. They're different. It's like

by commercial and rock video filmmakers.
Knox suggested that the cost for
shooting at 30 frames per second could be
off-set by pulling down three perforations
per 35mm frame instead of the standard
Academy aperture of four perforations per

using

telecine transfers as dailies and
answer prints simultaneously. If you don't do
that, the end product suffers," he said.
Max is something George has
been working toward since his teenage
years. George grew up in Eugene, Oregon,

frame.

where his father worked for a local TV
station. He started dabbling with computer
animation in high school, and hoarded his
allowance so he could pay a local lab to

This reduced the amount of foot¬

scenes

studied at the London Film School and

5294) met the test.

the most practical is to run the film camera
at 30 frames per second. This eliminates the

There

loose into the memory

since all 35mm film emulsions are designed
for the Academy standard of four perfora¬
tions per 35mm frame.
Various emulsions were tested
in a Panaflex Gold camera modified for a
three perforation pulldown. Eastman's me¬
dium and high speed emulsions (5247 and

age

running through the

camera

by 25

percent. Knox projected the net cost savings
for shooting at 30 frames per second with a
three perforation pulldown at around six
percent.
There is about a seven percent
loss in

image area, and some slight loss of
However, these were deemed
acceptable compromises. Knox consulted
with Moe Shore at Panavision, John Baptista at Metrocolor Lab and Niel Kempt at
Rank-Cintel. In each

case

he

was

assured

perforations
also

per

35mm frame. There

some concerns

February 1988

about

were

image steadiness

both film and

mixing oil painting and sculpturing. You can't
fit

one

into the other's slot. We

are

also

our

his film. In Hollywood, George
a film lab, and later in the optical
department at BOSS Films, when that com¬
pany created visual effects for Ghostbusters
process

worked in

and 2010.
"I learned

exposure.

that camera, lab and telecine transfer equip¬
ment could be modified to operate at three

use

a

lot about the struc¬

ture of film

during that period," he said. "We
took individual frames apart by making
separations, and, in effect, we relit these to
achieve particular effects, before we put
them back together."
George describes the Max
Headroom look

MTV

as

rock-and-roll rather than

style rock video. "We wanted to
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