American Cinematographer - July 1990 - 83

Contrast Control Made Easier
by Isidore Mankofsky, ASC

cinematographer. Modifying the lighting
or the existing light to a level acceptable
to the recording medium-film or video
tape - and accommodating the whole

negative an extra time as it moved
through a machine to be flashed; deter¬
mining the amount of flash, which would
vary from lab to lab and being sure that
the flashing has been done at the proper
percent; not being able to makechanges

to the intent of the filmmaker and

within

Motion picture photography contrast
control has always been a battle for the

constant

story

struggle.

Arriflex Corporation and
Panavision have both made available

ingenious equipment to assist in contrast
equipment was
generously put at my disposal for testing
and practical use on a Disney Movie of
the Week for NBC called Polly.
control efforts. This

that is generated is directed into the edge
of the glass plate. Each ray of light thus
introduced is reflected internally to the

glass many hundreds of times. Depend¬
ing on the angle of incidence of each
beam, some percentage of the light is

a scene or

transm itted

roll
of
film
withoutsome

through the glass/
air interface and
the remainder is is
reflected back into
the glass. The

inconvenience;
and the inability to
see

the effect of

the

potential flash
through
the

multiplicity of

re¬

flections coupled
with opposed bulb

viewfinder and
make
adjust¬
placement, results
ments. The option
in an extremely
tween light and dark - not to be con¬
of making scene to
fused with vivid colors. Film can record a
uniform light level
Arriflex camera complete with VariCon
scene color modifi¬
contrast of 1:128 and video imagers can
over the entire
mounted in matte box.
record a range of 1:80. Often naturally lit
cations by adding
face of the filter.
colored filters to the flashing source also
scenes have a contrast range considera¬
Intensity variation is accomplished by a
simple shutter mechanism while main¬
bly higher, 1:1000 or more. The cinema¬ would be lost.
The Arriflex contrast control
taining constant color temperature and
tographer must reduce the contrast in a
uniform illumination. This is all mounted
scene to a range acceptable to the re¬
unit is called the ARRI VariCon. What I
cording medium and do this within the used was a prototype made for use on on the matte box.
time and money constraints of present
Arriflex cameras. Since I was using it on
The Panavision flashing unit is
a
Panaflex
called
the
Panaflasher and has been
camera,
compatibility created
day production.
some problems. ARRI in due course will
available for a longer time. The
The cinematographer has a
number of ways to deal with contrast and
have the VariCon available for other
Panaflasher is contained in a box that fits
on the camera on the top magazine port
its effect on the overall look of the fin¬
camera systems. The VariCon is an out¬
ished film. The
growth of the or the rear magazine port, depending on
most obvious is
Lightflex, with all where the magazine is and whether one
to
of the functions of
wants to pre-flash or post-flash the film.
control of the light¬
the Lightflex and
There is a diffusion disk in the control box
ing,adding fill light
can
none of the limita¬
as needed.
where it attaches to the magazine port
of the camera. A color corrected light
This is
tions. This product
not always pos¬
allows a camersource and light intensity control unit

Contrast is the difference be¬

the film

transfer

be...

traumatic..."

sible, which brings
us

to filters: low contrast,

double fog, or

what have you.

Simply, these work by
diffusing lightfrom the highlight areas to

the darker areas of the scene. There are
some undesirable effects with low con

filters, such

as an

effect around very

unwanted halation

bright objects, loss of
resolution, and the inability to effectively
cover large dark areas without using a
heavy low con filter which would result
in milking out the blacks.
Pre-flashing or post-flashing
can be done at the laboratory with rather
good effect. However, there are many
problems: handling of the undeveloped

aperson to selec¬
tively reflect light into the camera lens.
It provides instantly variable, continuous
range contrast adjustment without any
loss of image resolution.

complete the unit. This provides an even
overall exposure as the film passes the
light source on the way to the aperture
takeup side of the magazine.

The result, at low levels of il¬
lumination, is to add highlights to the

VariCon

or as

the film is about to return to the
Both the Panaflasher and the

available fortesting shortly
before the start of filming. I also shot
were

underexposed portions of a scene while
not significantly altering more brightly lit
areas or image resolution.
The VariCon is, basically, a
round piece of flat, optically clear glass
that is surrounded by an array of variable
intensity, constant color temperature
lights and mirrored surfaces. The light

two units

bulbs

the

are

July 1990

placed so that most of the light

ongoing tests during production. It was
necessary to keep both units on the show
because

as I mentioned earlier the Vari¬
Con prototype could not do all that would
be required and there would be times I
would be using two cameras. Having the

working side by side gave me

unique opportunity for direct compari-

American

Cinematographer

American Cinematographer - July 1990

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