Optics: motion pictures – With sound accompaniment – Methods
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-30
2001-11-13
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Optics: motion pictures
With sound accompaniment
Methods
C352S026000, C352S027000, C352S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317191
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to fields of motion picture, television and other multi-media production. More particularly, the invention relates to methods for recording original audio information directly onto a motion picture, television or other multi media photographic origination film during the scene filming.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Synchronization of multiple media sources such as a motion picture photographic image and sound (audio) information in a final motion picture print film, i.e., the film that is shown in movie theaters, is a problem which the motion picture production industry has faced for many decades. The techniques required for recording photographic images on movie film and those by which sound is recorded on a suitable sound recording medium are quite different. Therefore, it has been common since the early days of sound films to employ two independent pieces of equipment for recording image and audio information. In the early days, images were invariably recorded as a sequence of frames on a continuous strip of photographic film, while audio was recorded as a microscopic wavy groove in either a wax cylinder or a wax disk. Some audio was recorded on the set, but much audio was recorded or re-recorded or dubbed while observing a screening of the film. Synchronization of a projected picture with corresponding audio recorded in a separate medium was quite crude. Picture and audio would be started at a reference point established at the program. The speed of one or the other would be manually adjusted when loss of synchronization was observed. However, such techniques provide very poor synchronization.
In modern studios, images may be recorded on film in a variety of formats. Audio is likely to be recorded on magnetic recording tape called a sound tape, also in a variety of formats. Whenever multiple tracks of source material are used to create a final production or composition, synchronization of one or more images with one or more tracks of audio may be required. The use of a customary slate at the beginning of each take of a scene helps facilitate synchronization of audio recorded on the set with picture recorded on the set. The slate produces a sharp and distinct sound on the audio recording, simultaneous with an identifiable visual event, such as a bar hitting the top of the board. Additionally, during recording, the camera and the audio recording equipment may be mechanically or electrically synchronized, so that corresponding lengths of film and audio media are used. Consequently, to synchronize these source media for editing or viewing requires that the sound of the slate in the audio track be aligned with the image of the bar hitting the top of the board. Then the two media may be mechanically or electrically locked together for playback or editing.
For greater flexibility, including the use of multiple sound tracks recorded in separate media either on the set or off the set, timecodes have been developed for aiding in the establishment and maintenance of synchronization in the circumstances such as described above. One type of commonly used timecode is that developed by the Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), which may be imprinted in an unused margin of the film or audio media during filming so as to indicate an absolute time reference for each frame of film. The imprinting of the SMPTE timecodes may be human readable, e.g., as numbers in the margin of the film, or may be machine readable, e.g. as bar codes in the margin of the film. Another time reference used on film media is the Eastman Kodak KEYKODE number. Among other things, the KEYKODE number acts as a roll and frame counter, by which any frame of a production may be absolutely identified. KEYKODES are recorded in the form of a latent image of the code data on film stock at the time of manufacture, after emulsion coating of the film base, in the film margin.
Synchronization during playback of multiple media sources may be achieved as follows. First, all the media are aligned manually to a starting point.
During playback, timecodes may then be read off all of the media to be synchronized. The playback speeds of the media are then adjusted so as to cause the timecodes read off the media to coincide throughout the playback. Such systems employ standard feedback techniques to cause the playback speeds of all the media but one to follow the playback speed of the one.
To eliminate the need for real time synchronization of images and sound during viewing of a motion picture, motion picture print films commonly employ optical soundtracks along at least one edge of the film, which sound tracks are already synchronized with the images. During projection of the motion picture images, a light source illuminates the soundtrack and a photosensor senses the light passing through and modulated by the soundtrack to produce an audio signal that is sent to amplifiers of the theater sound system. The most common optical soundtracks presently in use are analog soundtracks of the “variable area” type wherein signals are recorded in the form of a varying ratio of opaque to relatively clear area along the soundtrack. Digital soundtracks for motion picture films have been more recently introduced, wherein sound information is recorded in a digital format, e.g. comprising small data bit patterns on the film, typically between perforations of the motion picture film (e.g., Dolby™ Digital Stereo soundtracks) or along the film edge (e.g., Sony™ Dynamic Digital Sound soundtracks). U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,600,280 and 4,461,552, e.g., disclose methods in which digital audio is photographically recorded on motion picture film.
In order to optimize the visual quality of the motion picture image as well as the sound quality of the soundtrack recorded on a motion picture print film, the motion picture and soundtrack are first typically captured or recorded on separate photosensitive films as negative images, and the resulting negatives are then printed in synchronization on a motion picture print film to form positive images. Optical soundtrack negatives are typically best recorded with high contrast, relatively slow speed films (e.g., Eastman Sound Recording Films) in order to generate desired sharp images for the sound recording and minimize background noise generated by relatively high minimum densities typically associated with relatively fast camera negative origination films. Exposure of the optical soundtrack negative is conventionally performed in response to sound information recorded in a master magnetic sound tape (which may comprise a compilation of original audio, dubbing, music, sound effects, etc.).
The above discussion of sound and image synchronization primarily relates to conventional practice associated with production of a final print film designed for projection in a theater. Such production typically involves extensive editing procedures involving both images and sound, in addition to synchronization of the final edited images and sound track. When a motion picture film director desires to periodically check the quality of work then being filmed, he may rely on viewing print film images (commonly known as “dailies”) or telecine transfer images made from rolls of origination film shot in the previous day. While it may be useful to provide original audio (e.g., actual original dialogue of actors in a scene) with a daily print to aid in evaluation of the work, dailies must be quickly prepared, and providing audio information in the form of an optical soundtrack would be inconvenient and costly as it would require the generation of a separate sound negative film recording and synchronized printing thereof on the print dailies as discussed above. Dailies accordingly do not typically include integral audio information, but rather conventionally are viewed as silent films. Various systems have been proposed for providing playback of audio or other information associated with a scene recorded on separate media during viewing of a print of the scene (includi
Anderson Charles C.
James Robert O.
Markham David C.
Uhlig Ronald E.
Walker Keith A.
Adams Russell
Anderson Andrew J.
Eastman Kodak Company
Fuller Rodney
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