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ARRI Group Worldwide Homepage

"In response to market demand, ARRI is introducing a new Super 16 camera, the ARRIFLEX 416. Based on years of camera engineering, market research and focus groups with renowned industry professionals, the ARRIFLEX 416 brings features previously only found in high end 35 mm cameras to Super 16 productions."

History of the Format:

"Developed by Kodak in 1923 as a format for hobby cinematographers, 16 mm soon dominated the market with a huge number of diverse cameras. After the Second World War, the 16 mm format became one of the most successful professional formats ever."

"The 16 mm cameras were the backbone of the quickly growing television industry as they became the standard tool for capturing sport, news and documentaries. The portability and reliability of 16 mm assured a steady stream of content that allowed television to ascend to its current popularity."

"In the early 70s, 16 mm evolved further with the introduction of Super 16, invented by Rune Ericson. By utilizing the area previously occupied by a second row of perforations on camera negative and reserved for the soundtrack on release prints, Super 16 uses the maximum image area available on 16 mm film."

Basics:

"A Super 16 frame is 20 to 40% larger than a regular 16 mm frame depending on the aspect ratio chosen. The native aspect ratio of a Super 16 frame is 1.66:1, which is a good fit for the HDTV aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (19 x 9) or the theatrical release format of 1.85:1."

Advantages:

 

"Long Term Archivability

Productions shot decades ago on film can be transferred to HD now, and look as if they were shot yesterday. Many TV shows, documentaries and NASA space flight sequences have returned to DVD and broadcast because they had been originated on film.

Programs produced on film today will retain their value tomorrow, disregarding the constant changes in electronic video formats. Since film contains an actual image that is always visible and readable, it can be transferred to whatever new electronic standards will reign in years to come. Thus film is the champion when it comes to protecting your investment for the future."

ARRI Introduces ARRIFLEX 416 Super 16mm Camera At IBC

"The ARRIFLEX 416 is a lightweight, modern Super 16 film camera with a 35-style viewfinder and an amazingly low sound level (less than 20 dbA) similar to that of the ARRICAM. Its speed is variable from 1 to 75 fps, and the mirror shutter can be manually adjusted from 45 to 180 degrees. "

"The camera’s viewfinder optics have been redesigned from the ground up, incorporating fewer lens elements of higher quality and a shorter optical path. The results are significantly higher contrast, higher resolution and a brighter image. The viewfinder can be freely rotated, extended or flipped to the other camera side for comfortable viewing in any camera position. In addition, a new ARRIGLOW system has been implemented which provides evenly illuminated and user selectable frameline color options."

Denny Clairmont, President of Clairmont Camera said: "The 416 is a fantastic camera. It has a nice size and is very quiet. The biggest issue for operators is the viewfinder, and the 416 viewfinder is outstanding. We have Super 16 and HD cameras for rent, but I personally think Super 16 makes more financial sense. Super 16 is certainly a format with a future, especially if you consider the archival issue."

News From broadcastbuyer.tv - MediaSys Becomes Quantel Partner For GCC Gulf States

Excerpt:

“We’ve been actively looking for high-end post products to complete our portfolio and with the anticipated growth in DI and the Post market in the GCC, Quantel’s products are a perfect fit,” said Bejoy George, MediaSys Managing Director.

New York Times published a piece today "Studios Shift to Digital Movies, but Not Without Resistance" by Scott Kirsner:

The product market for digital cinematography has established first entrants like Panavision and Thomson Grass Valley ( and Arriflex), but writes Scott Kirsner:

"[M]any new cameras are on the way, from established companies like the ARRI Group of Germany and a start-up, Red Digital Cinema."

Also cited:

“We’ve reached what may be looked at, five years from now, as a tipping point in the use of digital cameras,” said Curtis Clark, a cinematographer who is chairman of the American Society of Cinematographers’ technology committee."

Aside from technological advances in image quality vis-à-vis 35mm, I would add that digital acquisition is reaching critical mass as the gaming generation of below and above-the-line creators and technicians enter their "journeyman" or productive years. Unlike their predecessors, this generation does not have the residue of the long-standing infrastructural culture war between film and "video".

The cost savings of newer technology are often emphasized by OEM's, and certainly the viability of digital technologies arises primarily from the growing emphasis on solving the endemic vagueness and inefficiency in Hollywood financials. This trend is ultimately a result of the emerging Creative Economy. The engine of economic growth in the developed world is sustained creativity and the production of high-value intellectual property whether pharmaceuticals, video games, or movies.

In the shift to digital, infrastructure is often overlooked by commentators; while emphasis is frequently placed on the efficiency and aesthetics benefits of newer technologies. As the gaming generation matures, the industry will continue to develop a culture of technicians with dramatically different training cycles and models then its traditional and waning culture of apprenticeship. OEM's, however, are not in a rush to push out traditional acquisition technologies, unless they rely solely on digital for revenue streams. In fact, revenue streams inform the marketing strategies and angle of manufacturers when it comes to their positioning on newer digital technologies. Are they still making money from traditional technology? Then why disparage film. Are they a diversified? Then why not emphasize their choice. Common wisdom in business is that the most profitable years in a technological lifespan are the last years when there is less money invested R&D. Then, it's pure profit.

If you watch television or go to the movies, you have already seen Grass Valley™ brand products and their Emmy® award-winning technologies at work. Mark Chiolis is the Senior Marketing Manager of Thomson Grass Valley’s Strategic Marketing and Business Development Group, based in Burbank, California.

Alexa O'Brien
How does the Viper FilmStream fit into the marketplace against digital cinematography cameras like to the Panavision Genesis and the Arriflex D-20?

Mark Chiolis

Both the Genesis and the D-20 are using single CMOS based sensors that are capable of using legacy 35mm cine lenses. The benefit of a single sensor is that you eliminate the prism but there are trade-offs in having to split out the Red, Green and Blue signals from the single sensor. Our philosophy on the Viper is to utilize three high-quality patented Frame Transfer (FT-DPM) Digital Pixel Management CCDs that take advantage of today’s latest design technologies in optics, providing a combination that yields what we at Grass Valley believe is the highest quality digital image available in a production camera today. The Viper also has four distinct modes of operation which makes it the most versatile of the digital cameras. Depending upon the project it is possible to shoot in the “raw” 4:4:4 FilmStream mode, a fully color corrected and processed 4:4:4 mode, a semi-processed 4:2:2 mode (which is perfect for cost conscious television work) and of course “regular” fully processed 4:2:2 HD mode. Additionally, because of our unique ability to reconfigure our sensors to different formats, the Viper is the only digital camera that is capable of shooting widescreen (2.37:1) aspect ratios that use the full vertical resolution of 1080 lines. Because other digital cameras are not capable of reconfiguring their sensors they are forced to “chop off” the top and bottom of the picture creating a faux widescreen image. This lowering of the vertical resolution can really display itself especially when going back to film for release.

Recently brought in from Munich by Simon Broad, Andreas Weeber is the Supervisor of the new Digital Imaging Department at Arri CSC in New York. He is also responsible for introducing the Arriflex D-20 Digital Camera to the United States.

Alexa O'Brien
The rumor on the street is that both Arriflex and Panavision have made their last 35mm cameras. Arriflex will not make anything after the Arricam and the Arricam Light and Panavision will not make anything after the Platinum, so neither will create new film cameras. They will just maintain what is already out there. Is that true?

Andreas Weeber
No, that’s definitely not true. Arri doesn’t see the D-20 as a replacement for film cameras. The D-20 is aimed for different applications, let’s say commercials or something, you know whatever is not going to end up on a film screen or something. But, you know, movies in the theater still should be done on a 35 mm camera. We never pretend the D-20 is as good as a 35 mm camera, resolution wise and color wise and all this. So that rumor is just not true, and Arri would be really stupid to do something like this.