What is 70mm Film?

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70 mm has been around since the beginning of film production despite its recent spike of popularity in the media. It refers to the width of the film strip and although filming it is a bit more burdening and expensive, it delivers better results. The latest Star Wars movie and Quentin Tarantino’s ‘The Hateful Eight’ are ones to look out for. It’s represented as the newest way of watching alongside IMAX, 3D, blu-ray 4k and digital. 

It’s common nowadays for films to be distributed digitally without the usage of filmstrips. Theaters to a degree have migrated to digital projection. The debate between digital and traditional film is a tough one as each has their own strengths and weaknesses. Digital of course, uses less resources and space while film has broader exposure latitude. Be that as it may, with increasing technology digital may someday exceed film. Hoyte van Hoytema Interstellar’s cinematographer says the debate is ridiculous as different filmmakers have their own taste and preference on the matter.

Well known filmmakers Tarantino and Nolan convinced Kodak to maintain their production of film stock, meaning film is still alive. 35 mm is the standard for film. The 70mm offers better resolution, a bigger picture and aspect ratio. It’s 65 mm being the still which has the frames on it and an added 5mm on each side for the audio track.

When making movies only selected parts are made with 70mm and those shots go into the trailer for advertisement. The amount of 70mm used solely depends on budget as film is not the only section where payment is demanded; CGI, wages, actor makeup and advertisement must also be considered. Sometimes it’s just the final scene, other times it takes up half of the movie and rarely the whole. The equipment is loud and heavy so usage of it isn’t convenient. You can tell which part of the movie is 70mm or 35mm by paying attention to the aspect ratio. The top and bottom parts are blackened at a lower aspect ratio while 70mm fills the screen.

And of course film theaters differ from digital, their projector. There are also special theaters for watching 70mm such as IMAX with screens up to 20 meters high. While the IMAX dome creates an illusion and covers your whole peripheral vision with the films. Something to consider when going to the movies.

 

http://www.elementsofcinema.com/general/film-digital.html

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/industry-cinematographers-weigh-in-on-film-vs-digital/1

https://www.groupon.com/articles/what-is-70mm-film

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/70_mm_film