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Rear projection (background projection, process photography, etc.) is one of many in-camera effects cinematic techniques in
film production Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...
for combining foreground performances with pre-filmed backgrounds. It was widely used for many years in driving scenes, or to show other forms of "distant" background motion.


Technique

Actors stand in front of a screen while a projector positioned behind the screen casts a reversed image of the background. This requires a large space, as the projector needs to be placed some distance from the back of the screen. Frequently the background image may initially appear faint and washed out compared to the foreground. The image that is projected can be still or moving, but is always called the ''plate.'' One might hear the command "Roll plate" to instruct stage crew to begin projecting. These so-called ''process shots'' were widely used to film actors as if they were inside a moving vehicle, who in reality are in a vehicle mock-up on a
sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a soundproof, large structure, building, or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or ...
. In these cases the motion of the backdrop film and foreground actors and props were often different due to the lack of camera stabilizing in the filming from the moving vehicles used to produce the plate. This was most noticeable as bumps and jarring motions of the background image that would not be duplicated by the actors. A major problem with rear projection use was that the rear projection was always slightly less crisp than the action in front of it, it was always slightly noticeable. It was especially noticeable in sequences where it alternated with non-projection shots. A major advance over rear projection is front projection, which uses a special screen material to allow the plate to be projected from the front of the screen. This results in a much sharper and more saturated image. Although the technique had been used experimentally for some time, it was during the filming of '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968) that the modern version was fully developed. In this case it was used to avoid costly on-location shots in Africa during the opening scenes of the movie, but the effect was also used throughout the film for a variety of shots into or the windows of spacecraft. ''2001'' also used rear projection to produce computer screen effects. As front projection and bluescreen effects became more widespread and less costly, rear projection has been rendered largely obsolete.
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensemb ...
used the process for the taxi ride sequence in ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rha ...
'' (1994).
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post- New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability ...
also used rear projection for several special effects shots in ''
Aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrat ...
'' (1986), including the crash of the
dropship Dropship or drop ship may refer to: * Drop shipping, a retailing practice of sending items from a manufacturer directly to a customer * Dropship (science fiction), a military landing craft in science fiction * Dropship (software), a program to copy ...
, as well as for several sequences in '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991) such as the car escape from the mental hospital and the
T-1000 The T-1000 is a fictional character in the ''Terminator'' franchise. A shapeshifting android Terminator assassin, the T-1000 is the main antagonist of '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', as well as a minor antagonist in ''Terminator Genisys'' and ...
hijacking the police helicopter; Cameron has been described as one of the few people in Hollywood still able to understand and use process photography as an effective technique.''Terminator 2: kJudgement Day Ultimate Edition DVD'' special features, interview with James Cameron on 'Process Photography' The ''Austin Powers'' film series (1997–2002) frequently used rear projection to help recreate the feel of old spy movies, while ''
Natural Born Killers ''Natural Born Killers'' is a 1994 American crime film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. The film tells the story of two victims of traumatic childhoo ...
'' (1994) used the technique extensively throughout to emphasize characters' subconscious motivations.


History

Rear projection was conceived long before its actual usage; however, it was only made possible in the 1930s due to three necessary technical developments. The most important was the development of camera and projector motors which could be linked up for synchronization of their shutters, which were developed out of the unrelated needs of "talking" movies whose timing had to be carefully controlled. Secondly,
Eastman Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
's introduction of
panchromatic Panchromatic emulsion is a type of black-and-white photographic emulsion that is sensitive to all wavelengths of visible light. Description A panchromatic emulsion renders a realistic reproduction of a scene as it appears to the human eye, altho ...
film stock Film stock is an analog medium that is used for recording motion pictures or animation. It is recorded on by a movie camera, developed, edited, and projected onto a screen using a movie projector. It is a strip or sheet of transparen ...
in 1928 allowed for the camera to expose the projected background more than
orthochromatic In chemistry, orthochromasia is the property of a dye or stain to not change color on binding to a target, as opposed to metachromatic stains, which change color. The word is derived from the Greek '' orthos'' (correct, upright), and chromatic ...
stocks, making it look less faint than it did before. Finally, the larger film gauges beginning to emerge in the late 1920s demanded more powerful projection lamps, which were subsequently available for making the rear projection screen brighter and thus more properly exposed. In 1930,
Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...
was the first to use the rear projection technique, with their films '' Liliom'' and then ''
Just Imagine ''Just Imagine'' is a 1930 American pre-Code science fiction musical-comedy film, directed by David Butler. The film is known for its art direction and special effects in its portrayal of New York City in an imagined 1980. ''Just Imagine'' sta ...
,'' and were subsequently awarded a technical Oscar for their work the next year. Shortly after this debut, Farciot Edouart ASC, at
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, refined the technique, starting in 1933, and developed several new methods such as syncing three projectors with the same background plate for more even and bright exposure. Linwood Dunn ASC, at
RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...
, expanded on this with the use of
traveling matte Mattes are used in photography and special effects filmmaking to combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image (e.g. actors on a set) with a background image (e.g. a scen ...
with films like ''
Flying Down to Rio ''Flying Down to Rio'' is a 1933 American pre-Code RKO musical film famous for being the first screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, although Dolores del Río and Gene Raymond received top billing and the leading roles. Among ...
'' (1933). In the late 1940s, David Rawnsley introduced the technique in four minor British films, when it was heavily criticized.
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
was a master at using process screen shots, mixing them with location shots so that the slight artificiality of the process screen shots does not distract from the action. He used the process to show
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...
's character being attacked by a crop duster plane in '' North by Northwest'' and throughout the film, but it was criticized when he used it extensively in '' Marnie''. Fantasy filmmaker
Ray Harryhausen Raymond Frederick Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an American-British animator and special effects creator who created a form of stop motion model animation known as "Dynamation". His works include the animation for '' Mig ...
pioneered a variation of rear projection in the 1950s and 1960s with
Dynamation Raymond Frederick Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an American-British animator and special effects creator who created a form of stop motion model animation known as "Dynamation". His works include the animation for '' Mig ...
, whereby the rear screen was placed on a miniature set along with stop-motion creatures. Harryhausen figured out a way to synchronize the movement of the miniature figures with the background projection as a way to insert live-action humans in the same scene as the creatures.


See also

* Bipack * Optical printer "The Hansard Process" * Schüfftan process *
Traveling matte Mattes are used in photography and special effects filmmaking to combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image (e.g. actors on a set) with a background image (e.g. a scen ...
*
StageCraft Stagecraft is a technical aspect of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes constructing and rigging scenery; hanging and focusing of lighting; design and procurement of costumes; make-up; stage management; audio engineering; an ...


Notes

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References

* Clarke, Charles G., A.S.C, Professional Cinematography, Los Angeles, 1964, pp. 153 ff. Special effects