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<p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4" color="#330000">Making
The Stretch From 4:3 to 16:9 </font></b></p>
<p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>by Matt Albinson</b></font><br>
<br>
In the forward-looking world of audio-visual technology,where what is state-of-the-art
today is often outdated next year, the successful independent filmmaker must
keep one eyelooking through the camera and the other keeping track ofemerging
technologies. The same is true for post-production houses, where the<img border="0" height="338" width="230" src="../media/newart/erickson.jpg" align="right">re
is growing pressure to provide services that will prolong the shelf life of
a production through theimpending standards shift from NTSC to HDTV.<br>
<br>
This shift from analog to digital broadcasting has thepotential to leave many
producers and post-production housesout of the loop. In addition to the added
resolution, digital television will boast a new 16:9 widescreen aspectratio.
In order for today's 4:3 productions to be shown inthe new format, they will
have to undergo an upconversion process, which will literally stretch their
images until they fit the prescribed format. This will tend to have a degrading
effect on the images, which even HDTV's added lines of resolution can't fully
counteract.<br>
<br>
I recently sat down with independent documentary maker Luc Cuyvers and Colorlab's
president, Russ Suniewick. Luc's latest project, "Into the Rising Sun,"
was produced in cooperation with MPT (Maryland Public Television).The documentary
commemorates the 500th anniversary of Vasco daGama's arrival in India. The series
focuses on the search for a sea route to the East and its impact on the shaping
of the modern world. Russ and Luc worked together closely in the show's post-production
to ensure that the final product would remaintechnologically viable. To some
extent, both of theircareers depend on remaining current in the evolving mediumof
video broadcast. So, these film mavens are currentlydevising both short-term
and long-term solutions for thedigital age in broadcast. Origination on Super
16 is therecurringtheme here!<br>
<br>
The groundwork for HDTV has already been laid, and whilequestions of how quickly
the public will catch on remain, itis a safe bet that regular NTSC will not
be adequate forHDTV. The FCC has already ratified its replacement--the ATSCDigital
Television Standard--thereby opening the door forvendors to create and sell
high resolution video equipment.The new standard contains eighteen possible
digital formats,some high definition, some with 16 x 9 aspect ratios.Individual
broadcast houses will choose among the manydigital formats. The four currently
planned broadcastformats are 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 480i. The two highdefinition
formats are 1080i and 720p. All consumerreceiving equipment displaying the DTV
logo will be capableof receiving all 18 formats.<br>
<br>
Twenty-six television stations are volunteering to begindigital broadcasting
November 1st of this year. WashingtonDC area stations are Channels 4,7,9, and
26. The affiliatesof the top four networks in the top ten markets must beginby
May 1, 1999, and the affiliates in the top 30 marketswill be on the bandwagon
by November 1, 1999. NTSC could bephased out by 2006. The first HDTV products
will be rollinginto the showrooms around September or October of this yearleaving
precious little time for insiders like Cuyvers andSuniewick to react.<br>
<br>
Many in the production and post-production industries arealready feeling pressure
to purchase equipment toaccommodate high def productions despite not having
yet evenseen what the high def images look like. The dilemma is evengreater
for independent producers who need to sell theirwork in order to survive. They
are being forced to decidewhether to originate on current mediums that could
becomeoutdated and unsellable by the millennium, or on high defequipment, which
currently boasts sky high prices forequipment and post services.<br>
<br>
Luc Cuyvers has found a solution. Luc, a writer,photographer and filmmaker rolled
into one, has worked onseveral high-visibility international co-productions,
ofwhich "Into The Rising Sun" is the latest. Future projectsinclude
"The Seafarers," a multicultural look at maritimehistory, and "The
Ultradeep," a film on the race for thedeep sea that took place in the shadow
of the space raceduring the 1950s and 1960s.<br>
<br>
His solution to the issue of longevity in the approachingage of digital broadcast
is simple. He originates onSuper-16 film, which has a 1.66:1 aspect ratio, almostidentical
to that of the widescreen high def image. He getsa film image whose resolution
is naturally as detailed asits high definition video counterpart. The identical
aspectratio ensures that none of his image is stretched or loppedoff in the
process of upconverting to high def. Nostretching is necessary. The image is
merely enhanced byadding lines of resolution. While Luc agrees that film isthe
most technologically viable medium to originate on intoday's climate, his main
point is that it just looks a hellof a lot better.<br>
<br>
Luc turned to Colorlab for facilities input and RussSuniewick responded by customizing
his Rank Cintel telecineto serve the need of clients like Luc who need to preservethe
full Super-16 image. Colorlab has taken the 21% extraimage area of Super-16
and made anamorphic Digital Betacampicture masters by manually altering the
size of the rasterin the Rank scanner. Thus, when it comes time for theupconversion
from Digital Betacam to high def broadcast, itwill only be necessary to add
lines of resolution ratherthan artificially stretching what would have been
a 4:3image to 16:9. This process of stretching to a widescreenformat by enlarging
the pixels is much less appealing thansimply originating in a widescreen Super
16, especially whenthis service at Colorlab is not charged as a premium. AsRuss
notes, "It is a free service that immunizes our clientsagainst the potential
pitfalls of new technologies and addsa value added aspect to their program masters."<br>
<br>
Colorlab also responded to Luc's requirements by placing JimErickson, one of
Colorlab's senior colorists and recentMonitor Award Nominee, at Luc's disposal.
It was these twowho collaborated on the color correction and the technicalissues
in the telecine stage of "Into The Rising Sun."<br>
<br>
Colorlab has been adapting to the evolution of videotechnology for most its
existence. While Russ's approach topost-production has always been from that
of a puristfilmmaker's perspective, over the years he hasexpanded into the realm
of film-to-tape transfers as well.His six colorists run two telecine suites
around the clock.But Colorlab does all of this on top of its bedrock, whichis
film post production--processing, answer prints, opticalprinting. In this light,
it is hardly a surprise thatColorlab came up with a way for film to jump into
the age ofdigital broadcast without being fiscally devastating for thefilmmaker.<br>
<br>
Luc's production also worked closely with Maryland PublicTelevision, using their
Digital Betacam on-line suite, whichhas 16 x 9 capability. MPT has invested
heavily in creatinga premier post-production facility in which producers cantest
the high def waters. It was a unique opportunity forboth Luc and MPT, both of
whom were eager to see what ahigh-quality film that originated in 16:9 looked
likefinished in widescreen Digital Betacam.<br>
<br>
"It looked gorgeous," according to Luc. "For me, it was likea
god-send, having worked with MPT and knowing that theyhave excellent personnel
and outstanding facilities. It wasperfect for us. I couldn't have done the series
'Into TheRising Sun' without that kind of facilities input."<br>
<br>
So what will the production scene look like from here onout? Neither Russ nor
Luc claims to know for sure, but bothare convinced that HDTV will succeed as
a medium. Luc feelsthat the 16:9 aspect ratio is the more appealing format formost
types of film and television. "To really convey themagnificence of what
you're shooting," he says, "you want itwider rather than taller...Once
people get widescreenmonitors, I don't think they'll ever go back. Indeed, inWestern
Europe widescreen monitors are now outsellingordinary 4:3 monitors."<br>
<br>
Russ has seen a HDTV demo of a NTSC widescreenDigital-Betacam master transferred
in this (16:9) manner,and will vouch for its merits. "It's the perfectcompromise,"
he says, "absolutely beautiful. The added linesof resolution really put
it a class above regular broadcastquality, and there was no degradation of image
from havingto stretch from 4:3 to 16:9 because the entire super 16image was
already on the 16:9 master."<br>
<br>
Ironically, in the breakneck environment of video technologytoday, the most
viable medium to originate in according toRuss and Luc is film. Film patrons
like Russ and Luc, alongwith Kodak's vested interest in maintaining its share
of theproduction market, make it unlikely that film could bebullied off the
scene by the advent of digital TV. Perhapsthis will come full circle again,
but for the time being,film offers something that no video medium can: the power
toupconvert to digital without degrading the original image.The super 16 film
image with added lines of resolution mightbe the most appealing high definition
image on the market.<br>
<br>
Russ, Luc, and much of the production world are preparingfor the wave of digital
technology to wash over theindustry. They are doing it in their own ways. Luc,
byoriginating on film and Russ by offering services that willremain viable in
the coming cross-over period between theupconversion of existing 4:3 masters
and full highdefinition edit masters being available. Others, like MPT,are outfitting
their facility with NTSC digital widescreenequipment and waiting and seeing.
The common ground forfacilities, as well as for filmmakers, as stated by Luc,
"isdiscovering how to maximize shelf life given all of thetechnological
uncertainties. Everyone is hungry forinformation."<br>
<br>
Several independent stations intending to broadcast high defalready have said
that they'll be in the market placelooking for programming from independent
producers to airsome times of the day when their networks won't have highdef
product to feed. Widescreen Digital Betacam masters ofSuper 16 originated programs
are certainly smart options forupconverting to high definition in the near term.<br>
<br>
AIRDATES: PARTS I through IV<br>
<br>
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26TH 10PM; SEPTEMBER 2ND; SEPTEMBER 9TH;SEPTEMBER 16TH, 1998<br>
<br>
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