American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1952)

NATURAL VISION'S 3-D camera comprises an arrangement of two 35mm Mitchell cameras which record scene through precision parallax-corrected optics on two separate films, supplying left and right images. Cameraman Joseph Biroc (right) views scene through one of dual cameras while operator Lothrop Worth (left) observes it through central viewfinder. Simultaneous viewing of scene is afforded by second camera, also. Hollywood Launches 3-D Film Production Industry's first feature-length 3-dimensional motion picture filmed with Natural Vision Corporation's new stereoscopic cameras. By JOSEPH BIROC, A. S. C. Three-dimensional movies have been the subject of increasing study in the United States and Europe for the past 25 years. The U.S. Air Force already is using stereofilms for training purposes, marking, perhaps, the most substantial use of practical 3-D movies anywhere. At the present time, three different stereo systems are being devel¬ oped in this country, but the top con¬ tender, by virtue of its recent successful test in Air Force and feature film pro¬ duction, is that of Natural Vision Cor¬ poration of Hollywood. “Bwana Devil,” the first featurelength 3-dimensional color film in his¬ tory went before Natural Vision’s 3-D cameras on June 18th. Produced and directed by Arch Oboler, the picture has an African locale and stars Rob¬ ert Stack, Barbara Britton, and Nigel Bruce. Natural Vision is said to be the first 3-D system yet developed which is based on the fundamentals of natural vision, hence its name. The 3-D camera is actually two cameras in a single unit photographing separate film strips. These in turn are projected simul¬ taneously with two projectors inter¬ locked to run in unison. While other 3-D systems have employed dual cam¬ eras, none have pursued the theory that the 3-D cameras should see and record the scene exactly as the human eyes see it. In other words, twin cameras placed side by side and focusing di¬ rectly on the scene overlook the impor¬ tant factor of parallax. Natural Vision’s system has variable parallax as the crux of its system. The result is 3-dimension pictures on the screen that induce no eye strain. Polaroid spectacles are worn by the audience in viewing the pictures, the same as for other 3-D systems. Credit for engineering the Natural Vision camera equipment goes to Friend Baker, a pioneer in the 3-D field for over 23 years, and camera tech¬ nician 0. S. “Bud'’ Bryhn. Until re¬ cently, Baker’s developments have been in the field of 16mm 3-D movies. It was a chance meeting between Baker and Milton Gunzburg which led to develop¬ ing the 35mm 3-D cameras. Gunzburg had undertaken to produce a documentary film about a youth and a hot rod. When the conventional mo¬ tion picture camera attempted to record the innards beneath the hood of a hot rod, the pictorial result was disappoint¬ ing. Someone suggested it would be bet¬ ter if filmed in 3-dimension. Gunzburg looked around for someone who could supply such equipment, and his search led to Baker’s workshop at Motion Pic¬ ture Center studios in Hollywood. To shorten the story, the 3-D camera used by Oboler in filming “Bwana Devil” took shape in record time. Into the pic¬ ture, meantime, came also camera oper¬ ator Fothrop Worth who, together with myself, photographed the initial tests with the equipment. The camera was tested periodically for about six months, and when it was declared perfect, Gunz¬ burg looked around for a producer to make a picture. The tests which I photographed were screened before members of the Amer¬ ican Society of Cinematographers at their clubhouse early this year. Other screenings followed ; then one day Arch Oboler heard about them. He was in the midst of preparing a new production — a rugged tale about pushing a railroad through an African jujigle. Always one to explore the merits of any new cine¬ matic innovation, Oboler looked at the Natural Vision tests and decided to 336 Amkrican Cinematocraphkk August, 1952