Kinopanorama

Kinopanorama is a three-lens, three-film widescreen film format. Kinopanorama was originally known as "Panorama" by Soviet filmmakers (Russian: "Panoramikh Filmov") in the Soviet Union. In other countries, including Cuba, Greece, Norway and Sweden, it was usually marketed as "Soviet Cinerama". In 1958, during which time "Great is my Country" and "The Enchanted Mirror", were exhibited at the Mayfair Theatre in New York City, it was briefly advertised as Cinepanorama. Kinopanorama is for the most part identical in operation to that of Fred Waller's American-designed Cinerama format.

Overview

Kinopanorama was developed between 1956 and 1957 by research technicians at the USSR Cinema and Photo Research Institute (also known as NIKFI). The chief designer of the prototype camera was Evsei Mikhailovich Goldovskii (1903 - 1971), the eminent Soviet inventor. The mechanical design of the first camera, designated as model SKP-1, evolved from a comprehensive research into the various patents, each citing the invention of devices for the filming -- and projection -- of 'mosaic images' (moving and still), lodged with the United States Patent Office (dating from 1948 onwards) by Fred Waller and Richard C Babish of the Vitarama Corporation; Winton C Hotch ASC; and, lastly, Paul Stanley Smith (with, George Wilber Moffitt, of the Smith-Dietrich Corporation), the co-inventor of Cinemiracle, a rival three-lens, three-film widescreen format. The Soviets accessed these patents without difficulty, as each was a matter of public record, available for sighting by prospective inventors and patent attorneys. The Soviets, on the other hand, did not publish or register their Kinopanorama camera with foreign patent offices.

There are various, albeit minor, technical differences in the film perforations between Kinopanorama, which is milled to accept the Kodak Standard (KS 1866) 'positive perforation' 4740 short-pitch camera negative stock, and the Cinerama and Cinemiracle cameras. Cinerama and Cinemiracle employ Bell and Howell (BH 1866) 'negative perforation' 4740 short-pitch and Dubray-Howell long-pitch 'negative perforation', respectively, for their three modified Mitchell cameras. It is believed that the prototype Cinerama camera number one, on display in the foyer of the National Media Museum in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, was originally milled for Dubray-Howell negative perforations. The first Kinopanorama film, "Vast is my Native Land", which in North America was titled "Great is my Country", was premiered on 28 February, 1958, at the Mir Kino Theatre in Moscow. The event was profiled in the New York Times. "The Enchanted Mirror", the second Kinopanorama film, received a special prize at the Brussels World's Fair known as Expo '58. Eight Kinopanorama travelogues were produced in the original three-lens format (plus an additional seven in single-negative Kinopanorama 70) until 1966. "Opasniye Povoroty", the first dramatic film (released internationally in 1962) was produced with an improved Kinopanorama camera, known as the PSO-1960. This redesigned camera, of which six were manufactured, allowed for use of interchangeable lens kits of focal lengths from 27mm to 100mm, inclusive.

Relaunch

The Kinopanorama three-lens process was re-launched in 1993 by Fifth Continent Movie Classics in Australia. John Steven Lasher, the record label executive, who had produced such film soundtrack albums as "The Best Years of Our Lives", "Citizen Kane", "King Kong" by Max Steiner, and "Sophie's Choice", among others, purchased PSO-1960 camera number six, which was restored by NIKFI technicians to working order. A test film, known as "Chastity, Truth and Kinopanorama" (the title of which is a deliberate pun of Steven Soderbergh's "Sex, Lies and Videotape") was shot in Moscow before the camera and crew were flown to Sydney in November 1993. A short documentary film titled "The Bounty" (1995), which was filmed in December 1993, was screened in March 1995 at the Bradford Widescreen Festival at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (now the National Media Museum). The film is no longer extant, having been reedited by the producers for inclusion in a future documentary titled "The Kinopanorama Experience".

In 1999 Fifth Continent and Vision 146 SARL produced a two-reel restoration of "Opasniye Povoroty" from the original camera negatives. The restoration was premiered in Dayton, Ohio, USA, at the New Neon Movies. It was screened at the Pacific Theatres Cinerama Dome in Hollywood in October, 2004, and most recently at the Bradford Widescreen Festival on Sunday, 19th March, 2008. Further restoration of the remaining reels was cancelled by both companies due to high costs.

In 2006 Fifth Continent converted the PSO-1960 camera to accept camera negative stock milled for the BH 4740 'negative perforation'. This is because film stock is no longer milled for KS 'positive perforation'. In 2007 a crystal-sync motor replaced the original 24-volt DC variable speed motor and the 240-volt 3-phase 50-hertz synch motor.

Presently, Fifth Continent is at work on the pre-production of a new Kinopanorama short-subject titled "The Mother Lode". Principal photography, which features a tour of Broken Hill and the National Parks of Western New South Wales, commenced in October, 2007, in the vicinity of Wentworth, New South Wales.

See also

*List of film formats

External links

* [http://www.the-kinopanorama-experience.org.au official website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485751 Chastity, Truth and Kinopanorama]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485598 The Bounty]