Cinematography in Engineering

Abstract

The cinematograph has become indispensable to the modern engineer, and is widely employed as an analytical, recording, and educational medium. Of these, the first only is dealt with in this paper; the others involving, in addition to an essential engineering precision, the artistic and technical resources of film construction. The author deals with the analytical aspect in relation to apparatus, detailing minimum equipment and scope; straight records, with a standardized set-up; special records, with data on camera speed; complex images and multiple exposures; high-speed cinematography, and notes on special apparatus; low-speed cinematography, including animation; special methods for recording hidden transients; X-ray, infra-red, and micro-cinematography, and simpler alternatives. The last section describes typical cases in which, for a variety of reasons, cinematography is not the best analytical tool to use. The paper concludes with sections on the marking, developing, recording, and printing of film records, and describes suitable methods and apparatus for analysing the results. Ten excerpts from 16 mm. films illustrate some of the more important applications described.