{"id":98605,"date":"2023-11-15T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=98605"},"modified":"2023-11-14T15:01:07","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T20:01:07","slug":"anamorphic-cinematography-dji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/anamorphic-cinematography-dji\/","title":{"rendered":"Capturing Anamorphic Cinematography, with DJI RS3 Pro\u00a0and LiDAR Range Finder\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are various techniques that filmmakers use to tell compelling visual stories. Every technique that goes into the process of making a cinematic film has an impact on its overall look and feel. Details like lens selection, focal length, camera movement, diffusion, lighting, stabilization, and color grading all play an important role in the final look and feel of a film. All of these elements come together to spark our imagination. Throughout my years as an aspiring filmmaker, I\u2019ve come to realize that one of the most important techniques that allows filmmakers to create cinematic magic is Anamorphic cinematography<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Anamorphic Cinematography?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anamorphic cinematography is a specialized filmmaking technique that has been developed and refined during the last 70+ years of movies and cinema. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although we\u2019ve come to associate the classic visual characteristics of Anamorphic filmmaking with cinematic films, the interesting thing about these recognizable cinematic visuals is that they weren\u2019t initially devised for use in filmmaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anamorphic optics were initially developed during World War 1, by a French physicist and astronomer named Henri Chr\u00e9tien. The main goal of his 1920\u2019s invention was to use an Anamorphic lens to \u201csqueeze\u201d a wide-angle image with a 180-degree field of view, onto a standard aspect ratio viewfinder for use inside of a military tank. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example of content taken with an anamorphic lens. Produced by Reza Malayeri.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The rights to Henri\u2019s Anamorphic inventions were subsequently purchased in the1950\u2019s by 20th Century-Fox, which adapted the technology for use in cinema and filmmaking. They named their iconic Anamorphic aspect ratio CinemaScope, and it\u2019s been the standard for immersive cinematic filmmaking ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CinemaScope came about with the prevalence of television programming in the 1950\u2019s, and a need for the movie studios to compete with the popularity of home television. The goal of the cinematic filmmakers and movie studios at that time was to create a unique viewing experience that was completely different than what people were watching at home on their TV\u2019s. It was meant to draw people back to the movie theaters for the unique CinemaScope experience that was only possible through Anamorphic filmmaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Reza Malayeri<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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What do Anamorphic Lenses Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anamorphic lenses are designed to compress the horizontal field of view of cinematic images, in order to capture a wider field of view than the standard aspect ratio <\/a>of a 35mm film frame. They compress the captured image through the use of various \u201csqueeze ratios,” some of which include 1.33x, 1.6x, and 2x.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During projection and post-production, the horizontally compressed images captured with Anamorphic lenses need to be \u201cde-squeezed\u201d in order for them to be displayed properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anamorphic lenses give cinematic images a unique aesthetic. They typically have a nuanced and shallower depth of field<\/a> than an equivalent focal length spherical lens, and use special lens coatings to create different colors of classic horizontal lens flares. They also feature classic elongated oval bokeh, which has become very recognizable in Anamorphic filmmaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Reza Malayeri<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Using the DJI RS3 Pro and LiDAR Range Finder for Anamorphic Autofocus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the barriers to entry for Anamorphic filmmaking has always been the fact that Anamorphic lenses<\/a> need to be manually focused. They don\u2019t typically lend themselves to solo creators, or for shooting fast action, where the lens needs to constantly rack focus to keep up with a moving subject. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This limitation has served to put Anamorphic filmmaking somewhat out of reach for most smaller production crews or solo creatives. Although, the DJI RS3 Pro Gimbal<\/a> now offers a unique solution to address this limitation with its LiDAR Range Finder<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Lidar Range Finder works in conjunction with the RS3 Pro and the DJI focus motor, translating focus depth information to any manual focus lens in real-time. That process essentially converts manual Anamorphic cinema lenses into fully autofocusing lenses that can keep up with tracking fast moving subjects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This setup can now take the place of a dedicated focus puller, or First AC, and makes Anamorphic filmmaking way more accessible to the masses than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, the DJI RS3 Pro and LiDAR Range Finder unit has been a game-changer for my filmmaking. Over the course of the last year, I\u2019ve been able to capture captivating Anamorphic footage with the RS3 Pro, the LiDAR Range Finder, and the Sirui Venus 35mm T2.9<\/a>, which would not have been possible any other way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I Captured with the DJI RS3 Pro and LiDAR Range Finder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I was able to capture fast-moving motorcycles<\/a> and jumping BMX riders with precise focus and tracking. These types of shots are typically extremely difficult to focus by a single camera operator, but I can routinely execute them with minimal effort using my setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example of content taken with an anamorphic lens. Produced by Reza Malayeri.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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By having the DJI RS3 Pro LiDAR Range Finder handling autofocus, I can pay attention to my composition, camera movement, exposure, audio, and all of the other elements of filmmaking that are nearly impossible to manage when having to constantly manual focus. It frees me up to focus on storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example of content taken with an anamorphic lens. Produced by Reza Malayeri.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019ve been enjoying the process so much that I\u2019ve even put together a setup that allows you to use the DJI LiDAR unit without having to attach it to the RS3 Pro. All you have to do is calibrate your lens with the LiDAR Unit once while mounted on the RS3 Pro. Then, save the configuration to one of the LiDAR\u2019s three memory banks. This takes the versatility and usefulness of the setup even further by allowing you to remove your camera from the gimbal, and shoot Anamorphic video with full autofocus using your own handheld cinema rig<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at the gear that I use in my setup:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n