The secret of a cinematic picture

We all know how expensive Hollywood movie budgets are. Cinema immerses us in another reality. 

Is it possible for an ordinary person with a camera or phone in his hand to take pictures as well? What makes a picture cinematic? Let's interview Fedorukfilms photographer Ivan Fedoruk.

Ivan: “I thought about this question back in 2017” and began to research this issue. 

Author: Please share with us 

Ivan: It’s no secret that the picture taken on a modern camera with photo and video functions is different from what we see in the movies. These are completely different sensations. The point is not that you need to crop the frame so that there are black stripes at the top and bottom. And not even in the feeling itself, although this is almost the whole half. There was something else that I felt, but I didn’t know what. And he continued to search. 

Author: Did you manage to find it? 

On one English-language channel on YouTube, I heard the word Anamorphic and began to dig further. At that time, there was almost no information in Russian and only one of the bloggers mentioned it in passing, but did not discuss this topic. Then I started searching, almost all the information was only in English, but my level allowed me to understand. 

Author: What is anamorphic? 

Ivan: Simply put, anamorphic is an optical system. Functionally, these are cylindrical lens attachments that distort the geometry of the frame and create the effect of a cinematic picture. 

Author: Where can I get this anamorphic? 

I began to look for a way. There were three of them: buy a ready-made anamorphic lens costing from $10000, install filters or find an adapter that is placed in front of the lens and construct your own anamorphic lens according to the principle as they did before. 

Author: How were anamorphic images created before? have they been around for a long time? 

Ivan: Yes, they were used back in Soviet times. An adapter was placed in front of the lenses, exactly the same as what was used in the cinema. For me it seemed more or less real. But finding an adapter was not easy. 

Author: So what did you decide to do? 

Therefore, I started with special filters that are placed in front of the lens, or this is done in its base and fishing line. I tried it, I didn't like it. This method does not change the plasticity of the picture at all. In true anamorphic, the geometry of the picture changes, as well as the highlights and bokeh. Not to mention the breathing of the lens, as this is related to focusing. If it is double, then it is almost imperceptible. And if there is a single focus, then you can see it. So, I was faced with two tasks:

1. Find an adapter 
2. Buy a single focus for focusing. 

Author: Where can I buy an adapter?

Oh this is a rare thing. When I started looking for an adapter, I discovered that one could only be found in old movie theaters.

Author: Did you go to the cinemas?

Exactly, at that moment we were with our parents in Khabarovsk on Krasnaya Rechka. I came to the officers' house, a former cinema. I was taken into the military man’s office. He told me exactly what I needed. According to the military man, all this junk has already been taken far away and no one knows where it is. So I went even further out of town to State Farm. I had to explain what I needed, since many had no idea what kind of design it was.

Author: Before the interview with you, I had never heard of such a design either.

The installer was no longer there, the cinema ceased to exist and turned into a House of Culture. The director was a woman, so I had to explain that I needed an old lens for the cinema. “Nobody uses them anyway, they are very heavy,” she said. I was given a time and we went to the highest room from where the movie was projected. Never been there before. You were?

Author: No, never, but it was always interesting to visit

This is a small room in which there is equipment with films that are projected. Of course, these projectors are no longer there, but there were two large heavy pieces of metal lying down by the wall. I looked at them for what I needed. These turned out to be two Nap 3523M adapters. We barely unscrewed them, barely found a screwdriver. Everything was rusty and dripped with paint, because when they painted the walls, the paint just dripped onto them. The workers didn’t even understand the value of what was there. They didn't throw them away only because they were very heavy. There was a man - me, for my sake they pulled it all out. He also helped to promote all this. Unwinding, my hands were dirty, but nothing. I took one home. I bought it for some ridiculous money - 700 rubles. They were in excellent condition.

Author: You probably had the feeling that you had dug up a treasure

True, these were very valuable lenses for me. Looking ahead, I want to say that I later bought another lens from them. Before coming to this cinema, I went to several others: Gigant and Sovkino. They took a very long time to answer me, so I already bought what I needed.

Author: What did you do with these paint-splattered structures?

My dad and I promoted them. They need to be untwisted and sawed, because they themselves are very heavy. They weigh three kg. Without metal case about kg. 

Author: Did you transport them? 

Yes, they traveled from Russia to China and back. Already at home in China, I printed mounts for them on a 3D printer, since it is also difficult to find original mounts, this is a very rare thing. And we had to find a 3D model. Photography lovers from the VKontakte group shared with me. I printed one version, but it didn’t fit, I printed another, it fit and I spray painted it black on the balcony. And so at night, I shot the first video using the newly created anamorphic photo. It was a truck 🚛 driving down the road below. There was construction going on opposite our house.

Author: Looks very atmospheric 

Ivan: When I posted it online, many immediately began to write that this video was like a still from a movie

Author: Now we know why!

Ivan: Having moved to Moscow, we continued shooting with an anamorphic lens. It was very heavy on the rig. Passers-by turned around and discussed that this structure costs at least half a million. Then I sold it all for 5 thousand to a person who was also interested. 

Author: What's next? Did you continue filming in this direction? 

Ivan: After that, I was thinking about some kind of replacement and then I found an advertisement in which they were selling a Shnaider 2x German attachment, new, in excellent condition. Sharp, perfect, less glare, but the geometry is cool. Everything else is better than Nap. (Although he gave a very cinematic and even fairy-tale picture). The new lens turned out to be very light and simply screwed onto the lens. Arriving at the seller, it turned out that he didn’t really know what it was. I suggested to him: “Look, it consists of two parts: a lens and an attachment. I already have the lens, give me half the price. He didn’t understand the value, because the lens that he had wasn’t really worth anything. And he agreed at half the price and I bought it instead of 16 thousand for 8 thousand. Now I have this attachment. 

Author: You are also a businessman. Is there something similar for the phone? 

Ivan: Yes, after some time anamorphic lenses for phones appeared and we also purchased them.

Author: Has anything changed since then? have anamorphic lenses become available?

Now, in 2020, near where we live in China, there is a factory producing anamorphic lenses at an affordable price, but their picture, of course, is not so tasty, but not bad.

Author: Are you thinking of purchasing one?

Ivan: Not yet, because the quality is significantly inferior to the optics that we have now

Author: You mentioned that you are located in China among factories, tell me, are you selling photo and video equipment abroad?

Ivan: Yes, there is high-quality photographic equipment at an affordable price. We purchase both rare goods and accessories and wholesale. I've already tested a lot.

Author: I wonder, if we want to collaborate with you, what is needed for this?

Ivan: All conditions are described on my purchasing website expocn.ru

Author: Thank you very much for the interview. We wish you and your team continued success in working with anamorphic optics. We are waiting for new movie videos!