High-Speed Cinematography

filming at a speed of 64–300 frames per sec. Motion-picture cameras used for highspeed cinematography incorporate mechanisms that advance the film intermittently. High-speed cinematography makes it possible to record more phases of the motion of an object per unit time than is possible at the standard speed of 24 frames per sec. If a scene filmed using a high-speed technique is shown on a screen at the standard projection speed, the motion of real objects will be reproduced at a reduced speed. The motion will be slowed by a factor equal to the ratio of the speed of photographing to the speed of projecting the film.

High-speed cinematography is used in the production of a wide variety of films. For instance, in miniature motion-picture photography, high-speed cinematography is used to match the speeds of moving objects in the model, such as water and smoke, to the linear scale of the filmed scene. High-speed cinematography is also used as an artistic device in filming scenes intended to convey the effect of retarded motion. The technique improves a viewer’s perception of all phases of the motions and processes depicted on the screen, such as individual moments in sports competitions. It is also used as an aid in investigating phenomena and processes that occur at relatively low speeds, as in studying the motions of humans and animals and the operation of machines and mechanisms.