GEAR
IT’S A STREAKER! If you want to manufacture the long, horizontal streaks of an anamorphic lens, a quick search online will come up with many crude alternatives – including using fishing line! But the best method is a filter designed for the job, like those from German optic giant Schneider-Kreuznach. Its True-Streak filter series has found work on some of the world’s biggest productions, like Star Trek , Gotham and CSI . They are made from superwhite optical glass and must be used in proper filter holders inside pro-quality matte boxes – the standard size is 4x5.65in. The range features 136 variations, including subtly distinct colours and effects. And many of the filters are available in 1, 2, 3 and 4mm thicknesses to suit different uses. True-Streak filters recreate the classic anamorphic streak effect on conventional lenses. Commonly, blue True-Streaks are popular, but Schneider-Kreuznach offers eight other colours – as well as a clear option. Rainbow, confetti and star True-Streaks can offer a completely unique look. We tried the traditional True- Streak blue in a 2mm size, for the classical sci-fi streak on specular highlights. Use a wide aperture with the filter, or else you can actually see some of the lines engraved on the filter. At a wide aperture, highlights will take on the lovely anamorphic flare look. schneiderkreuznach.com “True-Streak filters have found work on the world’s biggest productions, like Star Trek and CSI ”
DEEP FAKE True-Streak filters are made up of lines that make flares turn into horizontal streaks
HOW YOU CAN FAKE THE CLASSIC ANAMORPHIC CINEMASCOPE LOOK
extremes of the frame, we fit a Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master zoom, set at 70mm to try and achieve the same perspective, and f/2.8 to replicate depth-of- field. We moved back to get the framing the same, then cropped the shot to the same dimensions, doing our best to keep colours as similar as possible. The Sirui was much warmer than the more neutral Sony. If you didn’t know which was which, could you tell the difference?
For the super-widescreen look of an anamorphic lens, when you only have conventional spherical optics at hand, careful choice of lens and cropping can get you close. Of course, the ovalised bokeh and blue streaks can’t be easily replicated – for that you need the real thing, although blue streak filters can help. We shot our subject with the 75mm Sirui anamorphic and its 1.6x squeeze, wide open at T2.9. Carefully noting what was at the
CAN YOU TELL? Anamorphic lens or streak filter? This is a Schneider-Kreuznach True-Streak
SIRUI 75MM
SONY ZOOM
50
PRO MOVIEMAKER
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