What format was Woodstock (1969) shot in?

[Pinknik]

I think it was released in 35mm 2.35:1 aspect ratio, with lots of multi-panel shots. What was the raw footage shot on? 16mm or 35mm? Full-frame or anamorphic (I'm thinking full-frame)? Thanks, just curious.

[scotto]

16mm I believe.

[OakBarrel]

16 mm I believe too, from listening to Martin Scorsese talk about it.

[jv66]

16mm full frame from what I've read.

[Drifter]

Not that this is necessarily correct but IMDB says:

Technical specifications for
Woodstock (1970)

Camera
Eclair Cameras and Lenses

Laboratory
Technicolor

Film length (metres)
6354 m (director's cut)

Film negative format (mm/video inches)
16 mm
35 mm

Cinematographic process
Multiscreen

Printed film format
70 mm (blow-up)
35 mm

Aspect ratio
2.20 : 1 (70 mm prints)
2.35 : 1 (35 mm prints)

Woodstock Technical specifications (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066580/technical)

[johmbolaya]

16mm. I highly recommend the book Woodstock: An Inside Look at the Movie That Shook Up the World and Defined a Generation by Dale Bell, which does get into the technical side of not only how it was filmed, but the editing, what lead them to creating the film the way it did, how their original 8 hour film was trimmed to 3 hours and 15 minutes, and more. Incredible book.

[TeacFan]

70mm

Anybody ever view this print??? WOW would love to :goodie:

[Vidiot]

Woodstock was shot in 16mm Academy Aperture, but then release-printed in 2.40. It went through several dupe stages, but the current video releases went back to the original 16mm and re-composited everything in HD to match the split-screens of the 35mm release.

As far as I know, all the original opticals were done in 35mm, and then that was blown up to 70mm; I'd have to pull out the old issue of American Cinematographer to know for sure. I know it was probably the best-looking 16mm blow-up made up that time. The only reason for the 70mm release was so they could get mag-stripe surround.

Note that IMDB and several other sources claim that Panavision's aspect ratio is 2.35. That's incorrect. If you go over to Panavision's HQ in Tarzana (about 6 miles down the road from where I am), and look at the side of a Panavision anamorphic lens, it actually says "2.39" on the side of the lens. The reality is that the format is intended to be unsqueezed and then masked off to 2.40. The extra ".05" cuts off the splice lines and glue marks on the frame lines.

Most 70mm releases are 2.20, but it depends on the feature. There were a lot of weird aspect ratios in the 1950s and 1960s.

[Rael]

Is there a definitive DVD release of Woodstock? I was in a video store the other day, looking at this particular DVD. But it was one of those old snapper case DVDs and I had read somewhere in this forum that at least one DVD version of this film is disappointing. Did Criterion or anyone ever give this film a deluxe treatment?

I'd love to revisit Woodstock as I haven't watched it since taping it on a Beta machine from a PBS station in the mid 80s.

[michael w]

Note that IMDB and several other sources claim that Panavision's aspect ratio is 2.35. That's incorrect. If you go over to Panavision's HQ in Tarzana (about 6 miles down the road from where I am), and look at the side of a Panavision anamorphic lens, it actually says "2.39" on the side of the lens. The reality is that the format is intended to be unsqueezed and then masked off to 2.40. The extra ".05" cuts off the splice lines and glue marks on the frame lines.



Glad you mentioned that.
It's through sheer laziness that people still use use 2.35.

Didn't the ANSI (?) change it to 2.40 way back in 1971 ?

[Johnny66]

Mud?

;)

Believe me, on the copies I've seen of it, it looks it!

[tommy-thewho]

Good reply Johnny66.....

[audiofool]

70mm

Anybody ever view this print??? WOW would love to :goodie:

Yeah, it played here in a 70MM print back July 1970. And it was great !

This was the first time I had seen a film in 70 mil and the use of the multiple panels to show different 'happenings' at the festival was pretty mind-blowing at the time. I didn't know where to look !

A fave memory from a perfect period. I think I still have the promo folder that was being handed out by the local 'rock' AM station about the film complete with a fold-out "woodstock festival' poster in the center.

[johmbolaya]

Is there a definitive DVD release of Woodstock? I was in a video store the other day, looking at this particular DVD. But it was one of those old snapper case DVDs and I had read somewhere in this forum that at least one DVD version of this film is disappointing. Did Criterion or anyone ever give this film a deluxe treatment?

No Criterion as of yet, but one hopes that they (or someone) is doing something for next year. I want a 10 DVD box set.

The only proper DVD release was the director's cut, which has a number of groups not in the original film and of course more Hendrix. If you want the original theatrical version, hunt down the Japanese laserdisc.

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/7844/5eed1fs3.jpg

I *think* it's the same as the US laserdisc that came out before the director's cut.

I also hope they do a limited run at theaters, especially if it's on a 70mm print.