What is Rear Projection Film Technique?
Various film techniques have evolved throughout the 100 years or so that cinema has been popularized. We’ve seen a lot of different filming techniques come about over the years. And some have continued to evolve with the times. Rear projection is one technique that dates back to motion pictures as early as 1913. And will occasionally come into play in films today. But what is rear projection technique exactly, and how does it work?
What is Rear Projection Technique?
Sometimes referred to as process photography. The rear projection technique is commonly used in cinema to create the illusion of a combined foreground and background. In which there are pre-filmed performances taking place in the background.
Pre-Recorded Film
The rear projection means that some kind of pre-recorded film is projected as the background of the film. While the live action photography takes place in the foreground.
Together, the combining of the pre-filmed and projected background with the live action foreground produces the rear projection technique.
Rear projection photography has been used for a very long time. And dates back to films as early as those created in 1913. This technique wasn’t incredibly popular, though.
Until the advent of sound for films. In which rear projection would then become an incredibly common cinematic technique that we would all come to recognize.
Recall Older Films
You might recall films from the 1940s and 1950s in which most of the action played out from a car. You would see the various backgrounds unfolding behind the actors as they sat and talked in the car.
This sort of film was incredibly popular for many years throughout the industry. As the rear projection technique was the primary means of motion picture for this time.
Advances in Rear Projection Technique
Since the rear projection technique was established all those years ago. There have actually been many advances. And we now see the use of “front projection” which utilizes bluescreen effects to produce a similar experience.
In fact, rear projection technique has largely been rendered obsolete for many years. But the idea of it is still used in films through front projection techniques incorporating the use of a similar concept.
Concepts with advanced technology that is used in some of the most popular films of our time including: Pulp Fiction, Aliens, Terminator 2 and Austin Powers.