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"The Fugitive" (1993)
The first of a few Introvision shots of the sequence, in real time. When front projection works, IT WORKS.
A demo video of the Introvision process, which relies on front projection. There are a few telltale visual signs of this process, but when done well, you can get a cleaner image than rear projection *and* have projected images in your foreground.
Like rear projection, Introvision gives freedom of nodal camera moves - a human can pan/tilt the camera in real time, following the subject. This is in contrast to the locked off shots, or the sometimes robotic camera moves shot in the optical stage on an animation stand.
Generally, the Introvision process gave us a much "cleaner" shot than rear projection, which frequently suffered from low light, weird focus, excessive grain, and vignetting. (see many 60's and 70's James Bond films)
This Introvision shot looks terrific. But you can still spot some telltale visual signs of front projection - when Ford's arm swings around near the end of the shot, notice how his bright yellow jumpsuit is glowing.
Another shot in the sequence from "The Fugitive".
GOD, I LOVE THIS SHOT. You can clearly see it's Ford, but the shot isn't over-lit. (I mean, he runs into the dark by the end of the shot!)
And that beautiful rack focus and subtle hand-operated camera move. SO GOOD.
GOD, I LOVE THIS SHOT. You can clearly see it's Ford, but the shot isn't over-lit. (I mean, he runs into the dark by the end of the shot!)
And that beautiful rack focus and subtle hand-operated camera move. SO GOOD.
I'm assuming this is also an Introvision front projection shot. Love the smoke/dust blowing around Ford.
As for the train element-although the production loudly boasted their impressive full-scale train/bus collision, all signs indicate there was a miniature shoot.
As for the train element-although the production loudly boasted their impressive full-scale train/bus collision, all signs indicate there was a miniature shoot.
Another of the Introvision front projection shots. Like that earlier shot, special FX explosions of dust and fire around Harrison Ford really help sell the illusion. Again, the real-time human-operated camera moves give the shot an extra sense of reality.
Here's one of those great old LA Times commercials that played before movies in Los Angeles, describing the Introvision process.
What if you could take the artifacts of the front projection process - potentially causing live-action elements to glow - and make it a feature?
That's exactly what they did for the Krypton scenes for "Superman" (1978).
That's exactly what they did for the Krypton scenes for "Superman" (1978).
Here's Yvvone Blake, "Superman"'s costume designer, describing the process of creating Kryptonian costumes out of front projection material. When a bright light shines through a beam splitter on the motion picture camera, the material reflects the light back through the lens.
