A composite print is a type of release print of a motion picture in which both sound and picture are printed alongside each other on the same film.[1] A motion picture originally consists of multiple components on separate media, including the visual image, the sound as recorded on-set, the musical score, and the sound effects. All of these are eventually combined into a composite print. A composite print is also known as a synchronized print.[2] or a married print (UK).[3]

Variations

edit

During the 1950s and 1960s, some movie showings would have the sound and picture running on separate machines. This was especially necessary in the three-strip Cinerama technique because the projected image was composed from three separate running films projected side-by-side on a very large and deeply curved screen. The seven-track sound was recorded on magnetic tape, which ran simultaneously with the three projectors.

In the case of some films, such as the world premiere engagement of Carousel, which was made in CinemaScope 55, a six-track soundtrack could not be accommodated on the film, so the sound was played on an interlocking tape machine. The general release of the film, however, used the standard four-track stereo soundtrack printed alongside the visual image on the film.

References

edit
  1. ^ "COMPOSITE PRINT". www.nfsa.gov.au. National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Filmmaking Glossary: The Language and Terms of Film and Television". Art Departmental. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  3. ^ "NARA Guide to the Contextual Assessment of Film Elements and Related Materials" (PDF). www.archives.gov. NARA. Retrieved 16 May 2024.