70mm format with extreme aspect ratio (2.59:1). Three synchronized cameras shoot in parallel; their images merge into panoramic frames. Complex in production and projection.
The 70mm process with a 2.59:1 aspect ratio emerged in the 1950s as a response to competition from television—not as a single camera, but as a system. Three synchronized 65mm cameras simultaneously captured a panoramic field of view, which was then seamlessly joined together. The result: an image of visual power that physically overwhelmed the viewer in the cinema. Anyone who has ever seen How the West Was Won (1962) in its original format immediately understands why this format fascinated and, at the same time, unsettled generations of filmmakers.
On set, this meant three cameras in perfect synchronization—each had to roll at precisely the same time, with identical lenses and shutter speeds. Lighting was scaled for the entire panorama, not for individual shots. Directors had to completely rethink their staging: action could not be concentrated in the center of the frame but had to be distributed across the entire width. Movements followed horizontal patterns, not vertical ones. The three takes were joined together in the edit with technical precision—minor transition errors were as visible in the cinema as scratches on eyeglasses.
Practically, this placed enormous demands on cinematographers. Exposure synchronization had to be precise to the millimeter, otherwise visible brightness jumps would appear at the transition edges. Shooting locations had to be far enough apart to allow for three separate camera positions—tight sets were impossible. Post-production was also a nightmare: color matching, grain, and contrast adjustment across three separate negatives to create a homogeneous image.
Despite these hurdles, directors like Richard Fleischer and Michael Anderson shot several significant productions in this format. The emotional impact justified the effort—a Super Cinerama film in the right cinema is an immersive experience that digital 2K projection still cannot fully replicate today. The format disappeared in the 1970s, supplanted by more practical anamorphic lenses and later digital technologies. However, its DNA lives on in modern large-format presentations—without the three cameras, but with the same obsession for extreme width and visual impact.