70mm film

70mm film (or 65mm film) is a high-resolution motion picture film format. As used in camera, the film is 65mm wide; for projection 2.5mm are added along each side for magnetic strips holding six tracks of surround sound. Each frame is five perforations tall, with an aspect ratio of 2.20.

With the introduction of "Todd-AO", 65mm/70mm became popular during the 1950s for the wide screen, sharp picture and, most importantly, high quality sound. The advent of low-grain film stocks and availability of digital soundtrack systems for less expensive and more widely projectable 35mm film lead to a decline in use of this expensive format in the 1990s. Lawrence of Arabia is a well-known film in 70mm format; the clarity of its picture is apparent in theaters, though much less so on VHS or DVD.

A horizontal variant of 65mm/70mm, with an even bigger picture area, is used for the high-performance IMAX format.

Famous 65mm/70mm films

• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Dersu Uzala
• Baraka
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Oklahoma
• Spartacus
• Tron

See also

• Ron Fricke
• Stanley Kubrick