Abstract: Red, green, and blue signals from a video camera are separately recorded. In preparation for this, the three signals (advantageously generated at twenty-four frames per second and more than 655 noninterlaced raster lines per frame) are first applied to three separate low-pass filters, which pass up to at least eight and preferably more than fourteen megahertz. The filter output signals then frequency modulate three separate carriers, each of frequency at least two megahertz greater than the filter passband. The three frequency-modulated carriers are simultaneously recorded on parallel tracks. The three separately recorded FM carriers are subject to editing, traveling-matte combination with other triplets of carriers, and other special effects--while preserving wideband detail. The final three-track recording is used to generate a widescreen color film negative: The tracks can be conformed into a single monochrome video track, with each set of three color frames placed in sequence.

Abstract: An electronic system for the purpose of generating special effects in both color TV and color motion pictures is disclosed. A luminance key amplifier determines the average strength of matrixed red, blue and green video signals from a foreground camera and compares the average with a reference value. Areas of the foreground image that cause the average strength of the color signals to exceed the reference value, such as white, cause the luminance key system to key the green, blue and red signals from a background source such as a camera to an encoder, a video tape recording system or a film recording system. When the average strength of the red, blue and green signals from the foreground camera is less than the reference value, such as black or gray, the luminance key amplifier responds by passing the color signals from the foreground camera only to the encoder, video tape recording system or film recording system.

Abstract: A video traveling matte system is disclosed in which the video signal from a foreground television camera is examined for the presence of a particular color by an arrangement employing multipliers to multiply the differences between the red and blue components of the video signal and a luminance signal derived from the video signal by the signals from a sine/cosine potentiometer. The combined signal from the outputs of the multipliers is fed to a first comparator for comparison with a reference value, and the resulting pulses are filtered by a 4-pole active Bessel filter and compared with a reference value in a second comparator to increase the width of the pulses by a selected amount. The pulses of increased width prevent the formation of a matte outline between foreground and background images as the true and complementary values thereof are applied to alternately gate the video signals from the foreground television camera and a background television camera to a common output.

Abstract: A digital dissolver dissolves between two different video signals in synchronism with a composite sync signal. Frame pulses are separated from the composite sync signal and are used to generate a high frequency signal in phase locked relation with the frame pulses. The high frequency signal is fed to a programmable frequency divider under the control of gating and control circuitry to provide an output pulse in response to each occurrence of a selected number of cycles of the high frequency signal, the selected number being a function of the selected dissolve rate programmed into the divider by thumbwheel switches or by signals from a remote location. The pulses are fed to a binary counter which feeds a digital to analog converter to generate a dissolve signal of generally ramp-like waveform. The dissolve signal and its complement are applied to a pair of multipliers to attenuate the two different video signals.