It is not easy to meet the needs of documentary filmmakers, whose objective is to capture people’s authentic realities as they experience them. The Aaton meets these needs. It is the product of research aimed at developing lightweight cameras. Designed to be carried on the operator’s shoulder, it can record sound and image simultaneously, without the need for a cable.
Refer to the “Additional resources” section to see a glossary of technical terms.
A cat on the shoulder for recording on the go
Of course, the Aaton looks nothing like a cat. Designed to be carried on the shoulder, it allows operators to get close to their subjects. Created in 1972 and still widely used today, the Aaton’s ergonomic design offers comfort and stability.
The Aaton was the product early 1960s research on designing lightweight, synchronous cameras. It became well-known for some of its technological innovations, such as sound-image synchronization, a silent motor, low weight, quick reel changes and a timecode imprinted directly on the film, among others.
The Aaton represented the next step in 1960s documentary filmmaking: It was lightweight and it synchronized sound with video. Finally, filmmakers could record the candid words and movements of people in their own environments. In small teams, they produced films that were a far cry from the “frozen aesthetics of beautiful documentaries” (Bouchard 2012, 79). These filmmakers avoided predetermined settings, preferring to adapt their approaches to suit a film’s subjects. Natural lighting was favoured, and crew members generally avoided adding their own commentaries.
A few films shot with the Aaton
Many films shot in Quebec, France and the United States were produced thanks to the Aaton and its useful features.
Liberty Street Blues directed by André Gladu in 1988
Narrator : Éric Gaudry
© ONF
A vibrant and colourful portrait of New Orleans: Its musicians young and old, its brass bands, its traditions, its unique culture.
Liberty Street Blues
Directed by André Gladu, with Martin Leclerc on camera, Liberty Street Blues is a documentary that channels the philosophy of Direct Cinema. The camera operator’s full immersion in the atmosphere of the parade is a key element of the film. Leclerc, with his Aaton on his shoulder, is very mobile, weaving through the crowd with ease. He moves from inside a bar to outside on the street in one fluid motion. His camera allows him to film his subjects without constraint, while the equally mobile audio operator follows at a comfortable distance. The camera operator is able to film the parade at a human level and circulate amongst the musicians and dancers.
Liberty Street Blues directed by André Gladu in 1988
Narrator : Éric Gaudry
© ONF
A vibrant and colourful portrait of New Orleans: Its musicians young and old, its brass bands, its traditions, its unique culture.
Note: The information in square brackets describes the audio and visual content of the clip. The remainder of the text corresponds to narration and dialogue. The French passages in the video have been freely translated and are written in italics.
[One long take, 0:48 seconds.]
[Inside a bar, daytime. New Orleans, United States. Colour.]
[Jazz music plays in the background.]
[The clip begins inside a bar. A man is playing pool.] [Sound of pool balls colliding with each other.]
[The viewer has the same subjective point of view as the camera operator, who is carrying the camera on his shoulder. The operator advances toward the exit.]
[Continuous sound of a crowd. Conversations and applause can be heard here and there throughout the clip.]
[In a travelling shot, the operator exits the bar and goes out onto the street. At the same time, a man enters the bar and speaks to a woman standing in the doorway.]
They are getting ready to start dear.
[Once outside, the operator begins to walk through the street. As he moves forward, he films the people he encounters. They are crowded together, waiting for the parade to resume. Two men shake hands. A man makes a peace sign at the camera.] [The volume of the music lowers.]
Deux heures et demie. Premier arrêt. Il y a quatre ou cinq temps d’arrêt pendant la parade. Les musiciens se font payer la traite. [2:30 p.m. First stop. There will be four or five breaks during the parade. The musicians are provided with refreshments.]
[The crowd is dense. The atmosphere on the street is one of lively conversation and laughter. People are dressed in regalia, wearing colourful hats and clothing. They pay no attention to the camera, which moves smoothly and easily among them. The sequence continues, showing a musician from the Young Tuxedo group chatting with an older man, who is also participating in the parade. The musician is holding a trombone.]
[Noise of the crowd and the sound of clapping hands, growing louder.]
[Shoulder shot of two young girls, in profile, playing a hand clapping game. After a first round, the girl on the right shouts.]
Foul!
[The girls begin a second round of the clapping game. After bungling a sequence, they stop and look at each other.]
[End of scene.]
Liberty Street Blues directed by André Gladu in 1988
Narrator : Éric Gaudry
© ONF
A vibrant and colourful portrait of New Orleans: Its musicians young and old, its brass bands, its traditions, its unique culture.
Liberty Street Blues
Directed by André Gladu, with Martin Leclerc on camera, Liberty Street Blues is a documentary that channels the philosophy of Direct Cinema. The camera operator’s full immersion in the atmosphere of the parade is a key element of the film. Leclerc, with his Aaton on his shoulder, is very mobile, weaving through the crowd with ease. He moves from inside a bar to outside on the street in one fluid motion. His camera allows him to film his subjects without constraint, while the equally mobile audio operator follows at a comfortable distance. The camera operator is able to film the parade at a human level and circulate amongst the musicians and dancers.
Liberty Street Blues directed by André Gladu in 1988
Narrator : Éric Gaudry
© ONF
A vibrant and colourful portrait of New Orleans: Its musicians young and old, its brass bands, its traditions, its unique culture.
Note: The information in square brackets describes the audio and visual content of the video. There is dialogue in this clip.
[One long take, 0:43 seconds.]
[Outside on the street during a parade, daytime. New Orleans, United States. Colour.]
[Crowded parade atmosphere.] [Wide shot of the dense crowd. People are dressed in full regalia. The musicians hold their instruments and begin playing. The dancers are in front of the musicians and start the parade, moving to the rhythm.]
[A whistle sounds and the musicians begin to play the jazz classic “Bugle Boy March.”]
[The camera operator frames the legs of a dancer wearing white pants. The dancer holds two wreaths of flowers in his hands, which he moves in time with the music. Then, another wide shot of the other dancers, with the musicians in the background.]
[End of scene.]
Le Roi du drum directed by Serge Giguère in 1991
© Les Productions du Rapide-Blanc
A local hero from east-end Montréal—passionate, whole and naive—Guy Nadon is rhythm incarnate. He is a jazz drummer who can find the beat in anything that makes noise. As the king of musical improvisation—and also a king of theatrical improvisation—he sometimes makes comments that border on the surreal. He is a do-it-yourselfer who makes his own drum kits and creates his own universe whenever he’s behind them. It’s an unbridled universe, a reflection of Montréal in the 1950s…its nightclubs…the golden age of jazz in Quebec (Rapide-Blanc Productions).
Le Roi du drum
Produced and filmed by Serge Giguère, Le Roi du drum highlights the importance of the relationships between camera operators and their subjects. To be able to film Guy Nadon and Vic Vogel so naturally in their own environment—indoors and in a relatively confined space—the camera operator first had to build a relationship of trust with his subjects. This relationship created a playful atmosphere in which authentic moments coexist harmoniously with pure fiction. It also allowed percussionist Nadon to let his remarkable talent shine through.
Le Roi du drum directed by Serge Giguère in 1991
© Les Productions du Rapide-Blanc
A local hero from east-end Montréal—passionate, whole and naive—Guy Nadon is rhythm incarnate. He is a jazz drummer who can find the beat in anything that makes noise. As the king of musical improvisation—and also a king of theatrical improvisation—he sometimes makes comments that border on the surreal. He is a do-it-yourselfer who makes his own drum kits and creates his own universe whenever he’s behind them. It’s an unbridled universe, a reflection of Montréal in the 1950s…its nightclubs…the golden age of jazz in Quebec (Rapide-Blanc Productions).
Note: The information in square brackets describes the audio and visual content of the clip. The remainder of the text corresponds to dialogue. The French passages in the video have been freely translated and are written in italics.
[1:34 minute sequence.]
[Inside a house, daytime. Colour.]
[The sequence has two male protagonists: Guy Nadon, the King of Drums, wearing a floral shirt and thick eyeglasses, and Vic Vogel, sporting a goatee and wearing a souvenir t-shirt from Florida.]
[Medium close-up of Vogel, sitting on a piano bench in front of a piano. The walls behind him are covered in very large abstract works of art. He is facing the camera, head slightly turned to the left of the frame. He addresses Nadon, who is off screen.]
Vogel: Dis donc, te rappelles-tu pourquoi que t’as joué une fois avec tes criss de souliers ? T’rappelles-tu ? [Tell me, do you remember why you played with your freakin’ shoes that time? Do you remember?]
[Nadon, sitting on a stool in front of his drum kit, facing the camera, responds to Vogel, who is now off-camera, just behind the camera operator. Nadon leans forward, and then, in the middle of his sentence, raises his arm to emphasize his point.]
Nadon: C’est pour capter l’attention des gens. C’est pour faire un show, un showbizz. [It was to grab people’s attention. It was to put on a show, a spectacle.]
Vogel: Tu vas dire… Toé… Tu voulais être accepté ? [You mean… You… You wanted to be accepted?]
[Zoom in for a close-up of Nadon’s face. He leans forward to clearly grasp Vogel’s words.]
Nadon: Accepté ! [Accepted!]
Vogel: Par le, la foule ? [By the crowd?]
Nadon: [With hand gestures] Ouais, accepté par la foule, pour pas passer dans l’ombrage. [Yeah, to be accepted by the crowd, and not just be part of the scenery.]
Vogel: Yeah, yeah, you wanted to be somebody!
Nadon: [Nodding] Somebody.
Vogel: You wanted to be in show business!
Nadon: [Nodding] Show business.
Vogel: Right!
Nadon: [Smiling] You never, uh, y’est jamais trop tard pour être dans le showbizz ! [it’s never too late to get into show business!]
Vogel: Bin même l’Orchestre symphonique c’est le plus grand showbusiness au monde [Well, even the Symphony Orchestra is some of the biggest show business in the world.]
Nadon: Oui. [Yes.]
Vogel: Ti-Guy, est-ce que t’es encore capable de faire ça ? [So, Guy, are you still able to do it?]
Nadon: [Nodding] Totalement monsieur Vogel ! [Totally, Mr. Vogel!]
[Music is heard until the end of the clip: A piano and drum duet.]
[A completely black screen, with only a few discernible fluorescent elements: drumsticks, the outline of a drum, a lapel pin and Nadon’s eyeglasses. These are the only items that can be seen on the screen. Nadon plays the drum, and the drumsticks move up and down at high speed.]
[Back inside the house. Nadon, medium close-up, sitting at his drums. He plays the drums, using slippers as drumsticks. He strikes the various drums and cymbals on his drum kit at high speed with a big smile, leaning from side to side to use every part of his instrument. He even taps the slippers together to create new sounds. Off-screen, Vogel accompanies him on the piano.]
[Back to the black screen. Close-up of Nadon’s eyeglasses, then of his drum, and lastly of one of his drumsticks, which he spins in his hand like a propeller.]
[Back to a close-up of the slippers used by Nadon, then zoom out to re-frame the top half of Nadon’s body and the entire drum kit. The camera moves slightly to the left and then turns to film Vogel, who is at the piano, in profile. Their musical number ends with a few notes of the piano, and then Vogel raises his arms in the air.]
[End of scene.]
The origins of a camera: Quintessential portability for professionals
The quest for a portable camera led engineer and movie buff Jean-Pierre Beauviala to create a professional camera that would meet his own needs.
As he set out to create a film experience that would provide viewers with an immersive audiovisual experience in the streets of Grenoble, France, Beauviala came to realize there were no cameras available that could synchronize sound and image without being restrictive. Like many filmmakers of the ‘50s and ‘60s, Beauviala was confronted with a lack of suitable equipment for capturing live, immersive shots.
Photograph of Jean-Pierre Beauviala in 1972.
Jean-Pierre Beauviala – CC BY-SA 4.0This link will open in a new window
Beauviala initially worked for one of France’s largest camera manufacturing companies, called Éclair. His experience as a consulting engineer, and later as a director of studies, trained him in the design of filmmaking equipment. The Aaton was directly descended from two iconic Éclair cameras widely used by Direct Cinema and New Wave filmmakers: The Éclair 16 and the Caméflex. For example, the Éclair, like the Aaton, was carried on the shoulder, but it was too front-heavy, forcing users to either overcompensate for its instability or wear a harness, both of which caused physical discomfort after several hours of shooting. In addition, there were synchronization issues between the image and the sound that had to be remedied through the use of cables.
Coutant, Clément and Jacques Mathot. 1961. Brevet d’invention [Patent of invention]. No. 1318665. Paris, France. 3 p.
Public domain
Photograph of a camera operator with an Éclair on his shoulder. The bulk of the camera’s weight sits forward of his shoulder. The Aaton’s design is similar to this one.
Podzo Di Borgo CC BY-SA 4.0This link will open in a new window
Beauviala invented different cameras to overcome these problems, as well as to satisfy a desire for formal and aesthetic renewal that was shared by 1960s filmmakers from Quebec, France and the USA.
The Aaton company was formed in France in 1971 by Jean-Pierre Beauviala. He and his team never stopped perfecting their cameras in an effort to attain their ideal:
“Beauviala’s main goal continues to be to design what he calls ‘a friendlier instrument.’ His primary objective is to develop a tool that corresponds to his vision of an ideal movie camera—a ‘cat-on-the-shoulder.’ This guiding principle serves as the basis—constantly renewed and re-examined—of the development of a whole range of 16 mm cameras. Their varying technical characteristics all derive, either directly or indirectly, from the primary goal of making a camera into a ‘cat’.” [Translation]
(Grizet 2017, p. 39).
Excerpt from an Aaton cameras brochure.
Anon. 1978. Aaton Cameras. p. 5.
© Aaton Digital
After two years of research and testing, the company’s first camera, the Aaton 7, was launched in 1975. It allowed the image to be synchronized with the sound recording without the use of cables, thanks to its “universal quartz-controlled motor.” The properties of quartz had already been adopted by watchmakers for their precise timekeeping. In the Aaton camera, they allowed the speeds of the two devices’ motors (the camera’s and sound recorder’s) to be precisely aligned.
Aaton technical data sheet
Which characteristics of this device make it so portable and lightweight and allow it to approach its subjects?
Specifications
- Measurements
- 50 cm x 20 cm x 23 cm.
- Weight
- 6 kg, including batteries and magazines.
- Materials
- The camera is made up of electronic components that perfectly synchronize the image with the sound recording.
- Frame rate
- Variable frame rate of 6 to 32 fps.
Components and accessories
- Battery
- Under normal conditions, the battery can power the camera through up to five magazines of film.
- 16 mm film
- This highly light-sensitive film allows operators to shoot in all types of conditions, both indoors and outdoors, as well as at night.
- 120-metre magazine
- The preloaded magazines can be installed and removed quickly, which is very advantageous when shooting on the go.
- High-performance reflex viewfinder
- It offers precision frame control, as the operator can see exactly what is being filmed at the time of shooting.
- AatonCode
- This camera was one of the first to directly embed a time code onto the film when shooting. This allows the sound and the image to be synchronized.
- Walnut wood grip in the form of a closed fist
- Adjustable to fit the camera operator’s hand. It allows for easier camera handling.
Features
- No integrated microphone. An external microphone is required.
- The microphone is mounted onto a boom that is operated by the sound mixer. The sound mixer, who works independently from the camera operator, can record freely at a distance from the camera.
- Zoom lens.
- Used by documentary filmmakers, the zoom lens provides great flexibility without lens changes, and thus without shooting interruptions. It can be used for zoom-in and zoom-out effects.
- Very silent.
- The very quiet camera motor produces approximately 23 decibels of sound, equal to a barely audible whisper.
- Cutaway on the body of the camera.
- It allows the camera to be placed on the shoulder, providing it with great stability.
Operation and handling
More than anything, the Aaton fills a need to capture action shots.
Anon. 1981. Aaton Cameras 7 LTR 16 mm Camera Instruction Manual. 29 p. TR 880 A22
© Aaton Digital
First, the camera is prepared by the camera operator (or assistant): the film is loaded and the battery is installed. Next, the camera is lifted onto the shoulder and the eye is placed against the viewfinder to frame the shot (the other eye may also provide information on the surroundings, as needed). The hand that is placed on the wooden grip guides the camera, while the other hand adjusts the focal length and/or focuses the image.
The Aaton is comfortable to hold and very stable, as all of its weight is supported by the entire body, not only by the arms. The Aaton is not so much an extension of the camera operator’s body as it is a second, symbiotic entity. The filmmaker and the camera work together to get as close as possible to their subjects. Those who wish to become professional camera operators must train themselves to keep control of the camera while also moving around. It is recommended that they practice a sport to develop accuracy, such as archery, or an activity to help them learn to move fluidly, such as dance, yoga or Tai Chi.
To establish a relationship of trust between the film crew and those whose private lives are being recorded, a film shoot must be prepared in advance. It is relatively easy for small crews of two or three people to be accepted and get close to those being filmed.
The sound mixer and the sound equipment must always be close to the action. The assistant camera operator oversees the mechanical aspects of the camera. This is a more important role than that of assistant camera operators of the early days of cinema (see the Bell & Howell info sheet). This allows the camera operator to focus entirely on what is being shot, while maintaining a close relationship of trust with the subjects. The film crew must become emotionally involved in the action, in order to react quickly and capture significant moments, which are sometimes fleeting.
Photograph of director Sophie Bissonnette, camera operator Serge Giguère and boom operator Diane Carrière filming a scene from Quel numéro What number? Photograph by François Bouchard.
Personal collection of Sophie Bissonnette.
Modélisation 3D de l’opérateur de la Aaton, l’assistant-caméraman et le perchiste. L’assistant-caméraman sécurise l’opérateur dans ses déplacements.
Anon. 1978. Aaton Cameras. 47 p. TR880 A222.
© Aaton Digital
Users and anecdotes
In Quebec in the 1950s, NFB productions were made by technical crews that, until then, adhered to relatively rigid standards. Michel Brault, a well-known Quebec cinematographer, cameraman and film producer who was a leading figure of Direct Cinema, described the NFB’s training program: The director of the NFB camera department taught new recruits that in order to produce beautiful images, they had to sit still and examine the frame before shooting. In addition, to synchronize the sound with the image, the words had to be synchronized one by one with the movement of the person’s lips during the editing stage, which was a long and tedious process. An alternative option was to connect the whole system to a power supply, which meant shooting in a studio.
In the mid-1950s, a new generation of francophone filmmakers challenged these codes in their quest for greater authenticity. It was the dawn of Direct Cinema. All that remained to be done was to develop equipment that could meet their needs.
Brault, who was the Aaton brand representative in Canada, explained the importance of the camera in the 1980s.
“We were tired of having to shoot documentaries and fiction films with huge cameras that had to be plugged into the 110-volt grid to sync with Hydro-Québec’s 60 Hz cycle. We wanted to be able to go anywhere, without wires getting in the way […] Nowadays, the Aaton is the star. It’s almost perfect. The most ergonomic camera in the history of cinema.”
(Brault 1991, p. 22)
Michel Brault at a shoot. Cinémathèque québécoise collection. Fonds Michel Brault 2019.0084.PH
The Aaton contributed to the tail end of a shift in documentary filmmaking. Both the new role of camera operators and the facility of recording synchronized sound allowed subjects to express themselves without the need for narrated commentary by producers. They could tell their own stories.
Denis Villeneuve uses an Aaton during the shoot of REW-FFW (NFB 1994) in Jamaica.
©Martin Leclerc, photographe
When Beauviala first designed his camera, he had a specific purpose in mind. In practice, the camera was also used for TV reporting. The ORTF (France’s public television station until 1974) was one of the first broadcasters to buy the Aaton. The BBC soon followed. It was also used on major movie sets until the advent of digital cameras.
Additional resources
This motion picture glossaryThis link will open in a new window will help you better understand some of the terminology used.
Are you the inquisitive type? Would you like to learn more about Aaton and the filmmakers who used it? The following websites will provide you with additional information.
- A film about Jean-Pierre Beauviala and the Aaton, available online. Un chat sur l’épauleThis link will open in a new window, 2013, directed by Julie Conte. (French with English subtitles)
- Interview with Jean-Pierre Beauviala and Philippe VandendriesscheThis link will open in a new window at the Cinémathèque française in 2014. (French only)
- Interview with Jean-Pierre Beauviala, inventor of the Aaton, on France cultureThis link will open in a new window. (French only)
- Quel numéro What number ? Directed by Sophie Bissonnette in 1985. Full version available online.
- Interview with Michel Brault in 1961This link will open in a new window on his views of Direct Cinema, also called cinéma-vérité [truth cinema]. (French only)
- Copie Zéro no.5This link will open in a new window about Michel Brault’s work. (French only)
Bibliography
Anon. 1978. Aaton Cameras. TR880 A222. Cinémathèque Québécoise collection. 47 p.
Anon. 1981. Aaton Cameras 7 LTR 16 mm Camera Instruction Manual. TR 880 A22. Cinémathèque Québécoise collection. 29 pages.
Bouchard, Vincent. 2012. Pour un cinéma léger et synchrone! Invention d’un dispositif à l’Office national du film à Montréal. Paris: Presses universitaires du Septentrion.
Brault, Michel. 1991. “Métamorphose d’une caméra : fragment d’une langue histoire.” Lumières, no. 25: 22-23.
Coutant, Clément and Jacques Mathot. 1961. Brevet d’invention. No. 1.318.665. Paris, France. 3 pages.
Graff, Séverine. 2014. Le cinéma-vérité: films et controverses. Rennes : Presses Universitaires de Rennes.
Grizet, Denis. 2017. “Les appareils de prise de vues de la société Aaton (1971-2013). Du ‘direct’ au ‘numérique’ : enjeux techniques et esthétiques.” Master’s dissertation. Université de Rennes.
Marsolais, Gilles. 1997. L’aventure du cinéma direct revisitée. Laval: 400 coups.
Mouëllic, Gilles (dir.). 2020. “L’innovation technique, de l’argentique au numérique : le cas de la société Aaton.” Encyclopédie raisonnée des techniques du cinéma. Under the direction of André Gaudreault, Laurent Le Forestier and Gilles Mouëllic. www.encyclo-technes.org/fr/parcours/tous/aatonThis link will open in a new window
Mouëllic, Gilles, et Giusi Pisano (dir.). 2021. Cahier Louis-Lumière, no. 14 (issue “Aaton: le cinéma réinventé.”).
Sorrel, Vincent. 2017. “L’invention de la caméra Éclair 16 : du direct au synchrone.” 1895, no. 82: 106-131.
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