From Digital to Printed Film Format - What ratio should I use?

[Daniel Aleu]

Recently I got interested by the process of filming digital and then creating a print on film, but I've had a couple of questions regarding the ratio. I'm planning to apply this process for an upcoming project so I'm going to do some tests throughout preproduction, but in case I want to do the print on 35mm, what's the best decision for sensor size on the digital camera? Should I use the 1.85 because of the 35mm film? I've heard that using Open Gate can lead to some rescaling issues... is that true? 

 

Also, how much grain difference would there be if I decide to print on 16mm? 

Edited February 24 by Daniel Aleu

[Aristeidis Tyropolis]

I am attaching here an example from the people at Silbersalz Cinelab in Berlin:

 

And this is also Arri Alexa to 50D 16mm I believe:

 

 

[Daniel Aleu]

These tests are beautiful, thanks for sharing them. I find this process very honest and productive for the post production process. 

Do you know anything about what type of ratio should be used from the digital camera? 

[Mark Dunn]

Presumably you're aware that these film-outs are to negative- they're intended to be scanned back to digital-, so if you needed a projection print that would be an extra stage (and expense). I don't know if you can film-out straight to a print.

Edited February 24 by Mark Dunn

[Robert Houllahan]

Arrilaser recorders can record 4096 x 3112 to the super 35mm 4-Perf area so you can fit whatever aspect ration into that.

Our 16mm/S16mm recorder can record 1.33 Standard 16mm or 1.66 Super 16mm either with a 4096 pixel width.

 

[Robert Harris]

Yes, one can film out to print, and for those who choose to do so, have at it.

Personally, when I do a 4k restoration, I consider that to be my negative, and record back to film to create a non-digital preservation asset.

Each to their own.

R

[David Mullen ASC]

If you're making a 35mm projection print with optical sound, you should compose and then film-out with that in mind, whether you want to project standard 1.85 masked widescreen (aka "flat") or 2.39 anamorphic (aka "scope"). Or some other aspect ratio letterboxed or pillarboxed within those two projection areas. Typically you'd record to a 4-perf 35mm negative and make a contact print from that.

Whatever you choose, shoot a framing chart.

[Robert Harris]

Perfect advise. I recall borrowing a 35 print of E.T. for my son’s 6th birthday party. It was (as I recall) open matte. I asked Allen Daviau why. Because he didn’t want to go through an optical duplication step.

Things are easier these days.

R

[Mark Dunn]

11 hours ago, Robert Harris said:

Perfect advise. I recall borrowing a 35 print of E.T. for my son’s 6th birthday party. It was (as I recall) open matte. I asked Allen Daviau why. Because he didn’t want to go through an optical duplication step.

Things are easier these days.

R

One of my student films was 1.66 but that was masked by burning in from a C-roll. We shot 1.33, with chinagraph finder marks as I recall. We may have used the safe action or safe title marks.