new with 16mm

Dorian Quell · July 17, 2004

I just recently got a k-3. inexpensive and i hear a good camera except for loud noise. I'm planning on filming a 20 or 30 minute film in 16mm and Video. I'd like the 16mm to look slightly grainy with saturation, like buffalo '66, that is if i can afford the color film stocks. If not B/W with the same feel. the video should look saturated and grainy also but in color, like an old super 8 home movie of some sorts.

Anyways, I need a suggestion as to what stock film for 16mm should i get for the k-3?

This is my first attempt at 16mm, so any advice would be appreciated. With lighting or sound or anything. Thanks abunch guys, you all are lifesavers.

my regards.

Dorian Quell · July 17, 2004

also, i need to say the lighting with be mainly natural for many scenes in the film.

i'd like the film to have an everyday realness to it. Like John Cassavetes did in his film Faces, and prolly most of his others, i've only seen faces. i know this depends largely on the talent of the actors but any suggestions are well taken.

David Mullen ASC · July 17, 2004

What's "just right" in terms of the amount of visible grain is different for each person. I suggest something like Vision 500T, Vision 800T, or Fuji F500T and then push the colors in the telecine transfer.

Dorian Quell · July 17, 2004

thanks Mr. Mullen. How much does telesine run for? In pushing you mean exactly what? Sorry, i've seen the term alot and i have some idea what it means but what is it.

David Mullen ASC · July 17, 2004

I don't mean push-processing the negative, I mean boosting the chroma levels with the color corrector during the transfer. Depending on what format you record to, what telecine you use, how much footage you have, what deal you can make, a transfer can cost anywhere from $150/hr to $600/hr...

Let's say you shoot 10,000' for a half-hour short. That's maybe five or six hours of telecine time (it's about 4 hours of footage but you have to consider start and stop time, color correcting, etc.) maybe seven or eight if you do a lot of shot by shot color-correcting. Basically a whole day in a telecine bay. Now you may get a cheaper rate if you do an unsupervised dailies transfer (i.e. you're not there for it) but you may not get the look you want, or may have to save it for a later color-correction step.

Dorian Quell · July 17, 2004

thanks David. That helps alot. I'm considering just shooting mostly video and some 16mm at certain point in the film. Hopefully this will work out but thanks for all the help.

i don't think there is a telesine bay near but i may be wrong. i will research

off to work bye