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Which TV shows are shot in 16 and 35mm?


Robert Giampa

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Hey, does anyone know which TV shows (current or within the last 10 years or so) are shot on 16mm and which are shot on 35mm? I'm not really seeking a complete list or anything, I am just curious... I have been told that most are shot on 16, so maybe I am an idiot and should not be posting this! Specifically, I would like to know the details about shows like Alias, CSI(s), The Practice, X-files, Millennium, etc. Any info would be helpful!

 

Thanks!

-Robert

 

(Perhaps there is a website that lists info like this?)

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Scrubs:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/16mm/why....1.4.3.14&lc=en

 

One Tree Hill:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/16mm/why...0.1.4.3.8&lc=en

 

Sex and the City:

http://www.moviemaker.com/issues/46/film.html

 

The Shield:

http://www.zetaminor.com/dvd/dvdreviews/shield.htm

 

A few other shows shot in 16mm that you may have seen in recent times: DAWSON?S CREEK, ROSWELL, HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET, SON OF THE BEACH, DR.QUINN (Cinematography Emmy Winner), the first couple seasons of BUFFY, MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, THE PARKERS, and many other music videos and commercials.

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You can often find technical specs for TV shows and movies at http://www.imdb.com. Look for the "technical specs" link on the left-side menu under "Other Info."

 

A few examples... IMDB lists "Alias" as being shot on 35mm, along with "The X-Files" and "The Sopranos."

 

These days, I know some shows are shot on 16mm, and Hi-Def is also becoming popular for TV production. The first season of "Buffy" was shot on 16mm, and it seems like I read "Gilmore Girls" shoots on 16mm, also.

 

-Chance

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Specifically, I would like to know the details about shows like Alias, CSI(s), The Practice, X-files, Millennium, etc.

All those shows were 35mm, as are a majority of one-hour prime time dramas here in the US. The proportion of 16mm TV shows is significantly smaller.

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BTW, The Shield shot S-16 for the first two seasons but switched over to HD this season. It made for a dramatic difference in the look. Honestly it didn't have to look THAT different, so I think the change may have partially been a creative one.

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The Shield shot S-16 for the first two seasons but switched over to HD this season.

Ah OK, I was looking at The Sheild this season and knowing that it was super 16 previously. I was thinking they might as well shoot it on HD, boy those highlights are just gone, but as it turns out it was HD.

 

I don't care for the blown out highlight video aesthetic myself. Maybe once they figure out how to soften it up some it will be better, the highlight is too sharp.

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Don't be afraid of such things here, this is a very civilised forum. People here

are polite and very helfull and professional.

If you beleive that, take a look at the "How to work a Lightmeter" board. They bollocked the hell out of that poor kid. He doesn't even post anymore.

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>They bollocked the hell out of that poor kid. He doesn't even post anymore.

 

Yes, this was AFTER he said he didn't want to spend the time it took to read a book on the subject. In a forum full of self-taught people who DID spend a lot of their time reading books on the subject, it struck one as a "my time is more valuable than your time" attitude. When people ask basic questions without that attitude, they usually get an answer, although I'm not convinced every question is best answered in a web forum.

 

Anyone who is dismissive of the idea of "flipping through a book" isn't going to get a positive reaction from someone like me, I'm afraid.

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