About Hi Def projects, 35mm adapters and release prints

January 6, 2007

Hey

35mm adapters and HD seems to be a very popular combination nowadays for various reasons. I would like to know if anyone has worked on an HD project that was shot with a PS Technik adapter and blown up to 35mm release prints.

What are your opinions/experiences with this acquisition method for 35mm releases?

January 10, 2007

Anyone?

andrew kuepper · May 28, 2007

Anyone?

I just got back from Los Angeles testing and looking at a 35mm filmout for a trailer we are putting into theaters in a few weeks.

The footage originated as Redrock+Hvx 720p+ Nikon Nikkor Still lense.

FILMOUT

The wrong way:

The first test used a Final Cut Quicktime Animation Render because that was the best the editor felt he could get. This was given to a post house that then did NOT uprez the image, but re-adjusted their filmout recorder lens to capture the smaller image.

Result:

I was actually surprised at the quality of the print. Bright scenes looked as good as a 16mm blowup, but some darker scenes were really muddy. There was an overall grain increase in the entire set of images, but nothing really overpowering. It was superior to other small format films I have seen in the theater. Although I was impressed, I was not under the impression that this is as good as we could get, so...

The Right way:

Plaster City Digital Post. This house specializes in HDV-> 35mm. They do not take a render file from your Final Cut project, but prefer to media manage from your whole project file. They ingest the footage uncompressed and then uprez the footage using their tools. The project is logarithmically uprezzed to 1080. and brought into a 709 color space where correction, titles, etc. are added. They then output to tape, or Digital projection files, with Surround Sound audio files, etc. They preview on a 2k Christie on a 27' screen. They do NOT do filmout, so I did not see a print. Yet.

Results:

The preview looked absolutely incredible. I am sure that Plaster's methods are state of the art and top of the line in the industry. The frames on a 27' screen were completely holding up. Not 35mm but so close you could barely tell. This is all subjective of course, but on a particularly nice frame the Plaster City Guys commented on how good it looked. That tells me something. I am convinced this is the highest quality output achievable, and I look forward to seeing it printed.

I'm coloring next week and a print will be stuck from that and it's off to the theaters. The trailer is planned to ride in front of the upcoming Nancy Drew Feature, and we have a fairly wide release planned. If you find yourself seeing that movie you might catch a glimpse of the 35mm blowup.

Our film's website just went up, it includes some frame grabs and a trailer. You can find it at www.sarahlandon.com