Could someone be so kind as to help me?

technicolordreamer · September 20, 2004

Hello all. I am an ameture in filmaking....ok, I'll be honest; I have no idea what I am doing, but would really like to. I hope to one day be great director myself, and in preperation I have been studying the greats and their works, BUT, that's only have of it. The other extremely important part is the actual process of filmmaking. I have no idea the difference between 35mm and 18mm, I've never even heard of 8-only, so yes, I am lost. I would greatly appreciate the help of someone more experienced to explain to me these film terms and processes.

-Many thanks- // :)

Alvin Pingol · September 21, 2004

Step One. ;)

David Mullen ASC · September 21, 2004

A forum is better at getting short answers to specific questions, not for a general instruction on filmmaking, which is better handled by reading some books and taking some classes. So feel free to ask any particular questions that can be answered in a few paragraphs at the most.

The difference between 35mm and 16mm (not 18mm) is the physical width of the strip of film. 35mm film is 35 millimeters wide. 16mm was introduced in the 1920's as an amateur format, being smaller and cheaper. They didn't simply create a 17.5mm wide format by slitting a roll of 35mm down the middle because back then, 35mm used a flammable nitrate base and since 16mm was considered for consumer use, a non-flammable "safety" base was created from acetate. By making the new format 16mm instead of 17.5mm, they kept amateurs from simply buying a roll of 35mm and slicing it down the middle.

Laurent Andrieux · September 21, 2004

You also can have a look at studentfilmmakers.com for student's questions and answers if you wish, some very valuable people are there as well (M. Mullen also goes there for instance)