Which stock should I use?

[Alexander Disenhof]

I am currently in a film class, and I am shooting a short 16mm film that takes place entirely in a lawyers office. Unfortunately, my instructor is making me order film stock through him, meaning that I have to tell him what stock I want to use BEFORE I even have a chance to help pick out/review the location we will be shooting at. I know I want a softer, late afternoon feel, and not too dark (2:1 ratio key to fill). I need to black out the windows, and all I have access to is an Arri Kit (2 1k fresnels, 1 650w, and 1 300w fresnel, and a Lowell Omni Kit, along with my own bounce boards and such).

 

I recently did tests with Kodak Vision2 200T using similar lighting equipment, and I had to shoot between a f2 and f4 the entire time, and it still had a dark feeling to it. I have not got the chance to test Vision2 500T (we have to use Kodak, its a requirement), but I feel like I will need to use it to get the exposure that I want. This said, I am concerned about grain (which I DO NOT want). Any suggestions about making 200T work? should I even be concerned about the 500T being too grainy? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[Adrian Sierkowski]

I've shot the 500T before and never really was concerned with the grain. All the vision 2 stuff is nice to work with and generally, it'd be easier, IMHO to go with 500T to get exposure than 200T. Further, from what I've heard, though I've never done this myself, if you overexpose the 500T a bit and bring it down in post it'll help get rid of some graininess as well as saturate colors a bit. As I've said, I've not yet done this myself, but from reading 'round I often see people rating the 500T at 400 or 320.

200T is a great stock, butt when you're going to be dealing with a low-light situation, the 500 is probably a better choice to work faster and easier (after all, the last thing you'd want to be saddled with would be a law office with one 15A breaker!)

[Alessandro Machi]

.........(after all, the last thing you'd want to be saddled with would be a law office with one 15A breaker!)

 

I was so nervous about videotaping in a law office I just went with their built in ceiling lights and one of my own battery operated lights.

 

Things that could go wrong include tripping a fuse and a computer goes down and they claim they lost critical data, or the sprinklers come on because of a smoky light and it ruins court documents that are in the vicinity. Over paranoid perhaps, but considering who the client is, maybe not.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Amen to that! I have a few horror stories from shooting in bars and throwing breakers, and one of a grip unplugging my friend's fridge and forgetting to put it back on. Point is, though it's always best to not HAVE to light for exposure, but to light for expression if that makes any sense.