Just Starting, Very Low Budget, Want Advice

SavageBastard · February 18, 2004

Anybody with any good advice ? (other than 'Don't do it' or 'Shoot video')

I'm in the writing stages of a film and need to shoot it in 16mm. I'm torn between shooting it entirely with my K-3 or renting a GREAT camera (arri,aaton,eclair,cp16).

I'm at a crossroads and would like to hear from other likeminded people.

Tim Carroll · February 18, 2004

Our experience last summer with shooting a 16mm film taught us alot. And the biggest lesson was "don't shoot with equipment that is not up for the job". We shot with a Bolex EBM and after months of trying to fix all the problems with the footage, etc. we barely have a finished short that is usable. Shooting even a short on film can cost at least a few thousand dollars with film purchases, processing, telecine, etc. Not to mention the time and talent of everyone involved in the production. We learned our lesson.

We sold everything Bolex we had, and even my prized motorcycle, to scrape up the money to get an Arri SR1, and had Arri overhaul the camera. So now when we shoot our next production in a few months, we will know that the equipment will not let us down.

If you ask me, buy or rent the better equipment. Unlike shooting video, when you are shooting film, many times you will not know that there was a problem until days or weeks later when you get the film processed and telecined.

Good luck.

-Tim

Brett Juskalian · February 19, 2004

A few years ago I shot a UCSB film with a rented 16BL and then did pickups with a borrowed K-3. To our surprise the K-3 lens was far sharper and had more contrast than the Angenieux lens on the BL. Figure out what you need the camera to do (i.e. high/low speeds, sync, rev. etc.) and then find the appropriate package. Spend money on lenses! Also consider your filmstock, lighting, and telecine needs. Its a balancing act, but don't sell your project short with bad glass. What about using your K-3 and another camera when needed?

Brett

Nate Downes · March 13, 2004

Always use the right equipment for the job.

However, a trick my old professor taught me is to write to your equipment.

Example, I own a Filmo, a Keystone, a Cinkvox and a B&H 200EE, not what anyone would classify as "top-end" by any means. So, I wrote a script that played to their strengths and by-passed their weaknesses. Filmo's great for those synch shots, used that almost exclusively for dialog, with the Cinkvox backing it up (added a synch to that). The Keystone was my 2nd unit, and as it could get 64fps was great for slow-mo work. And that 200EE? The thing is TINY! I squeezed it into spots that are absolutely impossible with normal cameras.

Just my 2 bits.

Leon Rodriguez · March 20, 2004

If you're writing the screenplay, you are in the driver seat. Take care to plan shots that are do-able and within the scope of your production limits. In other words, consider the cinematography in the script. Don't write a script to be shot on a K-3 that only an Arri SRIII can pull off. Test your gear, find the limits that concern you. Best of luck. Have fun.