i'm in london & berlin. advice/recommendation

[chris descor]

Hi

I've just arrived from Australia tonight in London for a holiday.

I'm only in london for a few days more, then i'm off to berlin.

i'm 19 and yes, am interested in cinematography. i've shot super8 and have some cameras, but am now wanting to get into 16mm/s16mm. I know of the bolexs/beaulieu/canon/k3/arri/aaton/ etc

seeing as this is a rare opportunity for me to travel to Europe, it would be great if, while I'm over here, I could look at anything to do with motion picture film cameras. I shoot film 35mm still photos already, so am interested in motion-pictures. as well as cinema of course.

 

This may be a bit forward, but I was hoping that I could buy a 16mm camera whilst i'm in london or berlin, or at least browse any shops/stores/2nd hand etc

even maybe meet one of you who can show me how to operate an arri 16mm :)

 

I've been to MR.CAD, and so know what he has.

As I'm only in london for a few more days, I doubt I'll be able to get out the city in much time.

i'll be in berlin the end of this week and next.

so, could any people, who live in london, berlin, europe or anywhere, can you please suggest/recommend shops/places/cinemas(not multiplex hollywood cinemas, but classic/cult/art etc), camera shops, 2nd places, places that have motion picture film, places that offer cinematography courses, cinematography museums, art/classic-cinemas etc anything to do with cinematography! please where do you recommend I check out>?

 

thank you!!! :)

[Dimitri Zaunders]

Wow, this is scary! I feel like I'm reading a post written by me a couple of months ago, when like you I was also in Europe for a short time and looking for any and all opportunities to immerse myself in film and cinematography while over there. And to make it an even scarier coincidence, I'm also around your age and from Australia!

 

Anyway in the couple of weeks I was in London and Paris I dragged my poor girlfriend into every single place that was in any way related to film-making or photography, including old second-hand camera stores (you'll find these all over both Paris and London, from what I found there were lots of great ones in Soho, including the Sendean camera store which also sold old Bolexes!), photography exhibits and museums (in London make sure to check out both Tates and the National Gallery for plenty of inspiration).

 

If you can though definitely try to make it over to Paris while you're in Europe, it's the perfect place for anyone who has an obsession with film. The city has some of the best cinemas in the world, and walking down a few back streets you're likely to come across a couple of stores absolutely full of film paraphernalia, including rare movie posters from cult films, press kits from film festivals like Cannes and ancient books and magazines on the topic of film. Seriously that city is film-geek heaven!

 

And above all make sure you keep shooting 35mm still photos while you're there, if you're anything like me you'll find England and the rest of Europe incredibly inspiring in terms of the quality of light. It's absolutely nothing like being back home in Australia, make the most of it while you're there!

[chris descor]

please anyone.

i know of widescreen centre, bluecinetech etc, are these worth traveling to for movie cameras?

maybe mac's cameras?

i've been to aperture and London camera exchange but they had nothing really. mr cad's i've been to and is good but not much.

 

any recommendations? please!

[Robert Lewis]

please anyone.

i know of widescreen centre, bluecinetech etc, are these worth traveling to for movie cameras?

maybe mac's cameras?

i've been to aperture and London camera exchange but they had nothing really. mr cad's i've been to and is good but not much.

 

any recommendations? please!

 

Hi Chris.

 

Perhaps the best supplier of Bolex 16mm cameras in the UK is Andrew Alden (www.bolex.co.uk) and I know that he has a wide choice of Bolex cameras and other associated equipment. He is a delightful guy to talk and deal with. Unfortunately, he is not based in London, but in Hudderfield, Yorkshire. If you have the time, I would suggest you contact him. I don't think you would be dissappointed.

 

Regards.

[Thaddeus Pope]

Hi Chris,

 

If you’re still in London and you want to go to the cinema, I’d recommend The Prince Charles (just of Leicester Square). It’s cool, its cheap (much cheaper than any other cinema in Central London), and they show decent movies. Some shows are £3 (or thereabouts), others can be more expensive – I’d recommend calling them before you go. This is their website: http://www.princecharlescinema.com/

 

If you want to visit a good photography gallery, you should head down to The Photographers Gallery - http://www.photonet.org.uk/

 

I’d recommend that you make time to visit The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, The British Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Science Museum, The Natural History Museum, and Tate Modern and Tate Britain. There are many other galleries and museums in London, but these are my favourites.

 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

Regards,

 

Thaddeus