35- and 16-mm film production

[Ari Michael Leeds]

Hi first post.

 

 

It seems film is essentially dead in NYC with the end of Boardwalk Empire and the shuttering of NFL films.

If I were to relocate, based on the prospect of more film loading jobs, where'd be my best bet, LA or NO?


Thanks.

[Tyler Purcell]

Man, film has been pretty dead out here for quite sometime. I'd beg to say finding a loading job could be pretty tricky no matter where you go. Most people who shoot smaller budget films on film, don't need a loader either. The DP or AC will load their own mags. It's only on the bigger shows that loading is a real position and unfortunately, that market is pretty much entirely digital. Time to learn how to swap SD cards. :(

[Ari Michael Leeds]

While I appreciate your advice, I am willing to relocate to either LA or NO to be near film production, at the expense of my family and friends. I have my IA card.

As to "learning" to stick a SD card in a slot, a monkey can learn to do that job. Literally, have seen Monkeys taught to use digital cameras and put in cards.


Where is the bulk of filmed production taking place? LA, NO, elsewhere?

[Simon Wyss]

Would you really relocate from Los Angeles to LA? What did I miss?

[Ari Michael Leeds]

It asked me where I'm from. I'm from LA. Haven't lived there in years.



Back to the question, it's a simple question: LA or NO for film loading work. I really can't make it any more simple of a question.

[Kenny N Suleimanagich]

No more labs in New Orleans. One big one in LA, and two small ones.

 

Film is still being shot in New York. Quite a bit of it. But not enough to get you going in the industry as a loader.

[Ari Michael Leeds]

That has not been my experience in New York. Also they give positions to their unqualified friends, who joke about it in Abel Cine Tech (hypothetically, of course) like it's a bad thing, and the shut down the lab after "Boardwalk Empire's" conclusion.


I'm not trying to get a job in a lab, I'm trying to go where the most film SHOOTS are. That is pretty much just high end feature now. I also count myself lucky in that I've handled 65-/ and 70-mm film.

I hear NO still has some film shoots, even though they ship all the film back to CA to process.

[Simon Wyss]

A no-brainer, if you follow the rumour. You say, you hear NO has film shoots, so ask back the person who told (you).

Else, call Panavision, call everybody in California to find out about next film productions, call Eastman Kodak and George

Campbell, Campbell Representation Inc., Brooklyn NY, phone 917 566 6789, g.campbell@filmotec.de, www.orwona.com.

 

Call the labs, Fotokem, Spectra Film and Video. In my youth there was the saying that one has to have a bloody finger

(from dialling). Use the fax to transmit your one-page résumé. Write about your wide-film experience boldly. Good luck!

Edited February 11, 2016 by Simon Wyss

[JD Hartman]

Hi first post.

 

 

It seems film is essentially dead in NYC with the end of Boardwalk Empire and the shuttering of NFL films.

 

If I were to relocate, based on the prospect of more film loading jobs, where'd be my best bet, LA or NO?

 

 

Thanks.

 

NFL Films shut down? This company: http://www.nflfilms.com/index.html

Who will produce and distribute the content for all the pro games?

Edited February 11, 2016 by JD Hartman

[Mark Dunn]

 

NFL Films shut down? This company: http://www.nflfilms.com/index.html

Who will produce and distribute the content for all the pro games?

I think he means that they have stopped using film.

[Kenny N Suleimanagich]

NFL Films now shoots with Amira and Alexa. They have sold their 16mm inventory and backstock of film, and their lab is not in use (but remains intact).

 

There is 35mm and 16mm production in New York, if you know where to find it.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Kenny N Suleimanagich

[J. Winfield Heckert]

I think the guy who founded NFL's had planned to continue to shoot in 16mm for the foreseeable future, he said 16mm is what gave NFL Films it's "Look". He passed away in 2013 and NFL films stopped shooting games on film after the 2013/2014 season.

 

A buddy and I just purchased the last 44 rolls they had in the fridge. so no more "FILM" at NFL films. Damn stupid if you ask me, who knows how they will manage and archive all the footage they shoot. It was a built in archival format and they are the NFL's archive. They had a really nice facility in Cherry Hill NJ and it was great to just walk in and drop off a roll and come back a few hours later and it was processed and transferred.

 

I worked on a NFL films commercial in 2012 and the DP said it was an odd shoot because they were shooting in S16mm, he said other than the NFL content everything was digital at that point.

[John Christian Warren]

Become friends with Christopher Nolan ;-) But in all seriousness, I would look for every television series still being shot on film and get in with those people. If you want to move, my advice without a doubt would be Los Angeles. No comparison. However, like mentioned before in these posts, NYC is a very good place to be in the film industry.

Edited February 16, 2016 by John Christian Warren

[Robin R Probyn]

But why not be a camera assistant on digital shoots..? I was a loader on 16/35mm and was also told I was doing a monkey out of a days work.(mostly in jest I think :).. I think more cards have been re formatted before down load than mags get opened by mistake..loading mags is no more difficult than card management on a big shoot..

 

Im presuming you are not wanting to be a professional loader for the rest of your career .. because you may have a working life span similar to a rear gunner during WW2...

Edited February 16, 2016 by Robin R Probyn

[Ari Michael Leeds]

Where did I ever say that I refuse to work with digital shoots?


What I'm saying is that they are a joke when it comes to the "skilled labor" of the loader (mostly relegated to just a fetch-and-getup with almost zero specialized training) and literally anyone could back up and copy data.

Honestly, some of the morons I have worked with (who will remain nameless for their own good, not the good of the industry as a whole) seem to care more about my fkucing laptop and my label writer than my own personal qualifications.


I will work to put a roof over my head, hell if they are shooting with a camera phone I'll do it under an assumed name, but I want to load film.



Also, WWII tail gunner? I get that it is a joke, but very poor taste. Maybe when more of your friends in the camera and lab industry kill themselves, you will show a little bit more respect for the craft and trade.


@John Warren: Appreciate your response as it is the closest to an actual answer.

So you can say, objectively, that LA has the most filmed production, hands down, in the US at this point?


Do you know anything about how this compares with abroad? But yeah, looks like LA is my next spot then. Guess I have to get on that damned roster of theirs. . .

Edited February 24, 2016 by Ari Michael Leeds

[Ari Michael Leeds]

My apologies, I did not know that replying to e-mail notifications does not produce a post here.

Sent this over a weeks ago:

"So another response that ignores my question. Thanks so much. Adapt or die, got it.

But not a word from anyone about where the most active 35mm location is."

[Dom Jaeger]

I'm not sure why you felt the need to share that.

 

If you're annoyed that no-one has a definitive answer to your question, perhaps the question is not easily answered. Why would someone in LA necessarily know about NO or NY enough to make a comparison. It probably requires some investigation. People have given you their input, maybe it's up to you to do some more research instead of berating others for not doing it for you. You're acting like this is some sort of paid consultancy rather than just individuals sharing their scraps of knowledge for free.

[Ari Michael Leeds]

One sarcastic response is funny. Seven are not.


Got it, I should pay people to tell me what production is like there. I guess I'm a sucker for sharing my knowledge about New York freely then.


And you're in Australia. . .

[Robin R Probyn]

Hey Ari

 

I was loading mags probably before you were born.. I assisted an oscar nominated BSC dp for 6 years.. Ive loaded more mags than you had hot dinners.. and Ive had friends in this industry who have died.. Im not sure what you have been working on.. but I feel that data wranglers on big films are very organized and there is as much skill in it as loading mags..

 

Show some respect you say..?

Edited February 25, 2016 by Robin R Probyn

[Bill DiPietra]

One sarcastic response is funny. Seven are not.

 

Then maybe you should show some respect - especially since you just joined this forum and are looking for assistance.

 

Dom is one of the most helpful and easy-going of members. And he was able to pinpoint your attitude problem quite eloquently. So you may want to start over with a bit more respect and a lot less attitude. You have know idea how many valuable opinions you're missing out on simply because you got off to a bad start.

[Chris Burke]

maybe Atlanta??

[Ari Michael Leeds]

Bill: Could you please explain how sarcastic responses likening loading to being a WWII tail gunner are "respectful," or snarky replies from Australia are in any way helpful?

Didn't your parents teach you any manners?

Jesus.


Robin if you think making two copies of files and doing checksums is as skilled as loading mags. we'll have to agree to disagree. Your WWII tailgunner comment is still incredibly rude and condescending, regardless of how old you are.

This isn't the United States Marine Corps, and I'm not some PFC you can Code Red. You read me five by five, Marine?



If you have absolutely nothing save sarcastic comments, and boasting, zero to actually contribute in response to my question, why not take this novel approach: Don't post a reply.

[Ari Michael Leeds]

Chris Burke: Really appreciate one of only two helpful replies.


Some of the other comments in this thread literally have me seeing red right now.

[David Mullen ASC]

I don't think any production city consistently has more film loading jobs than another, not enough to make a decision to move there, as opposed to a one-off job that might need a film loader.

 

But don't most 2nd AC / loader jobs come from knowing a 1st AC, maybe the 2nd? As a DP, I've always left the job of loader to be determined by the 1st AC... Seems you'd move to where you are mostly likely to form a partnership with AC's regardless of whether it is a film or digital job.

 

But to answer your question, I don't think either L.A., NYC, New Orleans, or Atlanta consistently have more film vs. digital shoots over the other, it's sort of on a project-by-project basis. For all anyone knows, some HBO series will choose film again and will be shot in one of those cities but who knows. I shot a feature in 35mm last summer in Los Angeles. Before that, it was six years ago when I last shot film, in Texas.

[Ari Michael Leeds]

Wow, thanks so much for your response, Mr. Mullen.


Big, big fan of your work, like "The Astronaut Farmer," and "Assassination of a High School President."



Kinda sad that even you have been out of film work for six years. I didn't know that. :-(

And it looks like I've already alienated one or maybe two of those 1sts in this one thread. . .



All I know is that it seems like film work in NYC is completely dead, the odd summer feature, here or there. And shuttering the last labs (well, except maybe one up in Boston) anywhere in the area doesn't help.


I was looking to LA or New Orleans, hadn't even considered Atlanta until Chris brought it up.