Seeking Processing Advice

[Aaron Webster]

I've been browsing this forum, reading multiple editions of the ASC manual and various other books, and scouring google for help with my lack of knowledge on this issue. Unfortunately, I've not had any luck thus far. I'm rather embarrassed to be asking this question, as I feel it is something I should know at this point, but here goes:

I'll be taking a trip to Grand Teton NP and Glacier NP at the end of the month. I was fortunate enough that on the last short film I loaded for, I was given the Kodak stock left over from the shoot. I'd like to use the stock on the trip and shoot these incredible landscapes. Stock is 7207 (250D).

I've read from various sources (here, AC mag articles, DPs) that rating film 2/3 of a stop over is 'good practice' in order to shift the information further into the shoulder of the curve and thus minimize the larger grain structures. While I love the look of super16, the only time the grain "stands out" to me is in landscape shots - specifically the skies. I'd like to rate the stock 2/3 over at 160 for this very reason. Here is where my issues start to come into play (or maybe I'm already screwing up with my explanation above and if so please yell at me). In order to do the above I would take the following general steps:

 

- Plug 160 ISO into my meter

- Set aperture based on these readings (with 180 degree shutter, 24fps)

- Process.... normal???

Please let me know if any of my information so far is incorrect, but the processing part is where I believe I'm hung up the most. Here is my thought process: Having rated the stock 2/3 over, were I to pull process the same amount I'd effectively have been "printing normally" (even though this will be scanned, so maybe that changes things? I've never been fortunate enough to be able to print). Thus I should process normal, leaving the end result 2/3 stop "hot". Is this line of thinking correct? I'm driving myself bonkers with this because I feel as though I should have understood this the first time I went researching it. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you!

[Stuart Brereton]

You have it right. Overexpose by 2/3rd stop and then process normally. 7207 is not a particularly grainy stock, but on 16mm it certainly doesn't hurt to overexpose.

[Wilfried E. Keil]

As Stuart said: you are right. Process it normal. You can also overexposed it one stop (but 2/3 would be enough), especially if the material will be scanned.

I would also take a ND 0.3 and ND 0.6 with me to have more opportunities to choose a "good" aperture. If you are not totally sure with the exposure, it is better to overexpose a bit then underexpose. Maybe also some softedge filters could be useful, especially at landscapes.