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Shooting double exposures on an Arri 416


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I’m intending to do some double exposures on 16mm film with an Arri 416 camera. The most rudimentary method I could think of is just expose the entire roll (one stop underexposed, or however I feel is appropriate for the subject), make notes of the contents, and then reload the same film to shoot the second layer. But sometimes it would be really convenient to be able to just «rewind» the film right away to do the second layer. As far as I can see from the manual, there is no such function in the camera. I guess you could open the mag and do it manually, but it sounds cumbersome. Anyone done this and know a good method that I haven’t though of?

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Hi John,

The Arri 416 apparently emulates the design of the Aaton 16mm cameras and also their lack of internal motorized reverse coupled to a frame counter. However, there are motorized reverse alternatives available, i.e. 

1. Internal motorized reverse coupled to frame counter re: 35mm cams,e.g.  Arri 235, 435, 535, Moviecam, Mitchell, etc.

2. External motorized reverse coupled to frame counter re: 16mm , e.g. Arri 16S/ST/M, Bolex w/ Revolution motor, Mitchell, etc. 

3. Internal motorized reverse coupled to frame counter re:  Super8/Single8, e.g. Fujica ZC1000 w/ C-Mount - entire 50ft of Single 8 cart can  be back wound  or reverse filmed. Excellent flat registration at the gate due to the 50ft vertical displacement mag/cart design. 

Cheers! 

Nicholas 

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just to follow up. We did this effect using the 416. But discovered that we could not simply shoot out the roll and reload it, because it would then be upside down with the sprockets on the wrong side. So we had to shoot out the roll and then manually roll it back into the feed compartment inside a loading tent. It was time consuming ? We could not access another camera that could actually rewind, but I would recommend that to do this efficiently.

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On 9/5/2019 at 1:53 AM, John-Erling Holmenes Fredriksen said:

Just to follow up. We did this effect using the 416. But discovered that we could not simply shoot out the roll and reload it, because it would then be upside down with the sprockets on the wrong side. So we had to shoot out the roll and then manually roll it back into the feed compartment inside a loading tent. It was time consuming ? We could not access another camera that could actually rewind, but I would recommend that to do this efficiently.

Yea it's the same problem with all of the 400ft load cameras. You can't rewind the film in camera. It's only the speciality cameras like the Bolex that can do the rewind in camera. 

What I would do for double exposure on 16mm is shoot a 100ft daylight spool, rather than a 400ft load. Then simply rewind the film back onto the daylight spool. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Rewinding a load on a core, 400' if needed, should be no problem, for the double exposure. Using much the same methods as when breaking down 2000/2400' rolls to 400'. Split spools can be useful. A simple platter that holds the film on one side only is useful. If one is feeling ballsy, one can hold the 400' roll, with ones finger tips,  on one rewind spindle and wind it onto the platter on the other rewind spindle.

The platter. I made one that was just an aluminium plate screwed to a bobbin that fitted the film core.

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Well done! Beautiful haunting simple song paired with excellent visuals. The short subtle double-exposures worked well. Does the vimeo link represent the final version? Or is additional post planned to remove the occasional film based artifacts, e.g. dustballs, startup flash frame re: motor ramp up, etc? 

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On 10/4/2019 at 3:11 PM, Patrick O'Malley said:

Congratulations on the finished film, John.

You've achieved a really nice look with it and I think the double-exposures are successful and really help the overall feel.

 

How did you meter your shots with the double exposures in mind?

 

thanks

Patrick

Thanks! As a starting point I underexposed a stop, setting the ISO to half the amount. But I of course made some individual judgement for each frame, depending on what I wanted to see. For example the shadow side of their faces I wanted to be see through, to fill them with the next exposure, so I made sure they were well under, exposing for the details outside the window instead.

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On 10/4/2019 at 6:04 PM, Nicholas Kovats said:

Well done! Beautiful haunting simple song paired with excellent visuals. The short subtle double-exposures worked well. Does the vimeo link represent the final version? Or is additional post planned to remove the occasional film based artifacts, e.g. dustballs, startup flash frame re: motor ramp up, etc? 

Thanks! Film based artifacts were intentional, it's the final version ?

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On 10/4/2019 at 8:27 PM, Webster C said:

Very nice! Love the double exposures. Curious - your image looks wider than Super 16, but it also doesn't look cropped top and bottom. Plus the flares - what were the anamorphics that you shot with?

Hawk 1.3x anamorphics, makes scope out of S16mm (or 16:9 out of 4:3).

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