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'Babylon' - Director: Damian Chazelle / DP: Linus Sundgren / Kodak film


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Cool still to start off with:

 

Looking forward to this one.....out in Europe in a couple of weeks.....shot on:

Arricam LT, Atlas Orion and Angenieux HR Lenses 
Arriflex 435

35 mm (Kodak Vision3 50D 5203, Vision3 250D 5207, Vision3 500T 5219, Eastman Double-X 5222)

 

Printed Film Format  35 mm (Kodak Vision 2383) 
70 mm 
D-Cinema

Never heard of the Atlas Orion lenses!

Here's the article about it:
https://www.kodak.com/en/motion/blog-post/babylon

Screenshot 2023-01-05 at 12.54.20.png

Edited by Stephen Perera
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Content wise, it's essentially a mash-up of the Kenneth Anger book "Hollywood Babylon".

Students of Film History will recognize simulacrums Clara Bow, Fatty Arbuckle, Douglas Fairbanks, Dorthy Arzner, a blended Von Stroheim/Von Sterberg character, Pathe Leherman and other Silent Era personalities that figure largely in the scandals of Early Hollywood.

Historically, the representation of technology is great, but telescopes the shooting methods of the 1910's into the period just prior to sound introduction in 1926.  No one but the cheapest Skid Row Production was shooting on open stages like those portrayed in the late 1920s'.  Much of the open studio shooting is clearly modeled on the Sennett Studios of 1915 (ish), complete with a drug-dealing "Count".

It's more of an overly-long love letter to Hollywood;  beautiful but flawed like the characters it portrays. 

Certainly worth watching;  I had a lot of fun.

Just my personal opinion.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/5/2023 at 12:52 PM, Stephen Perera said:
   

Never heard of the Atlas Orion lenses!

Atlas Orion are (relatively) low-budget anamorphic lenses, very well-known among DIY/indie filmmakers; and it came as a big surprise when Linus Sandgren used them on "Don't Look Up! (2021).

The trailer for Babylon is intriguing - colourful widescreen is certainly an unusual choice for a movie set in 1920s. General art direction looks nowhere near historical to me, but overall it is probably a lot of fun!

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I haven't seen the movie yet but have heard nothing but negative to very negative reviews so far in terms of the story. I keep hearing that the only redeeming aspect of the film is its cinematography. I haven't seen but only echoing what I've heard and read about the film.

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4 hours ago, Alissa Alexina said:

Atlas Orion are (relatively) low-budget anamorphic lenses, very well-known among DIY/indie filmmakers; and it came as a big surprise when Linus Sandgren used them on "Don't Look Up! (2021).

As more cinematographers look for imperfect optics and detuned lenses, some have been choosing low end cine or rehoused old stills lenses to try and find some character. There are so many varied lens choices now for cinematographers.

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its on in local cinemas as from Friday so looking forward to it......I often ponder on why I like films.....and what comes top of the list......the emotional response I get to visuals or the emotional response i get from the acting/storyline.......personally I cant separate the fact I am framing all my waking day.....often a source of amusement for my friends......walking down the street a friend sees tress lining up the pavement but i see the way the sun is painting the trop of the trees with warm glowing light......enough said haha

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18 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

As more cinematographers look for imperfect optics and detuned lenses, some have been choosing low end cine or rehoused old stills lenses to try and find some character. There are so many varied lens choices now for cinematographers.

But that is because most using very high def  digital so need to soften the image a bit ! This was shot on film , so not needed to me , I have  not seen the film . Love Linus work , but a big fan of any of the Directors work .

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Saw the film last Friday on my own at the cinema and LOVED IT! fantastic in so many ways for me......had the chaos of Mother! (Darren Aronofsky) the decadence of Wolf of Wall Street and the musical (score etc) presence of La La Land.....am going to go watch it again with 'partner' this week.....I dont give a f@£k about the negativity of any critic or anyone about it.....laugh out loud moments, squirm moments, cinematographic brilliance moments.....a true cinematic experience where you love it at times....hate it at times but remember it day after day thereafter......
The casting superb in my opinion.....the lead Latino actor reminded me of Jimmy Smits from back in the day.....Margot Robbie would get awards for this.....but in this woke era it's never going to happen

Chapeau!

Edited by Stephen Perera
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  • 1 month later...

Usually I prefer the look of Panavision lenses, but I happen to like the Atlas Orion Anamorphics much more than other brand's, much expensive anamorphic lenses. The Orions have a great classic look when stopped down just a little bit. 

For me it was clear from the beggining that in "Babylon" Linus Sandgren was trying to break up the image using them wide-open or nearly wide-open for many of the night scenes. And he had them modified by Atlas to get more diffused highlights and more prominent flares, and it shows. But the texture of the lenses with the film stock is really nice.

As for the film, it's overlong, fascinating and flawed at the same time. I can really understand why it flopped, but it will find a second life in streaming platforms. It would even work better as a three or four episode miniseries. 

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4 minutes ago, Manu Delpech said:

Some of Sandgren's best work. To die for, just another reminder of how superior film is. 

here here! nothing like film!.....totally annoys me that Roger Deakins is so pro-digital...we all know why......as much as I admire the guy and enjoy his podcasts plus we support Man Utd of course, we need people like him on board so they keep making the stuff and it filters down to people like myself who shoot for artistic value....THAT is the gripe I have with digital.....the fact that because of it film is always 'in danger' if Kodak pulls the pug

Edited by Stephen Perera
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It's only a matter of time before Kodak pulls the plug unfortunately. Even with the current boom in film use, it is absolutely peanuts compared to the early 2000s and the 90s. Most of those film projects are vanity art projects for personal ego, music videos, shorts and some feature films - a lot of them shouldn't even be shooting on film due to lack of budget.  Everything used to be shot on film so yea... it is peanuts in comparison.

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2 hours ago, dio zafi said:

wow...!!!!   so beautiful !!!

 

great inventions (Kodak film) last forever brother..I'm shooting on film and making art and money...

Best post I've seen in ages. Love it.

 

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7 hours ago, Giray Izcan said:

It's only a matter of time before Kodak pulls the plug unfortunately. Even with the current boom in film use, it is absolutely peanuts compared to the early 2000s and the 90s. Most of those film projects are vanity art projects for personal ego, music videos, shorts and some feature films - a lot of them shouldn't even be shooting on film due to lack of budget.  Everything used to be shot on film so yea... it is peanuts in comparison.

Can't agree.  Kodak shows no sign of abandoning film despite their diminished stature as compared to the past.

I've been hearing "film is dead" for over 50 years.  Come post again when it dies and I'll concede.  Until then, the saga will continue...

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1 hour ago, Frank Wylie said:

Can't agree.  Kodak shows no sign of abandoning film despite their diminished stature as compared to the past.

I've been hearing "film is dead" for over 50 years.  Come post again when it dies and I'll concede.  Until then, the saga will continue...

Don't get me wrong... I am all for film and only recently actually stopped photochemical finish as the infrastructure is not there to handle that workflow in terms of finding negative cutters etc. You can't deny though film use is peanuts comparison to the old days.

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That's true, much, much smaller market these days for film but then again things change but good things have a tendency to survive 'cause they are just so good. To look at it from another angle it's probably a blessing that we got the digital revolution. With the rate that video/moving images are now consumed/needed in the world I doubt film production could have kept pace with it all. Analogue video started taking up a lot of the workload, on tv, and then we got digital.

In my opinion film is, in a way, even more loved and appreciated today because we can see just how good it is compared to digital, and the means now exist to make the viewing and distribution of it so much easier. Prints and film projectors aren't needed. Very nice to see film at its best with a film projector but film still looks excellent projected digitally. I was finally able to compare the look of film-projected 35mm in a cinema with digital projection of 35mm film last year and I think both look excellent. You can see all or most of the beautiful aspects of film with digital projection, and without torn splices, scratching of film, etc.

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I wouldn't mind betting that if Australia got back into feature film production with 35mm that we would have a healthier film industry here. I occasionally raise this topic and it sometimes gets poo-pooed by locals. Offer 100% digital-only film production facilities in your country and watch your industry decline to only getting the tackier productions. Big bucks but tacky. It's got to be said. They said film was dead. I'm sorry you Aussie pros who felt that way but you've been proven wrong.

Edited by Jon O'Brien
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Compare episode 1 and 2 (Directed by Damian Chazelle, with Kodak film) of THE EDDY and then watch episode 3 onwards (RED digital)....Kodak mic drop (as the millennial say)

 

Edited by Stephen Perera
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Actually, anyone in Australia who once shot 35mm has carked it or is long retired, or one way or the other has faded completely from view. Put it this way they've all gone very, very quiet. Probably playing gigs in 50s revival bands, or something similar. Where are all Australia's old legends of the motion picture film camera? Does anyone even care in this country?

.... sound of crickets chirping ...

They gave up on film because they didn't like waiting for the processing.

Plus it was all too hard.

Digital so much easier. Looks like garbage on the big screen but that doesn't matter.

"Next!" ....

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14 minutes ago, Jon O'Brien said:

Actually, anyone in Australia who once shot 35mm has carked it or is long retired, or one way or the other has faded completely from view. Put it this way they've all gone very, very quiet. Probably playing gigs in 50s revival bands, or something similar. Where are all Australia's old legends of the motion picture film camera? Does anyone even care in this country?

.... sound of crickets chirping ...

They gave up on film because they didn't like waiting for the processing.

Plus it was all too hard.

Digital so much easier. Looks like garbage on the big screen but that doesn't matter.

"Next!" ....

same in Spain in general...all Spanish films look the same....ultra glossy....make up noticeable...look like they are playing dress up.....very much the Arri Alexa look.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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