Josh Hill

A great tool would be pre-interviewing. You're not going to be able to figure anything out until you figure out the story (even a documentary is a story) you want to tell. Go to all the people invovled or possibly involved (and even some who are not). Interview everyone without a camera (or perhaps while running a video camera like a DVX so that if you NEED to use the footage it won't be too terribly bad) and find out exactly what you want to say. Then go back and reinterview with the film camera. OR do all of the interviews on video and use the film for the stuff you really can plan (the documents, storyboarded/planned shots). Personally, I think the pre-interviewing technique would probably be the best. Have the camera to get something spontaneous (if it happens) and you really get to find out who has the stories you wanna use. Then reinterview them. After that, you'll even have a good idea of how long the interview will run (based on the video tapes).

Tigerland was actually shot on regular 16 to be more grainy. They say that on the commentary at some point (or maybe it is the featurette that comes on the DVD). But it is regular 16, not Super. I think it looks brilliant and is effective, so they probably went with the right choice (rather than finding some other way to enhance the grain factor).

Ken at Whitehouse was great about answering questions through e-mail and whatnot, but Paul Hillman stuck to his estimate even when he went several hours (and several hundred dollars over). For that I'll stick by Visual Products until the very end. Or at least until he leaves.

Yes.

I was unaware they made non-crystal BLs

David, But if you were shooting with a 16BL you had a Crystal Sync camera. While there may have been a slight drift because of the transfer, I don't think it applies at all to the problem the user is facing (which is his cameras are not sync). When I transferred from my CP16 (after recording audio on my XL1s) I didn't have an issue with drift, though. Or perhaps my shots were simply short enough that drift was imperceptible?

I'm pretty sure I Know what adapter you got. Keep in mind that there are two Arri mounts: PL Mount (which has release lock levers) and the Arri B mount (which does not). (I wasn't sure if the Standard mount is an Arri mount or really what the name applies so I didn't include that.) I am 99% positive you bought a B mount adapter since they are the only adapters I have seen on eBay.

It really depends on how well maintained the camera is. My CP16R, used only after an overhaul from WhiteHouse isn't entirely silent, but the only time the camera ever showed up on audio was when I was standing directly in front of the mic (friends and I were screwing around so we just had to set the mic up and let it run) and we upped the mic gain in post (because we needed to hear some dialogue, but of course I was standing in front with the camera). Even then you could barely hear the camera, and it wasn't actually the camera but the mag. If you have a well maintained camera, then you shouldn't have a problem with ever getting it on your audio. If the camera is, however, in shoddy shape...well, that can't really be used to defame the effectiveness of the equipment. Overall, my camera is extremely quiet (and I've been told that it's quieter than an Arri SR1 and some SR2s). But cameras are like cars, you give them a tune up and you keep them running right. But people rarely treat anything like they treat their cars.

Use a lense that does not cover the format, or one that vignettes in focusing (such as my Angenieux 10-150 at 10mm focused in to less than 5 feet). They used to use an "Iris In" technique in older films (Nosferatu).

Actually, you can have Amish communities that vary greatly with how they dress and act and how they are perceived to the outside world. There are no standard guidelines as to how the Amish should act/dress/etc. and behavior is dictated by the communities themselves. There are Amish communities in the United States that allow for electricity and, I believe, even automobiles.

You're lucky you have the half moon shutter, though I've not had any problems with my bowtie (though I admit, I had not processed any film until Paul Hillman gave it an overhaul). I think the benefits of getting Paul to do the conversion far outweight the possible results of you doing one yourself (such as ruining a gate or pulling out necessary rollers). Paul will also replace all of the belts in the camera so that you don't have the issue of the belts losing teeth and screwing around with your filming.

In my experience all of the rollers in the CP are necessary because the bottom loop can be rather hard to form properly as it is. What you also have to think about, since I'm assuming that you have a bowtie shutter is light smearing. It can be a problem on unconverted cameras, and by extending the image area you are opening yourself up for more of a chance of smearing (or of the mirror not covering the entire gate when it is supposed to). You're also going to have a hard time judging exactly what is in your frame since the viewfinder DOES show more than just what is in frame, without a new ground glass I have the feeling that you're probably going to be doing a lot of "guess work" while shooting. Personally, I would never do any work like that to my CP if I planned on running any amount of film through it for a real project. You can't be sure that you are to the exact specifications of the format, you don't have the luxury of a new groundglass, and you're talking about making significant changes that, when you explain them, seem simple. But I have a feeling if that were all that was to converting a CP to S16, the price wouldn't be as high as it is. Also remember that through a place like Visual Products a significant portion of the price is a complete overhal on the camera (the overhaul on my camera and lens cost 1250, so you're really only paying about 750 for the actual conversion). But you also get a warranty and you will KNOW that your camera will be spot on.

Primer used 7218

What David is saying is that the camera may have a light leak that is shielded by your head being near the viewfinder (casting a shadow over the leak). And if you didn't change the aperture all day, did you CONSTANTLY meter all day? In my experience, shooting outside with clouds (and there are obviously clouds in the sky), your stop can vary wildly from one moment to the next depending on the position of the clouds. Whenever I'm shooting outside I meter between every shot, regardless. I probably over meter, but it saves me from making a mistake.

The problem is all the over cameras you just listed, I've found, cost significantly more than a CP. You can get a CP on ebay from somewhere between 500 and 1200 dollars (I got mine for 1200 with tripod and fluid head, which were worth about 700 dollars alone) and with an overhaul you'll have spent maybe 2400. If you're buying a second hand camera it's good to get an overhaul anyway, so all of the cameras you just named (which generally go for 2000 for the ACL to 5000 for the LTR and SR1 on eBay) would cost at least about 1k more after overhaul than an overhauled CP. Also, all of the problems you have mentioned can all be fixed during an overhaul (including expanding, ever-so-slightly, the mirror to stop smearing). I say if someone only has a couple of grand to spend, might as well get a CP and overhaul it so that they will have a sync sound camera to work with and not have to spend anymore money (let's be serious, most of the people who ask for advice on cameras here, like myself, are hobbiests and they are most likely never going to make their money back with their cameras so a larger investment is only detrimental to their ability to shoot film which is, after all, kind of expensive).

Definitely a servicing issue. CP16s are hardly flimsy (they are quite robust cameras) at all when you consider that they were originally news cameras and, at best, they are over twenty years old. I don't know what the shutter stutter is you are talking about (I'm assuming you mean in the viewfinder), but a Panavision Gold has the same effect when you turn it on (mirrored shutter and all). CP16s are also wonderful for learning to load if you're going to ever need to load a Panny since the mags load the same and the movement is from the same general lineage (Mitchell).

Footage from a CP16R looks the same as footage from any other Regular 16mm camera if used with the same lens and the same lighting conditions. I have one and I shot with it a month or so ago (400 feet of 7222) with the Ang 10-150 lens and it looked great. The camera is just the box for the film.

I'm really more curious how you shoot superman with someone who actually flies.

Why do you need a camera to do A and B wind film? I wouldn't even know how to get A wind film (A-Minima excluded) without special ordering.

Link to a picture and I could probably tell you.

I don't think there really is a way to judge camera depreciation as you would, say, an automobile. Since the quality of the image is really determined by film and lenses rather than the camera itself, a thirty year old camera can produce similar images to a brand new camera. At 3 to 5 percent per year, in twenty years a camera would be worthless. But my CP16 was 1200 and worth every penny and it is closer to 30 years old. For an Aaton XTR, I don't think you're going to be able to pay less than 20k USD for it and probably closer to 30k. Cameras are also a sellers market because they are highly specialized instruments. It's not a car where the buyer has unlimited choices. Slap to the word "professional" on something and the price skyrockets, but unlike profession video cameras (or cars) a film camera does not go instantly obsolete with the newest model. My suggestion would be shop around and find the package that suits you. Visual Products is usually a good gauge for how much a camera package in good condition will cost. You can usually haggle over the finer points of the price, as well. Don't expect to get 10k knocked off of it, but a few hundred dollars, maybe.

I was under the impression that gummo was shot on 35, and the camera that he's holding on the bridge with the bunny (I went to his website) is a Canon Super 8 camera.

Again, Paul Hillman at Visual Products has belts special made for the CPs he works on to be tougher, more reliable and less prone to losing teeth.

If the mirror locks in the viewing position when the camera is shut off I don't think it should be a problem. Worst case scenario you could fog one frame.

Out of curiosity, just how much is this shoot budgetted for? How much are you paying for these Zeiss Super speeds (since you were going to get screwed on the Aaton, I'm curious)?