Preston Herrick

Hey, no problem. No offense taken. Just trying to keep readers informed. :)

The film was written and directed by two BYU students (which is a church sponsored school) but was not financed by the LDS church. The church simply does not do this. And it was shot in Idaho - which is also "Mormon" country. And speaking of Mormon producers, did you know that producer Gerald Molen (Jurrassic Park, Schindlers List, The Minority Report) is LDS?

That's normal for the 100A due to processing. It is annoying but I've gotten used to it. It is more or less noticeable under varying conditions.

IMO, it's 100% pure speculation at this point. If you already had a committment from a distributor you might be able to make a better guesstimate. There also tends to be a general bias from distributors against video originated films - whether justified or not. Scoring a distributor is probably the single most important and often overlooked things in a film project from a business standpoint. There are things you can do to improve your odds in obtaining one but, unfortunately, no magic, sure-fire techniques. If there was, we'd all be rich. So, from the standpoint of a business plan all you can really do explain how you plan to sell you film (go about getting a distributor) and (if successful) what you think you can get for it. You can use other similar films as examples. Getting useful data on other films takes time, research, and money. Check out a book like "Filmmakers & Financing" by Louise Levison. I think it and other books like it will point you in the right direction.

The closest comparison I have seen to what you are asking is here: http://www.lafcpug.org/review_dvx_pd150.html It's between the DVX and PD150

I have one and have a lot of praise for it. In fact, I just finished a 20 min. short with it (www.radiomechanics.com) myself. I think you'll finds lots of opinions and insight over at dvxuser.com :D

I could be wrong but I believe what you are referring to, where VITC is concerned, is the option of selecting which line in the Vertical Interval you want to insert the timecode data. If that is the case, then it has no affect on where the timecode is displayed on playback. Therefore you can probably choose whichever one you want. However, I would find out if there is a standard or default setting - the other one being an alternate. Selecting a screen position on playback is usually a function (option) of the VCR.

That's funny, I had always been told it was and had used AR-E. Then one day I called the Arri U.S. office for something and asked the person at the other end if it was AR-E or AIR-E. She said, AIR-E. Po-tay-toe, Po-taa-toe?

The pulldown in 24pa mode of the F6 setting also has a slightly different motion cadence than 24p normal due to it's intended purpose. I just finished shooting a short (www.RadioMechanics.com) and the footage looks killer. In the end, there should be no difference in motion on playback between it and telecine'd film.

I understand money is tight but you may want to look into having the camera serviced or overhauled. I think you can buy new batteries for around $125 each - and you can probably shoot for a day on one. Service and accessories are available from Whitehouse Audio Visual or Visual Products. Paul at VP is a former Whitehouse employee and he knows his stuff. He did my conversion "on the side". A little machine work is done on the gate and the shutter modifed - that's it. Then you need a lens that will cover the larger aperture which he can sell too. I have the butterfly shutter. He modifies them in such a way that it covers the larger aperture when closed. The "new" shutter angle is a few degress narrower but there is no adverse affect on the images. I also had him add one of his video taps of his own design. The workmanship on everything is first class - but none of it comes really cheap.

Does it make that sound with the magazine and belt drive for the take-up attached? If so, disconnect the belt drive and see if it goes away. If it does, the problem is in the magazine (happened to me once). You know, the CP doesn't get a lot of respect but I had mine modified for Super 16 and get great images. Did before the mods too. They're built like a tank.

Thanks guys. Since I don't have a Variac I think I'll take the least destructive route and try Phils suggestion with finger power. I was afraid the units might not turn on fast enough for the right effect but I tried it with the garden variety overheads in my shop and they respond fine. I may just build a momentary push button switch to run the power through and let a grip have at it.

I need to create the effect of the ballast going out in an overhead flourescent fixture - you know, flickering on and off in a random fashion. I don't have the luxury of renting a flicker unit and don't know for sure if it would even work with that type of light. Anyone have any DIY ideas?

Hmmm. Perhaps it's a black balance issue?

They can also do ink numbering on the edges but this is not ususally recommended as it can get into the picture area if not careful.