Evan Ferrario

Well I wanted to update my progress if anyone is interested. It's been sitting on my shelf for a while but I still am hopeful to have the camera shooting film in a few weeks. I was able to track down a base from a guy in france who is still holding onto a bunch of eclair spare parts. http://www.art-medias.com/menuF.html He actually had a complete gv-16 and a base for sale. I bought the base for a fairly hefty price, I did get the camera for $100 originally, and he was nice enough to give me a few ACL screws which I have been missing. The base came the other day and I was excited to see it had a geared crown for the ACL handle. I assumed I must of purchased the handheld version while mine was originally a studio camera. I swapped out the camera body with the base and everything fit and connected. it is very nice to hold on the shoulder. Also while I had the camera apart, I took the motor off and tested the movement. The camera itself moves fine and I was able to move the shutter gear with my hand. The motor does not turn smooth and this is the part I believe I will need to get repaired. I apologize for the quality of the pictures, I took them with my phone.

John, I had a similar interest a few months ago for a anamorphic lens that would work with an Angenieux 12-120mm. There are cheap anamorphic's out there, search ebay for anamorphic, search only the camera category and arrange by price. I won a massive russian anamorphic lens this way, it was $40 with shipping. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuI_t8c8wA8, this was an extremely rough test of taping the glass onto a filter holder and then onto a sony hdv camera, if you watch the corners it moves a bit. The glass is massive, it probably weighs 10 pounds. Because this lens is so large, I have to zoom in quite far to cover the corners. I do not believe I could use this on a primary camera during any sort of shoot because of the limitations it presents, this is going to be the case with any projection glass I believe, the close focus on most of these lens is very far, some solve this with close up filters, but it's not a great method for fast shooting. However, it seems that the sudden interest in anamorphic lens from the DSLR cameras has boosted the price of most useable shooting anamorphic glass on ebay. I don't know if this will stay this way or the prices will drop to more reasonable prices. Have you considered cropping? After seeing The Wrestler I became a believer in cropping 16mm.

The production company I work for asked me for help putting together a wireless system for video village. Right now, they normally shoot with three hvx 2000's and run cable back to the monitors. We have rented wireless systems in the past, steigler and avalon, and the producers asked me to look into a system they could purchase. The biggest issue is, they want a more cost effective solution than the systems I saw at filmtools. I am looking for a cheap wireless transmitter/receiver that can be powered off battery, mount onto an hvx and also transmit the sd signal at most 50 yards back to the monitors, most of our shoots are inside a studio and the cameras are less than 10 yards from video village all the time. The production uses the 900 frequency range for on camera equipment so they also wanted the system to be as far away from that range as possible. I've been having a harder time searching for info on this topic than I imagined and if there is a relevant post I missed, please direct me towards it. I really should be more informed on this subject and any help or references are appreciated.

Thanks a lot for the info Mitch. I have to say, I went into this greatly under estimating the costs associated with a high quality hand support for 15mm rods and I realize I really don't want any cheap parts in the actual device which connects the camera to the operator. The aaton handgrip is exactally what I am looking for. It is also nice to see Abelcine sells the 15mm rod adapter which connects to the handle incase I am able to find a aaton grip used on ebay. I have looked into buying an original eclair wooden handle from a parts store in france which has a stock of eclair parts but even that comes out to 600 euros. My concern is that with 15mm rods on the eclair, which I have an adapter for, the original wood handle might sit too close to the rods. It would also be nice to have a handle that was compatible with other cameras as long as they have a 15mm.

I have a Angenieux 12-120mm in cameflex mount and a Angenieux 15-150 in c mount. The 15-150 is a flawless lens which covers Super 16 without vignette and the focus is the smoothest I've ever felt. I love everything about this lens but the mount. When I screw the c mount in, it feels like it is tight, but then I can tighten it a little more and I cringe thinking that the extra turn is messing with the focal distance, or just a sign that the c mount is going. The 12-120mm came with my Eclair and could not be in worse shape, there are deep scratches, the zoom zooms itself, and the focus is jumpy at best. In short, I could care less about this lens and it's a back up at best. I really would like to invest in getting the 15-150 into a nicer mount. I have adapters for cameflex, Arri B, Arri Standard and PL mount on my camera. First of all, is it possible to switch the mount off the 12-120 with the c mount on the 15-150mm? Besides the mounts, the lenses look nearly identical. How does the cameflex mount attach to the actual lens? I can not find any screws on the mount. I was hoping I could take the 2 lenses to a camera tech and have them switched but I do not know if they are compatible. If the two mounts are not compatible, does anyone know a place to find Angenieux mounts in standard, b, pl or cameflex for a resonable price? Visual Products sells a Angenieux to universal and universal to pl mount adapter, but this would be over $1000 to get the lens in PL mount. Ebay has a plethora of 12-120 in Arri and Camelfex mounts that sell reasonable so I could track one down that way.

That sucks, the number of places you can sell an Arri SR2 are very limited, you might get lucky and find someone trying to resell it.

http://www.abelcine.com/store/Aaton-Handgrip-for-RED/?page=1 Now I just found that, way out of my price range but I really like the idea. Perhaps it could be made if an aaton or eclair handgrip can be found on ebay.

I'm not sure if there is a better category for this, perhaps its a lens accessory, or an Eclair topic. I am looking for options for grips and handles to go with my 16mm Eclair ACL with 15mm rod support. The problem with the regular ACL side handle is that the 15mm bars make the grip unusable. Up until now, I have seen a few options. The first would be 2 of these http://store.redrockmicro.com/Catalog/DSLR-Support/microHandGrip-one-grip-blue . These are nice and exacally what I'm looking for, although a little pricey for the pair. Then there are bars on ebay like the front part of this kit, http://cgi.ebay.com/Shoulder-pad-Handgrips-sh-rail-system-15mm-rod-supp-/170592581060?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b81c35c4#ht_4791wt_907. Which would work as well, but this one is made for 15mm and 19mm rods and I don't know if I want something that big. Are there any other options for 15mm handgrips that I have missed? Also has anyone ever custom build a handle for 15mm rods. It doesn't seem all that difficult perhaps using a bike grip and 15mm right angle support. However, I'd really rather purchase something which is already tested and comfortable for holding a 16mm camera rig.

Just a heads up, its a forum rule to supply your full name as your name. This might also help getting other members to help you out if they see you're willing to use your full name and not an alias.

Sorry I wasn't very clear about this, we are talking about the same thing. I meant the ground glass markings need to be infocus to verify the viewfinder has been properly setup. Of course you need a focused image from the lens for the film image to be sharp. If you can clearly see the ground glass markings AND you're image appears sharp, then the image on the film will be sharp.

Justin I have had similar problem with cheap c-mount lenses not matching the markings on the barrel. The way the ACL works, if you can see the ground glass markings clear and focused through the viewfinder, then it will be clear and focused on the film. You should always focus or check the focus by eye, if it is sharp through the viewfinder (properly set up of course), then it will be sharp on the film. The problem with this method for me began once i started running the camera. Once it is running, it is very hard to focus by eye with the flicker. I would suggest getting focus marks based on the viewfinder before trying to shoot a shot, it's almost impossible to maintain focus with the ACL running just by using the viewfinder. That being said, use your adapter, just make sure your shot is super sharp through the viewfinder and you will get nice images. I would agree with you that the ACL is a finicky camera, but it is also extremely reliable and predictable. I had a few problems with my ACL when I first started shooting with it and every time there was a problem, the camera sounded different when running. Get to know the sound of your ACL and if it sounds like something is off, turn it off and examine the film path. Also you're flicker problem and light leaks are easily preventable with lots of gaff tape, go overboard covering possible leak positions and you should be covered. Also make sure the eye piece is always shut when not looking through it. I shot with my ACL last winter in upstate New York in 10 below weather with no issues from the cold. Have a spare battery on hand as the cold will drain the battery faster. Also, watch out for condensation from going from hot to cold or cold to hot situations. I've always loaded the feed side of my 400 in complete darkness and then loaded then take up side in a little light. If you have the practice to do the whole load in darkness, this would be best, I've always needed to double check everything so I light the one side, but I've never had any light leak issues from doing this. I would highly suggest you use your ACL instead of super8, you will be much happier with the final product. I understand it can be nerve racking using an old camera system which can very easily render your footage useless. Get to know the sound of your camera, cover any possible light leaks and you're confidence in the system will grow. I have never gotten bad film from my eclair that didn't give off some sort of sign while shooting. And I'm sure you already know this, but I've found it to be the key to the ACL is perfectly measured loops, a little more on the bottom than the top. I hope some of this was helpful, there is a learning curve to every film camera but the more you use it, the more you will understand the little nuances of your camera and have complete confidence that you're getting good pictures.

haha, I'm not joking. Yes, the last thing I expect from Malick is a 2012 Day After Tomorow, but I'm sticking with it, it has something to do with environmental disaster.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thetreeoflife/ After reading the descriptions that have been written of this movie and seeing the trailer a few times, I feel like something is way off. From the trailer I gathered, and of course this is a complete guess, that the modern segments are about Sean Penn being involved with saving the world from a comet/metiorite which has affected water throughout the world. Look how many images of water there are in the trailer, there are a LOT. Also notice the USA hardhat towards the end of the trailer behind Sean Penn, perhaps he works for NASA or a similar organization. It's hard to tell what is supposed to be based in reality of the film, or if we are seeing dreams of the character, but I think it is an Apocalypse movie where Sean Penn must overcome something from his upbringing in order to save the world from environmental disaster. Of course this is a complete guess, I've just been puzzled the last few days after seeing the trailer and reading the descriptions and feeling there is something missing from the description. Also, it looks like some of the best child acting in movies I have seen, and by acting, it doesn't seem like they are.

Check out If you look at this guy's other videos, he has a huge collection of expired 8mm and 16mm videos, look through some of them to get an idea of what the older film is going to look like. Although you have to expect different results from any roll of expired film, the results possible are quite impressive. From my experience with expired film, stop down and shoot with LOTS of light, a layer of fog is much less noticeable not if you are getting a properly exposed image.

I dropped out of school after 2 of 4 years for many of the same reasons you state. Film School is great for the basics, but it gives little real world experience and for the price you pay, yes you could make a film. I shot a feature on 16mm and HDV and after a year of working on it, played it in a festival which was a great experience but led to very little after that. Not knowing what to do next I shot another feature film, which evolved into a 25 minute short, and all during this time, I had to face the fact of my student loans without a degree, and the fact that independent filmmaking doesn't bring in much money. This bothered me enough to go back and finish. I finished school in a year and a half and moved to california. Since being here, I've learned leaps and bounds about actual production and post production, things that few film programs teach but are part of the everyday jobs of hollywood professionals. I feel I am to a point where my work experience keeps leading to new connections and job opportunities but the only thing that got me my work was the dreaded and much misunderstood skill of Networking to begin with. People were willing to meet and buy me lunch because they had gone to the same school and knew the same professors, this was the greatest benefit of finishing school for myself, it unlocked the door to my real education, which I feel has just begun. The biggest point of film school, I now believe, is to surround yourself with others who want to work in television and film. These relationships with students and professors will be your ticket into the real world of professional filmmaking. No one gets their first job offer to be a PA on a filmset a month in advance, it comes as a last minute emergency where someone is sick and then they began asking everyone they know who is free to work. You need to be in that circle of people, and for myself, the key was finishing school and moving to LA. If you have connections already, then go for it. Another thing to realize is that working in the industry doesn't necessarily get you closer to being a director. There isn't some set guidelines for the path to director, and it's not something you can just move up the ranks to become. What working in the industry will do for you is better equip your toolset. Then, if you maintain the drive to make your own movies, you will know how to complete this task on a professional level and more importantly, you will know what to do with your film and who to show it to once you have completed making it. The truth of the matter is, The Rodriguez approach to becoming a director is a huge gamble and much less rare feat these days. There are literally thousands of people like you and me out there making feature films for nothing. I'm not saying it's not possible to be discovered overnight, but you better believe it's a gamble even for the most skilled of filmmakers. From my own experience, dropping out of school and making a film was putting all my eggs in one basket. What I needed to do, and feel I am doing, is find a way to make a living while always learning and improving as a filmmaker. I have consistently made a short film a year since my first movie, and with each, I improve immensely. Over the long run, I am increasing my chances while still making a living in the industry. Now time is always a problem, and it will be no matter how much or less you have on your plate. I would suggest trying to make your film while still in school, this is what I wished I had done. Also as you move into the professional world, you will have a lot less creativity and freedom. I know you have a camera, but I would take every resource which the school offers you and try to make a kick-ass film. Then when you are finished this, take everything you learned and everything you wished you could of done differently, and do it again. Repeat this process until you are where you want to be. ok, I've probably rambled on enough. It just struck me when I read your post how similar your situation was to mine a few years ago. And how tempting it was to drop school and work on something I felt was much more meaningful. I wish I had taken the shorter road of finishing school and making my film at the same time and I guess that's my point. By all means, keep making your own movies. If you are always working on a film, you will be worlds smarter with each one you do. But to surround yourself in the culture of other filmmakers, and start down the path of making a living, finishing school can be a great benefit. And like Adrian said, there are exceptions to every rule and everyone takes a different path, it's all about finding what works for you. The only advice I can give which I know is 100% right is that you should never stop making films if that is where your heart is. The next and tricky step is to make money doing what you love and in a business where so much is chance, all you really can do is give yourself the best odds. Do that by getting your material out there, always meeting new people and always learning new skills.

Thanks for all the info Boris, I really owe a lot to people like you and Bernie who are nice enough to give up your time to inform people like me and keep an incredible product like Eclair alive. I'm mailing the camera off to a good friend and mechanical/electrical engineer who thinks he can get the motor running. Hopefully I'll have more to report back in a few weeks.

Well, I bought it. The guy selling it worked for a reputable camera house and I trusted that it wasn't some banged around prop or something like that. He confirmed that I needed the controller box as well, a disappointment because I really am hoping to use this camera. I'm in no rush and it seems like the best options right now are finding a controller box, or making one, if perhaps the start stop function and power are the only signals necessarry, it can be done. Yes the c mount is very restricted. Most of my c mount primes wouldn't fit as well as a canon 15-150 c mount zoom. The Angenieux 15-150 c fit great and also a 12.5-75mm panasonic tv lens fit nicely. I have seen the Angenieux with reflex viewfinder on ebay from time to time and will try to get one of those. For now, I thought some sort of sight mounted on the lens that was set up with a viewfinder, and pointed right at the center point of the lens would be relatively easy to make and at least give me the center point of any frame, I could focus by distance. Does this camera take normal kodak and fuji film? I tried loading a 100 foot daylight spool into it and it fit fine, but this gives me no indication of how the film acts at 200fps.

I found a GV-16 on craigslist for a good bargain: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/pho/1998947576.html I have always been interested in high speed photography and going beyond the 75fps of the ACL. I was going to meet the seller tonight but I wanted to see if anyone could supply me with some info about the camera, as there is hardly anything out there. The seller told me it was a 6 pin female cable. Does this cable run to some sort of controller box? Or is it the power cable? My major concern is that there is a piece missing which controls the speed, if this is the case, I am assuming it would be very hard to track down a replacement. Does this camera run off 12 volts? Is there a c mount? I thought it looked like one in the photo, however I couldn't tell if there was a thread or not from the picture. I probably am going to get the camera, but if anyone could supply some useful info, it would be greatly appreciated.

Matt, you have some very nice shots, although I like the first long walking shot, the next few shots, which appear to be on a small jib? are much more immediately impressive. You should assume whoever is watching this will watch 30 secs maybe, try to pack into the beginning everything impressive that will catch attention and ask the viewer to watch the whole clip. Also cut the title credit, or make it quicker to get right into the action. Music - although this has nothing to do with cinematography is an important ingredient for the viewing experience. The shot of the shadow in the window was my favorite shot, it was good shot composition but more importantly, it told a story in the short few secs it was seen. Try to find shots that emotionally involve the viewer, scare them, make them laugh, good filmmaking makes the viewer feel something. All in all, this is very impressive work and you should keep trying to add to it, but don't make it longer. The point of a demo reel is not just show that you are competent with a camera, but also to showcase your particular style. Being competent with a camera will get you work as an AC and operator, developing your own style is what will get you work as a cinematographer. And I know I'm guilty of some of the advice I gave you, but here is my demo reel if you'd like to see.

Flavio, congratulations on your interest in 16mm, based on your post, I would suggest you start shooting some "test" rolls in order to educate yourself. Shooting film is the fastest and easiest way to learn film, I started shooting 16mm about 5 years ago and each time I shoot and review my film, I learn something new. I can't tell if you already have a bolex, or are planning on getting one, if you don't have a camera yet, look for a nice 16mm package that comes with a zoom or a turrent with different focal length, I don't think you should worry about a prime lens set until you are comfortable with the format. Also, if you try to find a super 16mm camera, expect to pay a high premium. While there are lots of cheap 16mm cameras on ebay, any true super 16mm camera has had an expensive conversion and it highly sought after. I see you have discovered ultra 16mm as well, however it would be foolish to convert a super 16mm camera to ultra 16mm. Ultra 16mm is a cheap way of converting old 16mm cameras to offer more widescreen real estate, Super 16mm requires the lens mount to be repositioned but offers more physical film real estate than ultra 16mm. That being said, if you are, like most of us, on a budget, get a regular 16mm camera and plan to upgrade it to ultra 16mm in the future once you have mastered the format and are ready to make your dream project. There is still no better format to shoot when you are starting out than regular 16mm, all labs support it and when you look through the viewfinder, you will be able to see the proper framing. If you need some other camera recommendations look for a krasnogosk 16mm camera, there are literally 100's on ebay for around 200. Bolex is a very nice camera, however because it is so well know, you will pay a premium. If you want a basic windup camera, look for a kodak k-100, pathe webo is also good if you can find one in nice condition. I got a Revere 16mm windup with 20mm lens for $14 a few months ago on ebay, it works like a tank. After that, if you want another quiet camera, expect to pay around 700-1200 for a nice silent 16mm camera with 24fps crystal sync. Arri is the most popular, but also check out Eclair ACL or NPR, I've gotten one of each of these in the last 6 months for around 500 a piece, you just have to search ebay and find the ones that no one else bids on. Since I started shooting 16mm, I've collected a 4.5mm, 8mm, 12mm, 16mm and 25mm prime c mount lens. They are varied brand. Any set will sell for way more than finding individual lens. Also in general, the wider lens, the more it will cost. I got lucky with my 8mm lens when I found for $40, usually they are hundreds. Also look out for the popular ones which will sell for more. However, a c-mount zoom is going to be cheaper and perform as well as the primes. The only sacrifice with a zoom is the close focus, a zoom is usually around 5 feet while a prime will be 1/2 to 1 foot. Also be prepared to spend a while or a lot finding anything wider than an 8mm lens. The 4.5 mm lens I own sticks so far out the back of the mount that it will only fit on my kodak k-100, any other camera the lens hits the shutter, the k-100 has the most clearance of any 16mm camera made. Besides trying to get a nice wide angle, it would benifit you more to get a zoom to cover a wide range rather than looking for a set to cover the range. Once you know the format and want a prime set, it would be best to buy a PL mount adapter and rent the lens that cost thousands of dollars to own. I hope some of this was helpful, you've found the right path to beautiful images in 16mm, I suggest you invest in experience shooting rather than trying to get the perfect set together.

Ray, The little pin you are referring to is not a registration pin, it is a clicker that is supposed to click if the loops are too small. It is ok that your other magazine is missing the clicker, it is a safety feature and isn't required for proper movement of film. I had this same exact problem, blurry not focused images, with the first film I shot with my ACL and it was due to improper loops. Get a dummy roll and practice loading and running the camera with the side off so you can see the loops. I would suggest practicing loading a few dozen times and shooting some film with a perfectly loaded magazine before you come to the conclusion that something is broken.

Search for 600 feet a-minima on vimeo, then you can see the final product.

http://www.ikonoskop.com/dii/ I think the ikonoskop dll is going to beat the scarlett to reality. It has a super 16mm sensor and would fit the super 16mm perfectly. I have been very impressed with some of the images I've seen from the test cameras, however they still haven't released it.

I don't know if this conversation is good and over, but I wanted to offer a few options I have found. I went through the process of trial and error trying to get 200 foot loads in my ACL. First of all, a metal 200 foot daylight spool will not fit in the magazine, although 100 footers fit just fine, I've tried 200 and 400 foot daylight spools and both ended up rubbing the sides of a magazine. Like others mentioned, the special made Eclair spool adapters are hard to find. You can however, just use a core adapter like this http://cgi.ebay.com/Cinema-Products-Core-Adapters-16mm-film-magazines-/290310534032?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item4397db3390#ht_500wt_928. Look around, you can find them cheap. I actually use these in my 400 foot mag instead of the Eclair adapters, because it runs quieter, it doesn't make a difference that the one wall is missing, it only makes it a little trickier to get the film out of the magazine because the plate isn't there to help. A-minima loads are really easy to remove the sides and inside it is a normal core like you would find on a 400 foot load. I loaded my ACL 200 to the MAX it would properly run with one day and that is about 260 feet. Although you aren't going to find loads this size, its good the know the most it could take.