Ernie Zahn

Here's a clip of my film group's latest endeavor:

http://blip.tv/file/785404

I'm a huge fan of Dick Carruthers' work with The White Stripes: Under Black Pool Lights and Led Zeppelin (DVD). I liked the intercutting of video and Super8mm on Earl's Court and Knebworth on the LZ DVD and thought I try a little bit of that myself. The DV was standard 3CCD and the Super8mm was 200T. It really works for shows like these at NYC bars I think. Let me know what you all think.

This is a bit short notice, but I'm hosting a screening at Uconn Stamford tomorrow. Okay, it's reallly short notice. But if anyone has a trailer to a project they are working on or is now out in festivals/theatres please let me know at: main@bonnutfilmstudio.com. The screening will showcase two 15 minute shorts. One is a concert film and the other is a kung fu style film. So just let me know if you wan free publicity!

Hi, I'm going to be shooting a sequence that will feature a television with a superimposed image on it. If the camera were still and directly in front of the TV, this would be a simple effect. But there will be panning in this scene so green or blue screen is the way I'll need to go. My goal is basically to put an image on a TV screen that isn't actually there. I'm doing this because a) a superimposed image will look much more defined and B) because the image that will appear won't have been shot and xfered on the by the time I'll do the TV screen shoot. There are three possible ways I'm thinking of doing this:

1) Have a TV screen set on auxiliary or AV channel that will simply be a blue screen. My worry is that it will still flicker.

2) Have a video of a solid blue/green color playing on the TV running at 24fps. But will it flicker because it's still NTSC?

3) Have a blue or green mat over the TV screen. This would be what I'd do if the first two won't work.

Suggestions? Is there a fourth method?

Hey all,

I just wanted to let you my film group's feature length Super-8 film finally has a teaser trailer ready:

http://blip.tv/file/616051

The footage featured in that teaser was shot using a Nizo 3056 with 64T stock and a Canon 514 XL with 64T and 200T. Let me know what you think. There'll be a longer trailer out in August.

Hi,

I'm looking to get an HDV cam that I'd use mainly for capturing HD telecined super 8 footage. I may also use it for filming concerts. I'd prefer something that would be the HD equivelent to an SD 3CCD. I'm not looking to spend more than $3,000.00. What is the best HDV cam that meets both with quality compadability.

Hello all,

I have a Nizo 3056 for sale. Here are the specs as documented in the Super 8 Guide:

Nizo

3056

Year: 78

Weight: 1800 g

Lens: 1,4 / 7 - 56 mm

Macro focusing

Split Image Focusing

Auto / Manual Zoom with 2 Speeds

Frame rates: 9,16 2/3,18,24,25,36 + single frame

Shutter degree: Var.

Auto Exposure

Backlight Control

+/- correction for auto

Time exposure

Fades

Interval timer

Auto Recording Level Control

Made in Germany

Manufacturer: Niezoldi&Krämer / Braun

The condition of my camera is perfect. There are no defects. It comes with a camera bag that has compartments on the sides and front as well as a back and main containment pouch. It also comes with:

-Original Shot Gun/Boom Mic and mount

-Two Battery Clips (Load 6 AA Batteries into a clip and load clip into camera)

-Lens Cap

-Original Manual

PM me if you're interested.

So I was shooting with my Canon 514 XL the other day and it must have been 30 degrees F outside. I suppose I never really shot in the cold before, because I had found that my Camera began to run at 18fps for a few seconds and quickly slowed to a dead a stop. I was reading a post about faulty carts produced recently by Kodak, but these 64T rolls I'm using are left over from a large order I placed back in June and all the previous rolls shot perfectly fine. So I'm betting it's the cold getting to the camera. I tried holding up against a warm water bottle (those thermal bottles you use when your sick, not a Poland Spring bottle) in addition to wrapping it in a blanket. Together both items failed to keep it running. And yes I did bring it inside to warm up before I put on the bottle and blanket. It ran fine inside and I found that moments after bringing it outside it froze again and my remedy was as effective as throwing cotton balls at a stone wall to knock it down. I know there are shooters from Canada and Germanic courties here, you get colder winters than I do in CT, USA. What is your method of keeping your cam warm?

In an interview I believe Larry said they do minimal takes. But I bet video serves as a great safety net if they never need to do several. But the real reason is to get that docu-style look as you said Robert. The original "Curb" (by original, I mean the 1 hour TV special that came out before they intended to make a series out of it back in '00 or '01) was shot in video so they also wanted to keep that consistent. Sure there have 35mm docs, even in modern day but in this age, video is most widely used for Reality and docs, plain and simpe.

Hello All,

I wanted to wait until production progressed a bit more to start discussing my film group's current project, Niente: The Movie. It's a feature length sketch comedy film that is going to be shot entirely on Super-8mm and telecined in High Definition. We're about a quarter of the way through shooting and we plan to have a completed project by the end of 2008. By complete, I mean ready for submission to festivals. The movie's site has been up since about August: NientePeaches.com. Here's a run down of the updates on the film we'll be making over the next month or two:

-11/22/07 More production stills added to the site

-Late November a new podcast episode will be added. We do a monthly audio podcast discussion show. You can listen to it here.

-We also feature a web comic on the site, which will move from being a monthly update to a bi-weekly one starting in December.

-11/24/07 we will have the first installment in a video webisode series called, Niente: Behind the Scenes.

-11/25/07 We will have the teaser trailer to the film available for viewing.

-1/1/08 We will the same trailer available in HD.

As far as actual production goes, it's a quarter of the way through as I mentioned and it is in Super-8 and xfered to HD. We shoot using a Nizo 3056, Canon 514 XL and Beaulieu 6008s. Thus far we've shot in Athens, Greece as well as various towns in Connecticut, NYC, and will filming abroad once more. At this point we've been exclusively shooting on Kodak stocks including E-64T and V2-200T. We hope to branch out with other companies ad stocks. We feel that each sketch has it's own look, so we're determined to use just about all known stocks available for Super-8. We're even working with some rare ones like k-40 and Agfa Moviechrome. I won't bother posting updates like new web comics etc. But I will write back on this thread once the teaser and behind the scenes media are released. I would love to hear peope's feedback.

For now, here are some production stills:

click here

And a couple stills from the movie itself:

click here

I'm in the NY area and use Pac Lab. I never have any trouble with them, since I've been going there. About three years consistantly now. They are good for tri/plus-x that they do in house but their E-64T is sent to Pro8mm. So I'd say, use them B&W.

Nevermind, I see that compressor offers it :P

Hello all,

In preparation for Bonnut Film Studio's new feature length comedy (Niente: The Movie) shot entirely on Super-8mm, we're hosting a competition for all filmmakers out there. The objective is to create a 30-40 second webspot to promote the movie's web site. A site that features, webcomics, podcasts, and soon a Behind the Scenes webisode series as well as the first teaser trailer to the film. For full details on the contest, please visit:

http://www.nientepeaches.com/contest

This competition is open to all video formats, but it would be great to see some Super-8 webspots!

Ok, so imagine that a film like Star Wars was going to be put to a format like HD DVD or BluRay. For a film that huge they'd probably remaster it in an HD telecine scanner for best picture quality. OR if there already is an HD master from the last remastering job they use that. So, I don't really have any confusion on movie film on HD.

But suppose hypotheyically, someone was creating a new documentary that was going to be presented in HD. Any original matrial shot be documenterer would be shot in HD, but if they wanted to use reference material like a news broadcast they'd go to the source. A live news broadcast from the 70's would be stored on Betacam SP or it's equivelant. I'm not really sure what tape format, but I know they were using tape and it was Standard Def. If you wanted to include standard def material in an HD project how do convert this material to HD?

Is it an accessible method, software, hardware?

Is it the type of thing that labs offer as a service?

Who does it?

I ask, because I wanted to some standard def material on tapes converted to HD. Not from the seveties, but Standard def none the less. I know it must be possible, as I've seen documentaries in HD that feature SD material. I just don't know anything about how it's done.

Hello all,

I was hoping to learn more about the engineering of my cameras that way if there ever minor issues with the camera I could fix it myself and only send it out to get sericed when there is a really huge issue. And even when I do send it out, I'd like to understand enough of what's wrong to feel that what I pay to fix the camera really is worth it. I thought about, performing an autopsy on my camera but that would be a bad idea since I dn't know what I'm doing. I figured something like schematics would hell me out. But maybe there's a better place to start. I know that some people here really know their camera technics where did you get your knowledge? The cameras I'd want to learn more about are:

Beaulieu 6008s

Canon 514 XL

Nizo 3056

There are manuals and wiki articles, but they only tell you so much. Any input would be much appreciated.

I'm having problems as well, but I have only been using one camera. My Canon has jammed before so I'm quite sure if my problem is the carts just yet.

Dunno if you all have seen this, but it's the set up they have going for the movie:

I nabbed it from the IndianaJones.com site.

Thank you for the kind words :)

Yes, it looks really nice. Very well lit too.

I was wondering if anyone here has worked with Green/Blue screens using both Super-8 for the forground and what would be composited onto the screen. I'm going to try to do a test of this in the winter, but I'm really curious to see how it looks in Super-8. Does anyone have a clip they can upload or does anyone know if there's an example available online OR on one of the many Super-8 DVDs?

I'm not an expert on HD but I do know that HDV is not quite to par with RED from the clips I saw. Has there been any tests with the RED telecining Super-8 or 16mm? It would be an interesting experiment.

Hey,

The teaser for my group's new project, "Shutter Speed," is now up on our site take a look:

http://www.bonnutfilmstudio.com/shutterspeed

Before anyone asks, here are the tech specs:

Shot on Super-8 with a Canon 514 XL using 64T no filter. The skies were clear and blue every day of shooting. And it was shot at 18fps. We're in post for the movie right now, with the exception of a few peripheral shoots we need to do this week. We'll have longer trailer in HD once the project has been submitted to fests.

Let me know what you think!

I purchased it from The Reel Image, in '05. It was around $130.00 when I paid. But I can sell it for $100.00. It's still in it's case with the toothpicks. It's in great condition used about three times. 'm only selling it because I need $$/supplies for a production more than I need the pressure plate. But it does a great job of stabilizing the image and making it look nice and sharp. I'll ship anywhere in the world and since it's small, it shouldn't be too much to worry about. I accept PayPal, Money Order (U.S. Only), and Cash (U.S., U.K., and Euro accepted). As far as trades go, I will accept trades for the following:

C-Mount Leneses (Tell me what you have, that's of course, up to $100.00 in value)

Film Stock (I'm looking for 200T and 500T)

PM me or send me an e-mail at bfspublicrelations@gmail.com. FYI, if I don't get an offer by a week from today I'm going to put it up on ebay as time is a factor for me.

SOLD

You can get a SuperMag that holds 400'. Spectra Film will cut down any film you want into any length you need.

Exactly, I'm working on a S-8 project that has a one take sequence that exceeds time capacity of a standard 50'. I own a 200ft mag I can load, and if I ever wanted to venture, I'd get a 400' supermag.

I purchased it from The Reel Image, in '05. It was around $130.00 when I paid. But I can sell it for $100.00. It's still in it's case with the toothpicks. It's in great condition used about three times. 'm only selling it because I need $$/supplies for a production more than I need the pressure plate. But it does a great job of stabilizing the image and making it look nice and sharp. I'll ship anywhere in the world and since it's small, it shouldn't be too much to worry about. I accept PayPal, Money Order (U.S. Only), and Cash (U.S., U.K., and Euro accepted). As far as trades go, I will accept trades for the following:

C-Mount Leneses (Tell me what you have, that's of course, up to $100.00 in value)

Film Stock (I'm looking for 200T and 500T)

PM me or send me an e-mail at bfspublicrelations@gmail.com. FYI, if I don't get an offer by a week from today I'm going to put it up on ebay as time is a factor for me.

Yeah, the plot was not fantastic and the characters were well established so this was almost like an episode from a TV show in the sense that all context was provided in the previous films. But I did enjoy looking at it. I found, that it helped to enjoy cinematogrphy to get thru ocean's 12 too.