Webster Colcord

I wonder if that was a special-use eyemo made for the army to shoot very long series of still frames, maybe for bomb spotting. Odd. I've seen an eyemo on ebay that was rigged with a stop-motion motor, and a friend of mine in Portland, Oregon had done the same- actually putting it on a motion control rig. I've heard that the dual pull-down claw makes for surprisingly good registration. Have you ever shot with it?

Thanks Filip, check out my site to download more stuff. I've shot a few things digitally for the web, but it's a problem later when I want to show it in a theatrical venue on film. It's better to originate on film and make a digital version from that. But of course, having instantaneous results is great too, and it's a cost savings after the initial investment (which is as about much as a decent 35mm camera package for stop-motion). There have been several stop-motion films recently which have shot with digital still cameras and gone back to film. www.webstercolcord.com

John, Is your Eyemo spring-wound or does it have a single-frame motor? Matt, Go to http://www.stopmotionanimation.com you will find a lot of these topics covered in the message board section of the site. My first 35mm camera was an old Wall camera, paid $1,500 for it and it makes beautiful pictures. Had someone rig up a single frame motor for it for about $350. You can buy one from Martin Hill - http://www.martinhill.com/ he has one for sale now for $2500. The movement of the Wall is dual-pin registered, not as good as a Mitchell but very steady nonetheless. The Arri BL has basically the same self-contained style of movement. You can also find relatively cheap 35cameras on ebay that are great for animation- 2709's and Oxberry animation cameras. 35mm can't be beat, the next best way to shoot would be with the digital still camera- but you have to buy a higher-end camera with more manual functions. Ironic that you pay more for less automation. Webster Colcord www.webstercolcord.com

Dominic, Like any wannabe indie movie mogul, I'm an opportunist when it comes to getting production discounts. Does my filmmaker "spider sense" detect possible discount optical rates in Australia? If so, I may be sending some 16 to your lab for blow-up. This is the rate I currently get (not including processing and stock, I think) in US dollars: 16 neg to 16 IP to 35neg, $1.44/ft. 16 neg to 35 IP, $1.56/ft. (with b roll, add .30/ft.) If you don't want to give a quote on the forum, you could email me at wcolcord@aol.com

For my short film projects, in 35 and 16, I've tried to avoid running more than 5 prints off the original neg, excluding one or two answer prints. One other advantage of making the IP/IN is that the IP is timed, and low contrast (correct me if I'm wrong) so it's ideal for doing your final telecine from (plus there's no A-B rolls). I recently had some 16 blown up to 35, and shudder to think what the total cost for a feature would be. Seems like I've heard it over and over again that the cost of the blowup to 35 negated any savings from shooting in Super 16. I've heard it explained that some features make an IP off the camera neg right away, and actually conform the IP, then make multiple internegs for final release prints from that conformed IP. So the camera neg is only run twice- for workprints and IP's. Have I got this wrong? It was many years ago that I heard this.

Manny, I agree about the dodgy Konvas dealers. I had an incredibly bad experience with one many years ago. I just joined this site/ forum and I posted to the other thread about the Arri IIC blimp. Bob- if you are interested in parting with the Arri blimp, I would like to get a price from you. Conversly, I might be interested in parting with the flatbase cinema products sync motor that I mentioned in the other thread. In either scenario, one of use will be giving up on the idea of using the Arri to shoot sync sound. You can write me at wcolcord@aol.com Webster Colcord www.webstercolcord.com

Bob, Tellef, Paul- I just joined this website/ forum yesterday, I'm very glad that I came across it as I've had some of these same questions for years. I bought an Arri IIB package in the 90's, it had been used for stop-motion animation, if you can believe it (it required a capping shutter to do so). It also came with a Cinema Products flatbase sync motor. I don't have it in front of me right now so I may get the details wrong, but the motor that I have does not have a footage counter or an inching knob. It also came with an odd-looking contraption that looks like a wooden pipe with a quarter-inch jack on the end. There is a socket on the flatbase, you plug the "pipe" into the socket and start the motor. It emits a high-pitch whine from a speaker until sync speed is achieved, then it is silent. Shortly after I got the motor/camera package I opened up the flatbase and saw that the belt that connected the motor to the gear for the camera base had deteriorated into a waxy mess. Very strange. I've been searching for a gearbelt ever since, and I'm wondering if anyone knows of a specialist who might be able to help me. I recently took the motor down to Alan Gordon in L.A. (I'm in the S.F. area) but unfortunately they were closed- it was a Saturday, and I haven't gotten back there. I would rather avoid an L.A. camera shop if I can. I'm also going to be purchasing a 24V (or was it 16V- I had better check!) portable power supply one of these days, and I'm looking for 400ft. mags (I've got three 200ft. mags). I'm very tempted to buy one of the Tobin motors (they have an ebay "special" going on right now) but I'm hesitant to do so because I know I will never get it into a blimp. At the same time, the effort and expense to get the blimp may not be worth it- it's a conundrum! So I might be interested in selling the flatbase, or trading it for 400ft. mags. I also have a Mitchell NCR (basically a de-blimped BNCR) with a sync 110 motor, but I use that for animation most of the time. Webster Colcord www.webstercolcord.com

Looking for a deal on 400 ft. magazines for an Arri IIB. You can respond to this subject or write me at wcolcord@aol.com