Steve Phipps

Lots of Beaulieu owners in this thread. :) Here's mine, a 4008 ZM 4. Here, with its battery adapter. I didn't quite understand the suggested methodology for a ratings scale. The ZM4 has a slightly faster top fps rate than the ZM2, but I would rather have the 6-66 Schneider more common on the ZM2's. With its re-celled, working battery, I suppose I would rate this camera model an '8' or a '9'? If someone is new to Super-8 and looking for a recommended camera, obviously the 4008 is a top choice. I find the camera to be a joy to use and also beautifully made, with high-quality parts. An exposed screw behind the film-loading door is chromed, for example. I also have a Super-8 Sound Crystal Control module for the 4008. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. I keep thinking I'll find time to look at the circuit and see what's going on, but somehow, I never do. :rolleyes: The camera would be loud for sync work. You would need to blimp it. And the last thing to say about the 4008 is, what other Super-8 camera has co-starred (on-screen!) with Ian McShane and Raquel Welch?

Hi Jack, Instead of splitting your film purchase between daylight/tungsten-balanced stocks, you could also purchase just one type and then use either an 80-series or 85-series filter to balance, depending. You can get the filters in varying "strengths", of course. It's just another option. And in any case, if you don't have color-balancing filters, you may find that you stumble onto a fantastic subject but don't have any more of the appropriate film-stock, given the conditions. The only color-stock I used to shoot was K40, and to shoot that in daylight, I would just screw on an 85B. Never any problems or complaints. Many cameras have that filter internally. I'm not sure there is a tungsten/daylight issue for black-and-white film, of the kind you seem to hint. You won't need a filter to balance the stock, but you adjust the ASA. Or, I have been doing it wrong for years. The only time I shot Tri-X with a filter was when I added a Red-25, for contrast. Plus-X got a stop faster a couple of years ago, by the way. One thing I would definitely suggest is that you shoot a test cartridge as soon as possible. I'd definitely want to see that before I left on vacation with a new camera! Make sure that your camera is working before buying/shooting a bulk of film. You're looking for things like a correct exposure meter, stable film speed, and so on. If you have no way to make a manual adjustment to exposure, you might want to do something like making a very simple gray-scale chart, white-to-black, in discreet shades of gray, and then shooting that indoors and out/low-light and bright. If your meter is off, hopefully you can make some estimate about how far off the meter is. Of course, if the camera allows no manual options, you may be entirely out-of-luck. But still, a gray-scale might tell you how far the camera's meter is off, and if you can work with it. Good luck!

My Beautiful Laundrette ? Fight Club has a short sequence in a laundromat. The Last Picture Show Niagra ? Hiroshima mon amour ?

Hi Mark, What is your camera(s), or are you still shopping/deciding? Are you shooting sync or MOS? I'm not up-to-date on submission formats (and I don't know which festivals you anticipate), but I would try to make sure that you match your workflow to what you will need in the end. It sounds like you are not going to finish on film. (At least, I don't know anyone who is striking prints in 8mm, and you haven't asked about good splicers ... .) It's a look I'm particularly fond of as well. You could push either of the Kodak S8 stocks and get the contrast you want in your editing suite (assuming a transfer). Shoot a test cart: Push Tri-X 2 stops and see how you like it (I believe I can recall someone calling the look "swarming gnats"). If you were developing it yourself, or dealing with a small facility, you could do some other things in development to get more grain and contrast, but a 2-stop push should get you plenty of grain. That will be a nice, fast ASA, too. You could also check out the Pro8 stocks. Simon also mentioned D8. Well, you always have the option. :) All it takes is money. If you don't transfer, unless your piece is silent, S8 will also mean you will have to stripe your film, and then record your dialogue tracks and SFX onto that stripe. I don't know any facility that does that. And you won't have the wonderful drag-to-match power of FCP/Avid.

Hi Tom, I did this, making my own color-chart for a reciprocity test. See here: http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?sh...c=24930&hl= I agree that it would be "better and more efficient" to simply buy a chart. Counting materials, time invested in construction and research, frustration (the spray-adhesive I used was too weak), I would recommend just buying one. If you take good care of it, you could also sell it later. The reason I made mine was that I needed to fill a quarter of the frame to be able to get a good reading from the densitometer. The Gretag chart didn't have the right layout, and also, really wasn't large enough. So, I had to make my own chart (mine was more than two feet wide).

Hi Mark. You don't say much about the project with respect to your aspirations and workflow -- if it's a festival piece, if you're going to finish on film, if you're going DIY-transfer or with a higher-quality transfer, if you want a high-contrast look, and so on. In one way, it might not seem to matter, because your basic choice in B&W film-stocks in S8 will seem somewhat limited. Tri-X or Plus-X. (There is some other, non-Kodak, B&W stock too.) If you have the light (... you have a good lighting kit) and the lens-speed, I'd go Plus-X. But, also, if you're doing a transfer, you could shoot color and then desaturate. That gives you more flexibility with stock-choice and ASA. Anyway, I think you need to say more about your project to get better advice.

Hi Kevin, I have the 4008, but I haven’t been inside it for quite a while, so I am a bit rusty about the circuits. If I recall correctly, in the 4008, there is a relay which responds to the position of the shutter, and runs the motor (or should) until the shutter has returned to its closed position. There is a blurb about this in the 4008 manual. And if I recall correctly, you could verify this feature by shooting at 2 fps: that was slow enough that you could observe the motor still cranking the shutter after you had released the trigger (you might have to try several times to release the trigger sufficiently mid-cycle). You could also test this by breaking power instead of releasing the trigger. Reconnecting power, the shutter will move a fraction of a cycle first-thing. When the drive-shaft/shutter reaches the correct point, the relay is broken and the motor stopped. It’s really quite a nice design, with the guillotine shutter. The cameras are beautifully made. It sounds like yours might be faulting that way. I'm assuming your 2008 is similar, but I wonder if your relay might be permanently broken. You might also poke around that whole corner, and look for a relevant wire whose insulation is worn, or that is pinched, or making contact with the case, or similar.

Hello James, I haven't used either of the meters you mentioned. You might also consider the Gossen Luna-Pro SBC. It's the only meter I own, and I use it for still photography, Super-8, and 16. Unlike other Gossens, this meter takes a 9V battery (others of this age take the 1.35v button). The reason I like it is that it's a null-meter. That's more useful for still photography than cine, but you just zero-out your reading, and then you can see all the different exposure combinations for that light value right there on the dial. Very simple. Very convenient. I could do all that in my head, but with a null-meter, I don't have to. Since I do a lot of low-light and long-exposure work, even in cine (Auto-B or full-manual with my Nizo), I find the Gossen very useful. You'll have to get one used if you want one. In Europe, it's called Profisix SBC. Without the "SBC", it's a different model. If you do buy a used light meter, make sure you get one that's accurate and reliable!

Ira, thanks for your kind words. 12 Angry Men is definitely a favorite. You also mention Shakespeare. I was definitely of the same opinion as you say, and I just could not fathom what it was that people got out of the stuff. I had hated it when I had read it in high school, and for all the performances I was dragged to, my opinion never changed. But when I took up acting, I have to admit my opinion changed. I had figured, what better venue to see what it is that people like about Shakespeare: I was in a theatrical acting seminar, so I’d put a Shakespeare monologue in my audition bag, or at least try. And there were two revelations for me. First, every acting teacher and coach I have asked has said the same thing: “Oh, I get lost too.” And these were highly trained actors, with MFAs and whatnot. They all lost track of exactly what it was that was being said unless they had performed the piece themselves, and knew it that well. (And so I think there is actually a kind of delightful perversity there. Everyone is attending the same play, but the only people who know exactly what it all means ... are ... the actors who are actually performing the thing. Shakespeare. It’s experimental theatre.) But they understood the motivations, and when the actor was good, it was enough. And, second, it turns out Shakespeare is peculiarly fun to perform. I would never have thought to say such a thing, but then it’s my experience. If you like language, then to perform Shakespeare is this kind of opportunity to literally play with words and their pronunciations, in a pleasing way. I would never have thought to say such a thing, and as an avowed Shakespeare-hater, it’s also slightly to my embarrassment, but then it’s my experience. By the way, you can get a Shakespeare dictionary that helps you decipher just what the hell the Bard meant. And to return to the topic, your mentioning Shakespeare reminded how good Olivier’s Henry V is. That’s another film I would definitely add to the list.

In terms of visual story-telling, you might try Buster Keaton's The General. Possibly that's not exactly what you want, because the film is not striking due to some innovative style of camera-work. It is silent. So it is visual, though. It's hard to say, because I don't know what you've seen. There is All the President's Men. Look for the split-field filter. Klute (another Pakula and Gordon Willis) I think is a beautifully lit and shot film. Barry Lyndon I think is a beautifully shot film. Beautiful. 12 Angry Men. Lumet has talked about using the camera to create a claustrophobic feeling, then finally going to a relatively open high-angle when the dramatic dilemma has been resolved. Someone also pointed out to me that what they felt was so impressive about the film was that it took place around a table and featured twelve different characters, but that you always knew exactly where everyone was. I think it's one of those things you discover about making a film, that with continuity and coverage, shooting a mundane and ordinary event (like people just sitting around a table and talking) the event becomes not so simple. Another James Wong Howe is Hud. Beside cinematography (it would be a shame to call it a "side note"), Patricia Neal is excellent in that film. She gives an excellent performance. The Last Picture Show. Bogdanovich will stage for complete scenes, which is so very welcome. You might try Onibaba or Woman in the Dunes.

I love my 801 macro, but I would keep the Professional, for two reasons. One, you have no light meter battery issues. Fantastic. Two, you can swing up the handgrip and have a proper tripod mount.

A couple of years ago, I bought a bundle of S-8 Tri-X from Pro8 with processing pre-paid. I was satisfied with the service in all important aspects. Turnaround, lab processing, value. It was all fine. I would use them again, based on my experience. One of the labs I was using skimped on leader, but now I can't remember which one. I haven't used Pro8 since, because I started shooting K40 exclusively. I have often been tempted to try their color negative stocks, but never have. You ask about cameras. I have a couple of Beaulieus (and your post, by the way, might be better attended in the 8mm forum), but no experience with the Pro8 refit for that camera, or the company's other offerings. I have one of the old Super-8 Sound (old -- from when they were a Massachusetts-based company) crystal sync modules for the 4008. I especially like the design because it's modular. It's failed, unfortunately, and when I contacted Pro8 (relatively recently) about the prospect of having the unit repaired, they were (disappointingly, I thought) unhelpful and uninterested. The unit is twenty-odd years old, though, and hasn't been sold by them for who-knows-how-long, and so the result/their response really might not be too unreasonable (or even surprising). You can check the status of Pro8 (and other companies) through the Better Business Bureau. Here is Pro8's report from the LA bureau: http://www.la.bbb.org/BusinessReport.aspx?CompanyID=27000659

I missed that link the first time around. Thank you again for posting it. You can also get some set stills and publicity promos through the LIFE magazine archive, available through Google. Add the switch "source:LIFE" to your query to search in the LIFE archive. The collection is focused more on celebrity, but it's a nice collection. For example, James Wong Howe: (the query is James Wong Howe source:life) http://images.google.com/images?q=james%20...20source%3Alife Kubrick http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?img...k%20source:life

I do. I live close to a transmitter (in unobstructed LOS as I look out my bedroom window) and so get excellent reception on fifteen-plus over-the-air analog channels. The television programming I consume most is national and international news. And I actually get much better access to that kind of programming via an over-the-air digital converter box than friends who live nearby but in an over-the-air reception-poor area, and who subscribe to a satellite service. Though I suppose the answer there is that they subscribe to just a basic service, and could get a different package of channels.

Hello. I don?t think f-stop is relevant since, (1) the results will be tied to one lens, and (2) unless you?re significantly changing exposure durations, or intentionally over-/underexposing, reciprocity applies and a correct exposure will be a correct exposure. If you did want to test over-/underexposure, I think you would also want to test that in combination with a pull/push compensation, rather than just ?this is three stops under?. If you did do this test, I think it would helpful to maintain the same subject in each set-up. That same subject facilitates comparison. Include a color test chart.

The short story Red Ryder Nails the Hammond Kid is an enjoyable read. It?s also available in a nice collection: Adaptations. From Short Story to Big Screen, edited by Stephanie Harrison. Included are, ?Blow-Up? by Cortázar (Blow-Up by Antonioni), ?Rear Window? by Cornell Woolrich (there is no Grace Kelly character), ?Herbert West ? Reanimator: Six Shots by Moonlight? by H. P. Lovecraft, ?The Swimmer? by John Cheever (Harrison calls it ?unadaptable?, and I would agree), ?The Killers? by Hemingway, ?Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to Iowa? by W. P. Kinsella, and so on. It?s a nice collection, and Harrison has interesting things to say, both about the original author and the adaptation of the story, and also the director who puts it to film. Title: Adaptations. From Short Story to Big Screen: 35 Great stories that have inspired great films. Edited by Stephanie Harrison. 2005 ISBN: 1-4000-5314-5

^ was terrible. I award myself, a forum demerit. Will now give self, sound virtual beat.

Can try to scan it.

Hello. One resource you might find useful is Mandy, which is a database of film and television jobs and resources. http://www.mandy.com/ and http://www.mandy.com/1/filmtvjobs.cfm Out of curiosity, I tried a search in New York/New Jersey http://www.mandy.com/1/jobs2.cfm?terr=usny...crw&paid=no and, indeed, there seem to be many listings.

^ I think that was good advice. I'll try to add. 1. There is a Super-8 forum here. You should post in that forum. Scroll down from the General Discussion forum, and you should see it. 2. You have two issues that you might like to separate. One is: What is the value of the camera? The other is: What is the value of the 9 carts of film? 3. I don't own one, but my impression of the Bauer C 8 is that it is a nice, though relatively basic, camera. It does not have the "advanced" features that make other cameras more sought after today. The reason I mention that is, even if your camera was in TOP condition, my impression is that its maximum value is still relatively limited -- limited by its features. Even if you were to go through the process of shooting a test roll and verifying that everything in the camera works correctly, my guess is that you probably will not be able to recover the cost (and costs in time) of doing all those tests. If you have no interest in photography or film-making yourself, and you don't want to be bothered with it, you might prefer to just offer the thing on eBay starting at £1, and let that process figure out a final price for you. If you do go that route, be sure to include in the auction ANY extra and associated items that you have that go with the camera. The instruction manual, the original box, an original brochure, a carrying case, a wrist-strap. All those things will add value. If you can put some batteries in the camera and verify the basic condition "With batteries installed, when I pull the trigger, I hear a motor going steadily", that will add value too. Good luck!

Short article about the restoration of The Godfather trilogy. http://www.slate.com/id/2201240/pagenum/all/

JANE IN PROGRESS Jane Espenson http://www.janeespenson.com/

THE INSIDE PITCH A Hollywood executive answers questions from screenwriters. http://twoadverbs.blogspot.com/

David Pogue also has a (short, relatively non-technical) review in The New York Times, writing about the video aspect as a "game-changer": http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/technolo...;pagewanted=all I'm particularly curious about the image stabilization. Also, I'm curious about resolving/sync and the stability of its 24 fps. Looks like a nice tool. :)

What format is the original footage? And what is your work-flow here? What I'm wondering is, if you could do some kind of "color correction" on the shirt. That could be a relatively quick fix. If you were doing telecine, for example -- and I seem to remember the same tool in FinalCut, though I'm not positive -- the colorist could try to pick out the hue of the logo or the shirt, and adjust it. You would also have a masking tool. I don't know what shade of green you have, but, possibly, you could work with the saturation and contrast. You might have to do something radical (ugly) to get it to work that way (also, would there be a color-continuity issue outside of these ten seconds?), but it might be a cheap option.