Roger Richards

Hi everyone, below is a link to the teaser and brief synopsis for a cine-essay I am working on. The film footage was shot with an Aaton XTRPlus Super 16mm camera on Kodak Vision 3 500T 7219. The older footage was shot a few years with a Canon XL-1 miniDV camera. http://vimeo.com/4562914 SARAJEVO ROSES-A Film by Roger M. Richards Currently in production-see it in fall 2010 During the four-year siege of the Bosnian capital city of Sarajevo, hundreds of thousands of bombs rained upon the city from the surrounding hills. Every shell exploding on a road or paved area left an imprint resembling that of a flower. Today, some of these craters remain, their 'petals' painted red and referred to as 'Sarajevo roses' by its citizens, like scars on the heart, a reminder of the innocent blood that was spilled on these streets. SARAJEVO ROSES is the true story of Dr. Asim Haracic, a Bosnian-American doctor and musician. In personal audio letters, he relates his life story and philosophy forged from a life of change and upheaval, growing up during the Tito-era communist Yugoslavia, starting a family and then having life shattered by war, surviving the siege of Sarajevo and then fleeing into exile as a refugee to start a new life.

Thanks very much for the lead, Hunter. -Roger

Hi guys, I am seeking any recommendations for an inexpensive tripod that will support an Aaton XTR. I have another video tripod (Sachtler FSB6) to support my HD cams, but it will not support the Aaton. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks for the advice, Saul. The topic of the film is war-related, and that is why I was not so worried about a slight increase in grain and am even considering 7248. Preferable would be 7245. The idea would be to shoot the 7248 outdoors with an 85 and overexpose by 1/3-2/3 of a stop to tighten grain. Most of the shots would be medium, medium-close and tight. I would be using Fuji Eterna 250D and 500T stocks as well, and bump the contrast a bit in telecine. I was considering using the Cinelicious Diamond Clear HD to keep cost manageable. I read that in the film Babel the 7248 stock was used in some of the Morocco scenes.

I have come across a tested batch of 7248 at a good price that I was considering buying for use on a doc project. How does this film compare to the modern 7201 and 7217 stocks? This is for lightweight handheld MOS use in daylight mainly, to be transferred to 1080 HD in telecine, with a 1.78:1 extraction as the camera is regular 16mm. How well can it intercut with Fuji Eterna 250D? Any help appreciated.

Thanks for the leads, Charles.

Karl, You are really kind, yes, those should do fine they are to fit an Aaton. I got a good deal and the mags did not come with cores. Thank you, and I will be sure to pay it forward, always try to when I can as well. Cheers, Karl. David, appreciate the link to the warning label and the feedback on Fotokem. I love this board just because of guys like you.

Thanks very much, John. -Roger

David, that sounds like a good idea. I actually was considering Fotokem for S16mm and AlphaCine for S8mm, so this fits me. Karl, thanks again, I will go with David's suggestion. -Roger

Thanks very much for the leads, guys. I am in Norfolk Virginia and a bit removed from most cine labs. Karl, thanks a lot for the offer, I would be happy to take you up on it. Just let me know if you can find some around, PM me if you do, I will pay for postage. Cheers, Roger

Hi guys, looking for a place to purchase a few 16mm film cores. Appreciate any leads, thanks.

Robert, thanks very much for the detailed overview, quite informative.

Touché ;-) great answer. I watched your '600 feet' short on Vimeo and was just wondering how it looked on a larger screen, although great small you can't judge how it will hold up. My benchmark is a 42" widescreen. If it looks good that size it works for my purposes. I have been in touch with Paul and have some footage that will be sent to him so I can eyeball it for myself. He seems like a really nice and straight-forward guy. Cinelicious could make a big difference for the indie doc I am working on, being shot with an Aaton XTR Plus and Zeiss/Optex 12-120.

Hunter, I have watched your A-Minima footage and it looks pretty good, even raw. If for a documentary, would 'the vibe' of the Diamond Clear HD for Super 16, in your opinion, be acceptable?

Sold, and payment sent. Craig, your message box is full again ;-) -Roger

Thanks very much, Craig. -Roger

Hi Craig, is this the kit with the replacement shutter and HD-144 nameplate? I was trying to send you a PM but your mailbox is full. Thanks.

Hi guys, I am looking for Eclair ACL 200' magazines for S16. Please send me a message if you have anything available. Thanks, Roger

Hi guys, a documentary I co-produced and shot last year, Mississippi Drug War Blues: The Case of Cory Maye is being shown at the Oxford Film Festival here is a link to the synopsis page On the page is a slideshow and the one minute trailer. The film is about Cory Maye, who is in prison for life for shooting a policeman, and Ron Jones, who was part of a drug raid on Maye's home in Prentiss, Mississippi on December 26, 2001. Maye, who had no previous trouble with the law, awoke from a deep sleep to the sound of his door being broken down in the early hours of the morning. Thinking that he was being attacked and worried about protecting his 18-month-old daughter, Maye opened fire when his door was smashed open. This film is an ongoing story about the intersection of race (Maye is black and Jones was white); the war on drugs; the disturbing increase in the militarization of police tactics; and systemic flaws in the criminal justice and expert-testimony systems. It is a tragedy in which one man is dead and another may spend his life in prison. The film is narrated by Drew Carey (host of The Price is Right and former star of The Drew Carey Show and Whose Line Is It Anyway?). Cheers, Roger

Thanks for your help, guys, much appreciated.

Hi folks, I have a question about film stocks that I hope someone can help me with. I am working on a documentary film, which has some really interpretive sections, and plan to shoot primarily with Kodak Vision 2 7201 and 7205 and 500T Vision 3 stocks. I have never used the Fuji Eterna line. My thought was to use the Fuji for some situations when a softer, more painterly feel was envisioned. Anyone here who has used both and can comment on combining stocks? Is it too glaring a difference, or can it work? The negatives will be telecined to HD. Thanks!

Thanks very much for the advice, Andy. -Roger

Hi Oliver, thanks very much for your perspective, that is exactly what I was hoping to receive, feedback from someone who owns both of these cameras. Another option I have is the Beaulieu 4008 ZM with the Angenieux f1.8 8-64mm lens. However, I feel that I have narrowed it down to two good candidates.

Hi folks, I am trying to decide between the Beaulieu 4008 ZM II (with Schneider Optivaron 1.8 6-66mm lens) and the Nizo Pro 6080. This will be for use in documentary filmmaking as a B camera for both HD and 16mm projects. Any help would be appreciated, the pros and cons of both cameras from owners. Thanks very much.

Hi Saul, thanks for the info, appreciate it. -Roger