Paco Sweetman

I learned how to edit using NLE's with Premiere. Then moved to Avid. I now use FCP which I love. If it was a choice between going back to Premiere I would rather use a Steenbeck.

Yeah I feared that. What would you charge them on though. The Low or the High? DC amps 4 or 6.5?

I'm using an old PAG universal constant current charger to charge an 8volt battery I have. I've never used this before. It has two settings on it. One is low and the other is high. The Low setting shows 4 DC Amps on the meter and the High shows 6.5 - 7 DC amps. I tried charging it on low and nothing happened. Then i charged it on High and the camera was running fine for a test last night. Now the battery doesn't seem to be charging. I know I'm asking stupid questions, but I'm baffled. Any help / suggestions as always would be greatfully appreciated.

I edit for a living. I work in the music industry (i'm a closet cinematographer in my spare time). I've been working with music videos for over seven years. In the last two years I have noticed a massive surge in videos originating on digital (especially bloody 5D and 7D). And I do find it sad that film is being slowly but surely phased out. Even the promo commissioners are starting to become more and more reluctant to splurge for celluloid. And with the masses starting to use digital for their acquisitions we are getting more and more problems from what I call 'the bedroom music-video-makers'. Things being shot on ridiculous frame rates, appalling color grading, you name it. It will be sad when celluloid gets phased out altogether. I remember the middle of last year, we got in a copy of a video by an artist called Jack Penate, the video was called 'Pull My Heart Away' and was shot all on Super8 in Jordan. It was such a welcome sight compared to the schlock that I was doing on that day. "Why Do They Still Shoot Film" Because, in my opinion, there is something that happens when light is let onto each frame that contains those silver halides that no digital medium seems to have managed to capture. Call it warmth, depth, texture; it's something that encapsulates the moving image.

I have just seen a preview of this film in the NFT London. The editor did a talk afterwards that was very illuminating. The film was shot on a Sony EX3, with a lens adapter and 3 prime Nikon Lenses attached (don't ask me what lenses or lens adaptor) Realistically I think the film is very good, but, I found his approach (shooting on the fly with scene cards) to give mildly redundant dialogue. Don't let this deter you though. It just wasn't for me (the Dialogue, not the film) There is a great atmosphere to the film and I did like the scenario, it was well rounded. Considering the guy is only 35 it is a huge achievement. The effects were done using After Effects for the compositing shots, and 3D Studio Max for the 3D stuff of the alien. His credits on the film include Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Special Effects and Production Design. If you have a chance to see the editor of the film (who ever says that) talk, then do it. The guy shot making of footage during the film will probably put it on the DVD when it is finally released. It's great because it shows the absolute nuts and bolts of how the film was made. What he has on screen for £200k puts so many of the big budget filmmakers to shame. I would recommend it. And I hope the guy goes far.

I watched this last week at the Cine Lumiere in London, as part of the London Film Festival. It's from the directors that made the Belgian / French road movie Aaltra. Apart from the fact that this is one of the funniest films I have seen in years, the cinematography looked amazing. I'm not as technically cinematography minded as most of you. But to me it looked amazing, it looked like it was shot on reversal. I don't even know if people do that anymore. But there first film was shot on B&W anamorphic (Aaltra) so I guess anything is possible. There DP is Hugues Poulain. Here is a link to some footage. Some short Extracts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccwju-G1t10 Trailer: (No english subtitles though!) While watching it in the cinema it looked like the short extracts, more contrasty.

That is so annoying that the cost for 100ft has gone up by £25! Having to pay for 2 rolls what I used to pay for 3.

I don't think that Soho Film Lab is doing a Fuji deal. There deal is with Kodak, and it's called Sweet16. http://www.sweet-16mm.com/ ...and I had a friend that dealt with iLab and had a few problems. But that was about two years ago when they were kinda new.

To be honest I don't think that this really happens very much anymore, if at all. The cost + pain in the ass = slower work ratio and more cost additions. I couldn't bare to have to go back to using a steenbeck. Good luck with the rest of the answer for the other stuff...it's quite a text book long answer.

Personally I think it's a shame. It just makes a hard job even harder in the UK. Apparently Matthew Vaughn is to thank for this: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23871601-matthew-vaughn-im-the-man-who-axed-the-film-council.do It's a shame, because the Government are trying to save on spending and the Arts spending in the UK is something like 0.08% of the total yearly budget. Quite f***ing stupid if you ask me.... http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2010/may/13/jeremy-hunt-arts-budget

I have this grip, it came with an Eclair camera kit, but doesn't look like it fits it. I'm going to flog it on Ebay. I just don't know which camera it's for. Thanks for your help in advance.

Does anyone know of a lens tech in London that might be able to do this for me?

Hi all, I bought a Beaulieu Pro 6008 Pro about six months ago. I only got around to shooting a roll of Tri-X about a month ago. When I got it back everything that is shot wide is completely out of focus. At points when I zoom in on people on the roll it comes crisp into focus. I've tried to re-adjust the eye piece: zoomed in on something far away, put focus to infinity and then tighten the eyepiece screw. When I zoom out everything goes completely out of focus. I have a Bealieu 6.9-55mm / 1.4 lens on the camera. I've shot super 8 for years and never had these kind of problems. Any suggestions greatly welcomed. EDIT************************************ Okay, I've noticed that when I zoom out fully that it's out of focus quite badly. When I begin zooming in (with the lens control device) before it zooms in, the image 'pings' into focus. Then starts zooming.

Thank you David for your response. The 400T sounds like the best for my needs. The place I want to shoot in has a long corridor that is quite dimly lit with about three doors on the leading off of it that I could light from, but it still quite dark. Apologies for the mistake in the use of terms, latitude and speed, I'm trying to learn all of this slowly but surely.

Hi there all. I wanted to shoot a portion of my film using my Arri 16s, incorporating Tim Carroll's technique from his excellent website (arri16s.com) of shooting the standard 16mm and masking it for 16.9. I was just wondering what would be the differences between these stocks as they all seem quite close in ISO rating? Tim suggests on his website to use a slightly slower stock so that the grain isnt' massive once you telecine it. The reason I'm looking at the higher ISO films is that I'm shooting in a basement flat that has narrow walls and I need the extra latitude. Any feedback would be very welcome. Thank you.

Yet again, in my older life I have found another reason to be upset with myself for not being good at languages. I've just gone to the schmalfilm website and it looks brilliant. I would subscribe to it if I could read it in English, but then I'm just one man. I hope you do find a way someday to make it a viable option to print in English. Good luck.

Hi all, I'm looking for a crystal sync motor for my Arri 16s. I should have bought one when Clive Tobin had his last batch out last time but I flopped on it. I'm really just looking for one to do 25fps. I've missed a couple going here, so I thought I might just ask now and commit to getting one. Thanks for reading. Paco

In no order. - Miroslav Ondrícek - Haskell Wexler - Dante Spinotti (before he 'discovered' digital) - Emmanuel Lubezki - Vilmos Zsigmond & László Kovács ...and if the list was bigger than top 5: Robby Müller, Michael Chapman, Darius Khondji, Lance Accord, Harris Savides & John Toll

I am very new to cinematography. I'm teaching myself, slowly but surely (with the help of the topics on this site). I was given a suitcase about a year ago with an Eclair ACL and various bits and pieces to go with them. The lenses that came with the kit were totally destroyed. I fear that the body of the ACL is also in a very bad state as well. Persoally I have an ARRI 16s that works, so I'm just trying to finish up that kit by finding the bits and pieces I need for it, and trying to get an Eclair kit working is out of my financial means and of no interest to me. I don't have a price on any of the stuff pictured below, mainly because I don't know what some of it is, but more of the fact I don't know how much it's worth / how much use they are / and what kind of state they're in. So I'm working on the good Karma / Faith in mankind system on these ones. I'm based in London, and I don't want to throw this stuff out, but I'm struggling with it being in my room. Want to make an offer / inquiry / even meet and check something out for yourselves then please feel free to message me here. Paco p.s. I do also have 5 x 400ft mags that came with it that were in a separate container that I'll be looking to sell as well.

I live in the UK. I have two 16mm cameras. One is an Arri 16s, in perfect condition. The other is an Eclair ACL. The body is rusted solid, but the magazines are in perfect working order. I have 5 x 400ft mags. Would anyone buy them or is it the case that these items aren't used and/or needed anymore. How much, if they are of any use, would they be worth. I'm new to the 16mm game so I don't know. Thanks for reading.

Radio Telefis Eireann. I think i could confirm that at one stage it did indeed serve the great cause of the motherland's great television station. Or for a blunt answer. Yes.

Thank you for overwhelming advice and support. No fear on being near my Arri ST, it's in London and the Eclair is in Dublin. Here is a few more pictures for you guys to peruse. Even if the camera was fixable, I think the cost of lenses makes it a bit more of financial nightmare to make it easy to use. I'm stilling weighing up the options. I have emailed Les Bosher to see if he thinks it's worth me shipping it over from Dublin to London so that I can drive it down to Wales for Les, to have a look at it.

I have other pictures I'll upload tonight to give you guys a better image of the camera and it's state. Paco

The camera was kept in a suitcase in the guys garage since the early eighties. There is a lot of crystalise white stuff in the box. I'm generally quite gutted about your prognosis, but not surprised. My rudimentary common sense dictated to me that this was totally f*cked up. It was such a shame. If it was running, with the camera and lenses in good order, i was going to drive it down to Les Bosher and pay to have it upscaled to Super16. (He does live nearly 200 miles away) If I were to sell the 5 x 400ft magazines, does anyone think they would be worth anything? I hate the idea of throwing out this whole kit if there is something that can be passed on and used by someone else (and buy me some more stock for my Arri ST!) Thanks again.

I was given a free ACL by an old Irish cameraman on the weekend. I would love to get it up and running and even if it's possible get it converted to a Super 16. It seems like it could be in a state of disrepair though. I'm not sure whether or not it's worth the work. It has got: the ACL body (not sure if it's 1, 1.5, or 2) 5 x 400ft magazines 3 x Lenses (that look quite manky, 1x Angeniex, 1xZeiss and 9.5 Prime) It is missing a battery, and i'm not sure if the there is rust on the right side of the body of the machine. I'll include pictures so anyone can have a look and maybe i could start a running dialogue on what to do. I'm thinking of selling 2 or 3 of the magazines to make up some of the money to fix the camera and lenses (if it's possible). Let us know what you guys think. P.S. I am new to this and learning slowly, so please be gentle if I've said something ridiculously stupid.