Stephen Williams

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" let the desert be about a stop overexposed in most scenes. This gave them more "open" shadows and a feeling of heat and intense sunlight.

 

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HI,

Thats interesting. For many years Douglas Scocombe the DP did not use a light meter!

Stephen

Read a interesting article (p32-38, Showreel, Issue 7, Spring 2005) which said:

 

'But what has become clear to me and others who have used the FX1 and Z1 is that the quality is somewhere between top-end Digibeta and HD. What this means is that a £3,500 Sony Z1 in the hands of a talented DP will achieve the same if not better results than a camera costing several times more than this...'

 

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Hi,

I have just used the Z1 today recording in DV cam 60i. I would say that it is better than a PD150 but not anything like the quality of a 10 year old DigiDeta. You get what you pay for!

Stephen Williams DoP

Zurich

www.stephenw.com

Hi,

Some video cameras are faster than others, and almost all are considerably faster than usual film stocks,

 

Phil

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That is one of the reasons that there is so much DOF in modern day video! 30 years ago TV studios had to light to 2000 lux as that was f2!

S

I guess I wasn't being clear enough - I was thinking more of using the area between perfs, which looks equal to the area of 1 perforation.  Adding half of that on the bottom and half of that on the top. 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but image area of 2 perf is really the area of 2 perforations plus the area between them.  The image area of 3 perf is 3 perforations plus 2 'in-between perf' areas.

 

I guess the semantics of this is confusing - so below is a pic illustrating my proposal.

 

I'm familiar with 3-perf but I'm wondering if this is a viable alternative to 3-perf.  even if my proposed 2.5 perf isn't exactly 1.85, would it be close enough?  i.e. 2.0:1 or less.  Then having to crop only 10% off the sides as such.

 

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Hi,

The frame line is always inbetween the 2 perfs, so what you call 2.5 perf is what I call 2 perf!

Stephen Williams DoP

Zurich

www.stephenw.com

I just figured out how to work the shutter angle thing! It's pretty cool, but I'm slightly confused about something: What angle does the shutter start at? Also, do those numbers on the thing mean that's what's being added on to the shutter angle, or that's what the angle becomes (sorry if that's not too good of an explanation)? I read somewhere on the board about capturing motion in a way as to not create motion-blur (an almost strobing effect) by setting the shutter at a 45 degree angle. How would I go about doing that?

 

Any help would be appreciated! Sorry if these are really dumb questions!

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Hi,

A closed shutter is 0 degrees, most camera's maximuim shutter angle is about 180 degrees, so the camera is open for 180 degrees and closed for 180 degrees. If a camera has an adjustable shutter then you can set 45 degrees open and 315 closed.

Stephen Williams DoP

Zurich

www.stephenw.com

I have a shoot tommorow and I purchased a used sony pvm-5041q monitor thinking that it was a 16:9 switchable and then I find out that there are 2 varations of that model number one with a 16:9 switch and one without. SO is ther anyway that I can set the DSR500 to output letterbox 16:9 on a 4:3 monitor?

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Hi,

You should be able to adjuct the vertical scan height of the MONITOR with a tweaker!

Stephen

Sure. IS there someone in London?

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Hi,

Les Boscher is in Wales.

For the aaton:-

ICE Film Equipment

156 Caledonian Road

N1 9UU London

Great Britain

Camera: Peter Bryant

+ 44 020 278 0908

bryant@icefilm.demon.co.uk

I don't think there are 3perf movements for the 2C. As far as I know it can't change it to Super35 either.

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Hi,

P+S Technik, can do Super 35 and 3 perf for a 2c

http://www.pstechnik.de/en/35-2c-3c-body.php

Stephen Williams DP

Zurich

www.stephenw.com

I've never seen the DCC (Auto Knee) "hunting" or changing visibly in mid-shot myself. I usually leave it on in order to reduce clipping problems.

 

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Hi,

I was shooting a night scene and when an actor lit a match the DCC was hunting for a few frames. Luckily I new what the problem was.

Stephen

Umm, you may have missed it where I said in my original post I don't have an international service on my phone (or rather the phone at the house I'm currently living).

 

So yeah, if I could have rang him I would have done that instead of posting this on an internet forum ;)

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Hi,

Just spoken to him he is alive and well. I don't actually know your real name! his email is working so just try again, or find a coin phone and call him during the UK day time.

Stephen

Can't resist putting in a plug here, even though we are not in the US

 

http://www.design.arandafilm.com.au 

 

There are links to our other services, 2/3 perf conversions, custom equipment design etc.

 

super 16 camera conversions

 

Bruce

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Bruce,

I see you have converted an Ultracam 35 to 2 Perf! could you give me more information? You better answer in 35 as this is off topic!

Stephen Williams Ultracam Owner

www.stephenw.com

hi, i know this arriving to you very late as i saw it only now but others may benefit. so have the production designer conceal a dedo 150 unit in a flashlight casing, tape the wiring on the underside of the actor's arm inside his sleeves onto a 12v battery attached to his belt in the back. also shoot in the darker parts of the forest where the dedo will make a dent.

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Hi,

The Dedo 150 is 24v so I would use the Dedo 100w 12v.

As for battery power 12w @ 12V is 1 amp hour so to run a 100w dedolight for 30 minutes a 5 amp Hour battery would just handle it, and be small enough to hide.

Stephen

Did not know that.  Will keep that in mind tho from now on.

 

At this point I'd just be happy to be working on something, however.

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The one thing to think about any Mitchell with a variable shutter is that they can flicker. Remember they are between 30 and 80 years old. I think Aardman removes the second blade for that reason, but retains the focal plane light tight shutter. Thats one big reason why most of the later Fries conversions were 35R3. Five years ago I needed to rebuild the shutter of an AF35R. Over 100 hours of workshop time! but I needed the variable shutter!

Stephen

Why ????

 

Hey get an S35R great camera, mirror reflex and variable (not when running) focal plane shutter.

 

 

-Sam

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Sam,

You can motorise the shutter on an S35R and do speed ramps. I have many times with a motion control.

Stephen

As I said:  Rack Over

 

Fries conversion eliminates the rack-over capability to add reflex viewing.  It also, incidentally, removes the variable shutter which is part of the reason I want one.  The last true Rack-Over Mitchell on ebay went for over $8000, more than this poor guy can afford.

 

Now, there is a nice 16mm rackover Mitchell on there, but shipping from Sweeden would be insane.

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Hi,

The Fries 35 R has a beam splitter and retains the variable shutter. I was the high bidder on one 2 years ago at 2150 USD , in the end he sold for 3750 USD.

Cheers

Stephen

Looks beautifull, never tried lighting with just candles but now I think I have to try

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Hi,

As you like it here's a bigger file. As you can see I was overexposed. Grading was a one light pass from a grey scale lit with normal light.

Stephen Williams DP

Zurich

www.stephenw.com

And yes, I am very jealous of you for having one.  The Rack-Over Mitchell is the camera I want to own one day.

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Hi,

They come up on Ebay all the time. The lowest serial no I have seen on Ebay is No 5 with a Fries Conversion. I know no 35 is in regular use on a Milo motion control in Germany.

Cheers

Stephen

Early turret models were 3 Std mounts, later they had 1 Bayo mt and 2 Std - those cameras were properly called 35IIC/B - just like the 16mm cameras with one bayo on the turret (16S/B; 16M/B).

 

Quite a few were modified to be "Hard Front" which was a single BNCR mount. Find one of them and some of the work is done although I'd suspect most of the Hard Front's have since been converted to PL by now.

 

-Sam

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Hi,

From the prices i've seen its slightly more expensive to convert from BNCR hardfront to PL Hardfront! than from turret to PL!

Stephen

Matt sent me a photo

Matt,

IMHO your camera is a GC Mitchell. It's not a NC movement!

Your camera is missing 2 loop rollers see

I have seen a 1940's military manuel and all the rollers are removed. IMHO it is better to have the rollers in place for higher speed shooting. I would loop the film over the 1 roller you have.

Stephen Williams DP

Zurich

www.stephenw.com

Why would a 2/3" sensor not quality as "digital cinema"? Does that mean the smaller Super-16 frame also does not quality?

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David,

Super 16 frame is larger than 2/3" sensor.

Figures from Panavision

16 x 9 .3775 X .2123 Digital CCD Area

16 x 9 (2.40:1) .3775 X .1579 Digital CCD Extended Area for Anamorphic

.486 X .295 Super 16mm Camera Aperture

Cheers,

Stephen

This may be of interest,

http://www.petitiononline.com/k40/

Stephen

When I asked the guy who graded my 16mm for hotter highlights, he made it look like that, and I went "yes!" - then he said "No, no, that looks like video...."

 

Phil

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Phil,

You are the DoP! Tel the colourist what you want. Don't be fobbed off with a `Technical Grade'. I always shoot a grey scale and ask to grade to that, when not attending the transfer. However the colourist will always try to help me. I usually have to send it back repeating `Grade to grey scale, If the highlights are bright thats what I wan't, if its dark please leave it alone!

Cheers,

Stephen Williams DoP

www.stephenw.com

There is one available on Ebay:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...5582636441&rd=1

 

I am not sure which model it is though...

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Hi,

Take care his feedback is 0

I emailed Joe Dunton on May 14 - no reply as yet,I guess he is a busy guy afterall.

 

This Mitchell has the pull-down shuttle of an NC type(metal gears with the claw mechanism on a slight down wards angle) and the main drive sprockect lay-out of a Standard & High Speed as illustrated in threading diagrams in American Cinematographer Manual 8th edition/2001.(pages531 &533)

 

Is this the layout of a GC or a custom version?

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Hi,

Can you post a photo? Many cameras have had the gates changed! Do the serial no's on the gate + pressure plate match the body? The serial no. implies a GC/ High Speed type as it has metal gears. Many Standard's had high speed gates and bearings fitted.

Stephen Williams DP

www.stephenw.com

Hi Stephen, yes we are in Bristol, at Aardman to be exact. I used to work with Joe at Movietech and have tried getting the list of him but with no luck I'm afraid.

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Hi,

Call the USA office tel (+1) 910-343-1089, If Joe is not there explain what you want. I am sure they can help. I spoke to Joe 2 years ago at IBC, he was planning to put the records on the web. I guess that has not happened yet.

Stephen Williams

Cameraman

www.stephenw.com