James Malamatinas

Thank you for the extra clarification. If that’s the case I’m still struggling to understand the pattern of the flashing just from a technical side and would appreciate any help in understanding how it arises. If it was from loading then this was done in a bag. At no point did I notice a zip undone, but if this was somehow the case how does the pattern of flashing stay consistent through the whole roll - would the more tightly coiled, inner part of the fresh roll not receive less exposure to the light and therefore show reduced issue? Also, how would the flashing be on the inner side of the stock, rather than the more exposed outer? If it was somehow in transferring the film from can to the feed side that handling isn’t is erratic in the sense of holding the film in one hand, moving it into the mag, feeding it etc - wouldn’t that be an uneven pattern of flashing? Thanks for any input.

Thank you for the replies. @Dom Jaeger here is a YouTube link if that works for you. I have also managed to secure rushes for the whole role and the flashes are the same throughout other than the pulsing become steadily quicker in frequency (because the diameter of the film is getting smaller on the roll I'm assuming). Annoyingly the lab has trimmed the roll-up between shots so I can't see how it appeared during that. @Tyler Purcell that's a good suggestion and we're having the rental house investigate the mag today. Out of interest, if it was a lab issue what kind of cause would it be on their side?

Today we received the report from the lab for a 16mm job that we've just finished and one roll is coming back with strange orange/red, pulsating, flashes on one side of the frame. Video below: https://clipchamp.com/watch/DWOV51Zu3Ik We shot on an Arri 416 and the initial thoughts from the lab is flashing, however a few things don't line up and I'm hoping someone can help me understand the cause a little better. I've loaded hundreds of rolls of both 16mm and 35mm and never encountered this issue. The flare is on the opposite side of the perfs on the Arri 416. This side of the film is closest to the platter on both feed and take-up side and to my mind should be less likely to be exposed to flashing and light leaks. Theoretically I imagine it could have been exposed on that side if it was exposed to a leak prior to to entering the mag e.g a light leak in the bag, but then I would have expected to see the problem on all rolls over our 3 day shoot. The flare is consistently pulsating, this suggests that it's following the rhythm of the mag spinning. What does this indicate? If there was a leak in the mag then I'm assuming the leak would be consistent? The flare is scratchy with lines throughout it, does this also indicate something inparticular? Other observations: This magazine had been used for other rolls which did not have the issue. This roll number in particular was actually used on two different camera bodies, and the effect was consistent on both suggesting it's not a body issue. It was a 400' fresh roll of 200T Shooting conditions were warm, about 30 degrees however stock was kept in a fridge overnight when not on set, and on set in an ice cooler kept under a shaded EZ-up Does this 100 percent line up with a mag flashing, or are there other possibilities including on the processing side? All thoughts welcome and can provide more information if necessary.

Chris is spot on - 35mm cores are what pretty much everyone uses for the standard cloth tape. Now all you need is a trainee with some time on their hands to decant it all!

I recently worked on a shoot where the DP had bought his own mattebox - an Abracam (https://abracam.myshopify.com/). I think his was the 3F138-EVO It's 3D printed and I was skeptical of it initially but despite what looks like a less robust design than something like a ARRI LMB I have to admit it worked very well and had some really useful perks. - No filters trays so filters stack immediately on top of one another without glare - Quick release for easier removal from lens - Very lightweight - Extremely quick to convert from 3 stage to 2 stage, just push to corners. - Nifty lightweight flags I've only used it on a single 4 day job so can't speak to durability but would have no issues using in future, filter changes were definitely quicker. Everyhing seemed very secure and robust - my only gripe as an AC is it's so small there nowhere to put filter tags!

Brilliant post - pure movie magic at work. The obsession and dedication that filmmaking brings out in people is a joy to see. If youve got any other similar making ofs, or BTS please recommend. Ministries and practical fx is endlessly fascinating.

Thanks Dom, your level of expertise and willingness to share is exactly why I visit this forum. I've got a good understanding of the mechanism now I think so much appreciated. I imagine I'll never run into the issue but if I do at least I'm well armed for it!

Thanks Dom, that sounds precisely the mechanism that was described to me. Is it possible that on occassion when returning the camera back level from being tilted that this can get stuck and that a manual check should be done to make sure it has been reset? If so how would that be done. I'm sure any issues are extremely rare but now I'ved learned of it I'm curious how it works! I've tried searching for further details on the mecahnism itself but documentation appears scarce. Are you also aware of similar mechanisms on other camera e.g. PV, Movicam?

Thanks Aapo, Ill follow up on this and see if this is what they were referring to. I thought they said it was present with more modern Arri film cams too but Ill take a deeper at this and see where it takes me!

Hi Doug, when I was watching it I wasnt thinking S16mm either, but the director confirmed it after and once he did it made a lot of sense. Theres a lovely grain to it when you see it blown up that helps capture that time

Ive just seen The Old Man & The Gun at the LFF and fell in love with how theyve perfectly recaptured the look feel of 60s/70s Robert Redford era. Im not familiar with Joe Andersons work and I know the film is only doing festival circuits at the moment but if anyone has insights into the filming style or any links to write ups on how it was shot Id love to learn more. David Lowry mentioned shooting on 16mm but not a lot about anything e.g. the grade, lenses or other aspects. Im also curious about the whip pan transitions they use for numerous scenes and whether they were in camera. The film was brilliant and I wholly recommend it if you get the chance. Perfectly nostalgic in the best way, and proof this kind of movie can still be made today without feeling old fashioned. The whole audience seem to share the same feeling and had a huge amount of fun, exactly what Lowry and Bob said they set out to do.

Someone was recently describing a pin/claw mechanism that comes into play with some film cameras when riggng them in a top shot mode. Apparently the pin ejects itself when in a specific vertical orientation to maintain correct pressue on the plat and should then collapse back when the camera is bought level again. Does anyone know which cameras this applies to and have any more information? The topic arose due to an assistant's experience where the pin failed to be retract, affecting the depth of the film plane and thus focus. I'm curious to learn more for any future, simlar situations.

Thanks Greg, I always enjoy your insights. It's only the last couple of years that I've really come to understand how demanding and extensive the DP's requirements can be for lenses when trying to find the perfect look for the story - some of the tales I've heard of the lengths crews go to test the lenses are... impressive! Has the process of detuning lenses always been available and common, or have the likes of PV and Arri made it a lot more accessible in recent years thanks to new technology e.g. computer lens design or other factors?

If all you are looking for is to have the UDM readout function then no, you can set up the horns and the readout separate from the LCS. You simply need to mount both the horns and readout, connect them up and then connect the readout to an appropriate power output - D-Tap or RS. If you want to have the UDM readout on your WCU-4 or Preston handset that is different, but it sounds like that is not what youre asking.

How did you find the re-housed K-35's? Obviously the housing is a big improvement on the originals but I've heard a few comments from people that some of visual characteristics of the lenses have been lost, such as the flares being quite different in the re-housed lenses.