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Will Jacobs

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Posts posted by Will Jacobs

  1. Quote
    18 hours ago, Marcell Lobenwein said:

    Hey Will! 

     

    The same thing just happened to me. How did it end up for you?

     

    Thanks!

    Marcell, please refer to Robert's response. This event occurred two years ago and I foolishly attempted to wind the 100' of unraveled 400' spool back onto the core, grazing it with my fingers and leaving scratches and static marks on the emulsion. I sent the slightly unraveled film to CineLab (Robert's lab) in a larger film canister than the raw stock can and, aside from the aforementioned 100', everything turned out fine. I had to digitally remove each mark of the first 100' in post-production.

  2. I am preparing to film a scene which involves two characters wandering around a large family room while daylight pouring in from nearby windows continually shifts from cloudy to sunny to sunny to cloudy. Imagine an overcast day where the sun peeks out for a moment and is then obscured by clouds once again. 

    My questions are:

    • Would it be more advantageous to film during the day or at night (at night so that I have complete control over the light fixtures)?
       
    • Am I to slowly dim the lights or introduce and take away diffusion? A grip friend proposed that I could create a very long shower curtain of various diffusions to pull in front of lights stationed outside the windows.

    My lighting equipment consists of:

    • 4 redheads
    • 2 blondies
    • 2k fresnel
    • 750w Ellipsoidal
    • 1k 64 PAR
    • Aputure 600D
    • Hive Wasp PAR

    I appreciate any help. Thank you!

  3. I was attempting to remove the core adapter for my magazine out of the exposed spool of film and ended up pushing out the spool core. The inside film unraveled and I managed to wind some of it back onto the original spool. What am I to do in this circumstance— wind the rest of the exposed footage back onto the spool? I did touch some of the emulsion and tried to only handle the plastic side. My fingers were clean. Am I okay to use nitrate gloves to finish rewinding or could I even send it to the lab in its current condition. Any advice is dearly appreciated. I am quite worried if my footage is okay.

  4. 6 hours ago, Phil Connolly said:

    3 x 2000w blonds require 6kw not 12kw. So a generator that's over 6kw should be fine.
     

    Somewhere I read that it is prudent to only use half of the overall wattage a generator produces. 
     

    6 hours ago, Phil Connolly said:

    I've used cheap construction generators for lighting with incandescents without issue.

    Which were the best to work with?
     

    6 hours ago, Phil Connolly said:

    Sure you can mitigate it with placement, but it your end up with very long cable runs that can add an additional load to the generator. I guess this would be more of an issue in 120 volt land where cable resistance is more of an issue...

    This is probably ludicrous, but could I somehow create a blimp with a hole for the exhaust? As for cables, what would be recommended if, say, I were to purchase the DuroMax XP12000EH and were to power 2k blondies and 1k redheads? Would using a 100 amp lunchbox be advised? If so, which ones might I utilize with a very small budget in mind?

    Thank you for your response, Phil!

  5. I am on a quest...

    I recently acquired an Arriflex SR I and have been preparing for my first 16 mm film project––a proof-of-concept short film for a micro-budget feature I plan to create in the next two years. Most of the story involves both day and night interior scenes: a classroom, an art gallery, households etc. My aesthetic approach is greatly influenced by the oeuvre of Tarkovsky, Bergman, Bresson, Antonioni, and Dreyer. I have a tremendous reverence for Sven Nykvist and have been sifting through the scarce footage there is of him at work.

    Rising from the ashes of my previous digital life, I confess my ignorance to the world of tungsten and HMI lighting after having sunk deeply into the sofa of LEDs. Yet, I've been fervently researching these past couple of weeks and analyzed documentaries of Nykvist...


    49858152531_f0c74c2191_k.jpg
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    It appears Nykvist frequently used Ianebeam redheads (I would assume 1000w) and 2k blondies to bounce light. I'm uncertain which other models of lights he used seen in the attached screenshots and photograph. I'd imagine he shot on tungsten stock for interior scenes and had the great fortune of utilizing a soundstage to his advantage. 

    Given that I am an independent filmmaker working with a micro-budget, where do I begin when it comes to investing in lighting equipment? For me it seems that incandescent lighting is the most reasonable route to tread at this juncture. I will invariably be shooting on-location for this narrative and I'm debating how I might tackle lighting interior scenes in the footsteps of Nykvist. 


    The questions I continue to wrestle with are:

    Should I shoot on 250D or 500T?

    If I choose daylight stock, is it worth gelling tungsten lamps and losing light?

    If I choose tungsten stock, is it worth gelling windows?

    How much light do I really need/which lights normally get the job done if I should like to use an aperture of 4?


    I'm also quite ignorant to generators. I understand that if one were to acquire and use three 2k blondies to bounce light from white muslin draped outside a window, one will need a 12,000w generator and enough amperage to support 16.7 amps per unit. Would a conventional generator one might find at a hardware store suffice for incandescents? My novice knowledge informs me that noise may very well be a problem with some models as well as flickering. And the last thing I want to experience is exploding bulbs. Enlighten me!

    There are many other thoughts and questions, but I shall leave it at that for now. I am eager to receive more insight and information to assist me on this voyage. Many thanks ahead of time!

     

  6. I contacted CORE detailing my situation and this was their response:

    "The product is stated to be a 14.8 volt battery.  That is it’s plateau voltage,  meaning where it voltage stays the longest.   All 14v batteries charge to 16.6 to 16.8 volts.

    All professional accessories will handle the voltage.  The voltage you are seeing is called skim voltage and will drop as soon as you turn on the camera."

    I also opened the Movcam converter, having purchased it off of eBay and no need to return it, discovering that the XLR does not go through any down-conversion or regulation:

     

    2.jpg

  7. Dom,

    I purchased a MOVCAM battery converter which apparently had a regulated 12v XLR output. After ordering a 12v cable and a F-to-F NEMAL adapter, I measured the voltage with my multimeter and was disappointed...

    Could this be true? Clearly it is, as I measured the 12v LEMO outputs which gave me readings of around 12v. The supposed 12v D-Tap outputs measured 16.60v along with the 14.8v camera output.

    I'm now perplexed. 

     

    2020-03-19 13.39.16-min-min.jpg

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  8. Dom,

    I did take note of the reviews. As silly as it sounds, I wonder if I could make a custom barney with a small acrylic window to slip around the plate and battery if the noise is a nuisance. 

    Another review states, "The 3-pin 12v Lemos are not the Arricam 3-pin size. The ones marked 12 volt are one size to big." I wasn't aware of the varied sizes of 3-pin Lemo's. Which one would be proper?

    As for the Lemo connector, is there a particular company you would recommend for making the cable? 

    Thank you very much for your knowledge and guidance! 

  9. Is it possible to power an ARRI SR I/II with 14.8v gold mount batteries? I understand the voltage would need to be converted to a regulated 12v, but even then is it posing a risk? I happened upon this plate:

    https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/839205-REG/Movecam_MOV_306_0208_BATTERY_BRACKET_FOR_GOLD.html

    I would have to use a 3-pin male LEMO to 4-pin XLR cable to take advantage of the regulated 12v output. Is that possible, or would it pose problems?

    Any insight would be dearly appreciated, as I'm quite uneducated when it comes to power supplies. Thank you!

  10. I recently acquired a Clairmont Camera breakout box and have fallen into a small conundrum.

    It is a 12v breakout box with three 3-pin 12v outputs, two 11-pin 12v outputs, and a 2-pin 12v input. It also features a 3-pin cable to connect to a remote switch connector and has a 'start/stop' button. I was going to use this for an ARRI SR I.

    Being relatively new to the SR camera, the 2-pin 12v input is what baffles me. Would I need a 11-pin to 2-pin male-to-male cable running from the camera to the box?  How might the 11-pin accessories I power with the box be compatible with the 2-pin input? 

    Here are some photographs of the unit: https://postimg.cc/gallery/hew90pve/

    Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

  11. Thank you for your responses, Tyler and Daniel. A few months have passed and my knowledge about the SR's and their value has grown (as well as the cash in my wallet). Apologies for my ignorance! 

    Speaking of "nightmares", I went through a nightmare of an eBay exchange last month (I had not read your warning, Tyler) and bought a used ARRI SRII Package for $3,450 that was listed as "pristine". This certainly was not the case upon inspection. I had to return everything and deal with a furious seller who denied my photographic and video evidence. Thanks be to God for eBay's wonderful customer service! Fortunately, I was refunded.

    For others new to 16 mm who are reading this: AVOID EBAY. You have been warned! I have since then turned to Visual Products and plan to buy an ARRI SR I can trust.

     

  12. I'm a student making the transition from digital to film and my next project will be shot entirely on 16mm. I'm interested in purchasing a working ARRI SR I or II. My budget is around $1200. I reside in the U.S. You may email me at willjacobscinephile@gmail.com

  13. 1st_Poster.jpg
    Link:
    Deep Sleep is a short film about a self-loathing teen, Derek Harper, who's sick of his severe idiopathic hypersomnia (sleep addiction). He lives in a generic apartment, and works at a late-night cafe for free coffee to keep his life somewhat moving. His one and only friend Hay Tyler, helps him find the answers to his condition.
    You're important because you guys are the most vital part of the film. You determine whether this film will be good or bad. Your funding determines how much creative freedom we have, and how close we can tell this story to its envisioning. You are even more important because you're the key to the film's success. Not only will you help me make a beautiful film, you will get me further to my dream.
    Why Is It Important To Me?
    'Deep Sleep' is an important project to me not only because its the most biggest challenging project I've tackled so far, but because it can be a film that can allow me to prove my talent and potential as a filmmaker. When I went and saw 'Inception', I had no idea what it was about really, and went into the theater unexpected. As the film finished, and I walked out of the theater, a feeling came over me that inspires me everyday. I was completely blown away. I want to create that same feeling in everyone of my films.
    Thanks for taking the time to read this, it is deeply appreciated. Please take a second or so and spread the word around about this project. It needs it!
    Thanks again,
    Will Jacobs
    Actor, Director, Writer, and Producer of 'Deep Sleep'

     

  14. Welcome to the world of real filmmaking, Will.

     

    It is not easy, it will be expensive and nobody really cares but in the end, it's all that matters. Did you shoot on film? Of course- am I not a filmmaker! There will never be any doubt to the answer of that question.

     

    Now would be a good time to adjust your attitude and expectations so that others might see the very real changes that are happening!

    First, stop talking to people who talk and shoot digital, they are wrecking cinema and cheating their audiences. Did you ever wonder why these digital "losers" (my word) spend every waking minute talking about their favorite new camera, software, pointless lens accessories and endless coverage opportunities? Because deep down they know they are fakes and liars (my words) and that are too cheap and/or stupid and lazy to make real movies.

     

    Real filmmaking is a continuous session of pain, routine humiliations and abject abandonment- the world hates you and wishes you to fail. These are the presets you cannot change. But we soldier on, because in the end, to shoot digital is to surrender to self-hatred. Nobody really wants to shoot digital.

     

    You want it easy? Go to the movies, don't try to make them.

     

    Those are strong and wise words. I understand its a very hard and painful process, and digital is the wimpy route out. I'm sick of digital and its artificialness. I'm willing to take on the multiple challenges of film, to fail; to be beaten. Even though I know there will be tons stress and frustration ahead, I'm willing to step out of my comfort zone and climb the vast mountain ahead, and over time, achieve pure beauty. I want to go through what countless of true filmmakers have gone through. I'm willing to do this.

     

    Thank you for sharing your wisdom Chris, I will take this to heart.

  15. There are many good answers to your questions, but let me start by giving you mine :)

     

     

    I suggest you buy as manual film camera as possible but preferably not rangefinder. Olympus OM-1 is a good camera with cheap but good optics (Zuikos). In addition to that buy an external lighting meter, possibly spot meter. Then read this: http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

    After that you'll begin to understand how exposure works: shutter speed, aperture, film speed.

     

    Begin by buying some reversal film. That is slide film. While most film originating movies are these days shot on negative film, reversal film lets you learn to expose correctly. You'll see when you have exposed something correctly, and then it should be easier for you to move on to negative which is much more forgiving than reversal film. Buy this for example: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/181489-USA/Fujifilm_14883175_RDP_III_135_36_Fujichrome_Provia.html

     

    If you want to you can also learn to work in a dark room. However, my suggestion is to start with slide film and process at a pro lab because then you can rule out your lab work when examining the first results. Later on you can experiment with processing color reversal film (E-6) or negative film (C-41) or doing black and white work. For building your own dark room please consult http://www.apug.org

     

     

    If you want to buy yourself some cheap motion picture camera you'd better stay off super16 at this point. Mainly because they aren't exactly cheap even though they are a lot cheaper than say five years ago.

     

    So which camera should you begin with? The question is, what features do you need. Is this a camera you want to shoot sync sound with? How long takes do you need to take with it?

     

    16mm film cameras usually take two different kinds of loads: 100 feet and 400 feet. 100 feet of film is about 2½ minutes @ 24 fps. Low end cameras usually only accept 100 ft loads. Professional cameras usually have the ability to load magazines of 400 ft.

     

    Regarding the sync sound, many 16mm film cameras are rather loud. In addition to that, if a camera doesn't have crystal sync motor, the speed will vary a little and might change after a while so that the picture isn't in sync with the recorded sound. Amateur cameras rarely have this feature, professional cameras usually do.

     

    There are also amateur cameras which to do not have reflex viewfinder. I'd suggest you don't buy one of these even though they are cheap.

     

    So which camera should you buy? Which features do you need. Here's a little list, from the cheaper end towards the more expensive professional end:

     

    Cameras with reflex viewfinder and 100 ft loads, no motor (unless later installed):

    Krasnogorsk-3

    Bolex H16 REX-3, REX-4 (some suggest not buying older REX versions because they have so dim viewfinder)

     

    Cameras with reflex viewfinder and option of 400 ft loads

    Bolex H16 REX-5, SBM (400 ft loads with an external motor)

    Bolex H16 EBM

    Arriflex 16S, ST

     

    Cameras with reflex viewfinder and option of 400 ft loads and crystal sync (blimped for more silent operation)

    Arriflex 16BL

    Auricons

    Eclair NPR

    Eclair ACL (400ft with better motor, 200ft with the first version)

    Arriflex SR, 2

    Aaton LTR

     

    Cameras with super16

    Arriflex SR3

    Aaton XTR

    Arriflex 416

     

     

    Black and white or color? If color, buy Vision3 negative film (available in both 100 and 400 ft lengths). There are daylight and tungsten balanced films available. The faster the stock usually more grainy it is. So if you have lots of light and shoot outside, use 50D. If you shoot inside with little light, use 500T.

     

    Or, if black and white is your thing, you can shoot either neg or reversal. Kodak and ORWO both supply these films.

     

     

    To question number one, yes. To the second question, depends on the camera. According to some people Krasnogorsk-3 can be quite easily modified to Super16. (Just for the record: there is regular 4:3 16mm, then there is super16 (1.66) and then there is ultra16 which is set somewhere between those two (it is usually easier to modify to this format than to super16 which is the professional format).

     

    Or you could also just crop the 16:9 from the 4:3 when doing telecine.

     

     

    Yes. Buy some spot meter, it'll make things easier for you.

     

     

    Unless you wish to use your time building equipment instead of shooting, I'd suggest you to just buy the telecine service from some company. The end result will be much better and the cost won't be too bad. There are many post production companies in the US who offer discounts to students for telecine and might make quite good offers. I have only experience of Cinelicious (I live in Finland, Europe) but there are also others such as Cinelab and Alphacine and many others I just don't know about.

     

     

    Depends. What kind of mood do you want to have?

     

     

    Use fast film and have some lights at your disposal (And if you don't have the latter, get creative and shoot with a lower frame rate and have your actors move half the speed.)

     

     

    Hopefully these help a bit! :)

     

    Thanks so much for your response Heikki, it is deeply appreciated and what I was looking for.

     

    I will definitely be purchasing an Olympus OM-1 (just OM-1 right, not OM-1n?) soon (want to get started as soon as possible), and will study film photography via books and the web (your links included). I'll try out the film you recommended as well. As for the spotting meter, I'm still unsure what kind (digital or older ones?) to get. I'll get the film developed through a lab, as I don't think I want to go through all the extra work to develop it myself (until my class).

     

    As for the 16mm, I've been looking at some footage of each and seeing the different looks and techniques you can achieve with them. I won't be purchasing one for awhile (until I feel like I'm ready to). It seems you can achieve some beautiful things with all of them, and I guess it really comes down to the film stock and how you expose it, etc. As for sound, I'm thinking I would record sound externally. However could this lead to sync problems? If I were forced to buy a 16mm now, it may be the K-3 (with the easy modifications and affordable price), but the sync issue could be a problem. If someone handed me $2000, I would probably get the Arriflex 16BL (loved how Following looked) or the SR3. 400ft would be a plus for me.

     

    I do love black and white, but it truly depends on the story if its appropriate to use or not. Once I get a 16mm, I'll definitely try out both color and BW stocks. As for the telecine, I'll definitely have it done at a lab due to what you've said.

     

    As for the indoor scenes it depends on the story for the mood. It won't be for awhile until I have a 16mm, and I don't know which story idea I'll use for when the time comes, but I'll probably know what mood and lighting I want then.

     

    Now when you say "use fast film", will it have that 20's silent look? And what effect does it have on night shots, less grain?

     

    You're answers have definitely helped me, and like I said, I deeply appreciate them. Thanks so much Heikki for taking time to answer my newbie questions!

    ___________________________________________________________________

     

    Will,

     

    Thanks so much for your response as well, it is deeply appreciated too!

     

    Thanks for the welcome, and I'm extremely excited to get started! I did check out the Scoopics, and have considered that and the K-3. I also looked at the different Arri's as well, and deeply crave them. But unfortunately, they're a little out of my budget for now (we'll see when I'm ready to start). I do add that their service for repairs and such is a very attractive quality.

     

    That processing company looks great, I'll give the ones Heikki mentioned a good look as well and compare them together.

     

    Thanks again Will for answering my newbie questions as well! Both of you are great!

  16. Alright, where to start...

    I'm a young aspiring filmmaker whose had a passion for making films ever since I was 6. Self-taught, I've made films all on the digital format, and recently, I've been shooting short films on the Canon Rebel T2i. I'm all for manual control, and I'm a pretty big hater of auto focus. Being that most of the filmmakers that inspire me shoot on film, and that it's (sadly enough) slowly dying, I've decided I want to move from digital to film.

    Now I understand that a great place to begin is with film photography. I've signed up for a photography class (showing you how to shoot and develop film) for my Junior year, and I've also been reading through the web and these forums to understand the film process.

    My first set of questions are: What still film camera should I begin with? What type of film should I use? Anyway to make a cheap DIY dark room setup?

    After some practice with that, I wish to begin filming short films (after some more tests of course) on a motion picture film camera. I have in mind using a Super 16mm camera, however that may not be the right choice depending on your responses.

    So here is my big set of questions for you guys:

    Which Super 16mm (if I should even use a Super 16mm) should I shoot with?

    Which film stock should I shoot on?

    What are the differences between types of film stock?

    I understand that there's the 'Ultra' modification to convert 4:3 to 16:9, is there any other way to do this
    (2x anamorphic lenses)? Or could the gate be easily modified on my own?


    Should I use light meters? If so, which ones do you recommend?

    What's the best and affordable way of a HD DIY telecine?

    I understand you can send in your film to get it processed and telecined, but which one is the most reliable and affordable?

    How to properly light an indoor scene?

    How to shoot at night (EXT and INT)?

    Recommended books or websites?

    __________________________________________________________________________________


    As for my tastes and interests (as it could help you answer my questions more specifically):

    I love Hitchcock, Welles, Nolan, and Kubrick. Film noir has always intrigued me, and I love the look of it. I guess you can say I love low-light photography and cinematography.

    A modern DP that I dearly love is Wally Pfister, and I understand he shoots on film. If I asked him these questions, what would he say?

    I also understand Chris Nolan shot Following with an Arriflex BL 16mm (don't know which model).


    I love the community here, and I hope you guys can understand my switch to film as I think its the true magic of cinema. Thanks ahead of time for checking this post out and taking the time to respond to newbies like myself. I hope to deliver my style and form of storytelling with film. Thanks so much guys!


    *do note that I own a Bell and Howell MS 30 Super 8mm (no stock)*




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