Jon Kukla

Kodak 5207 - 250D Vision 3. Confirmed this morning to me by a very apologetic Russian representative who was offering to let me use their first rolls this week (due to a possible manufacturing defect with the batch of V2 we ordered). It is officially going to be introduced in April, apparently.

Ahem, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eidoloscope - the ratio goes back to the birth of cinema, although I'm certain that this is coincidence.

The first experimental models of what was to be called the "zoom" lens appeared in this period. These had a number of shortcomings, in particular that their maximum aperture was only about f11, which made them difficult to use for studio work, or even for exterior shooting under poor light. As well as that, their focus had to be adjusted at the same time as the focal length was changed with the "zoom" control. Although these experimental zoom lenses were not taken up for general film-making, there are a number of American films from 1926 onwards which contain one or two zoom shots, nearly all made at Paramount Studios, such as "The Grand Duchess and the Waiter". The exception is "After Midnight" (1926) made at MGM, but since the director, Monta Bell, had Paramount connections, the same lens may have been used. Most of these examples don't do anything special with the zoom effect, but in "It" (Clarence Badger, 1927), there is a striking zoom out from a sign on the top of a department store, followed by a tilt down and zoom in on the front entrance. Excerpted from Film Style and Technology: History and Analysis, 2nd edition, pp. 185-186 by Barry Salt.

I've started to hear some rumblings that, unfortunately, he may have died last night. If this is true, I have to say that I'm very upset to hear it - I had the good fortune to have hung out with him several times, and his autobiography is intelligent, wry, and hilarious. As for his films, where to begin? My roommate just recently acquired the entire set of BTF DVDs the BFI released. I shall definitely be checking these out soon to see his earlier work that I'm less familiar with...

Just wondering on this sorta thing, you'd need to tell the rental house and/or insurance company that you're using polyester ahead of time, no? Otherwise, the insurance claim could conceivably be rejected on the basis of negligent or reckless usage. Something worth thinking about... Personally, I'd use a crashcam-type camera, just to minimize the cost of potential damages. (Plus some of those cameras have less pins and claws to potentially damage.)

No, ArriCode - http://www.cinematography.net/Pages%20GB/ARRITC.HTM

The pitch adjustment is on the "dumb" side; however, it tends to get used less than on 35mm cameras largely bc the film isn't moving as fast, so the camera has less ability to make such a racket. There are other reasons of course, involving movement design, and sometimes it's loud anyway, hence the need for 16mm pitch adjustment. But I'd say it doesn't get used nearly as much as 35mm cameras need it.

If you can't get a supervised, I would at least argue hard for a best light (with your attached notes, of course).

It's still a bit early to actually see much work that's been shot on Vivid - it was only released earlier this year.

The only thing you'd need to calibrate it for would be if you were actually going to be using the ArriCode timecode system or (in the case of the older models) the in-finder light meter. But no, otherwise, there should be no operational difference between Kodak and Fuji.

4x4 for most spherical applications, 4x5.65 for PV-size, 4x6 for grads, and 6.6x6.6 for anything with a large front element. Personally, I'd go for 4x4, but that's because when I was in the UK, we mainly worked with either S16 or spherical 35mm, so it could handle most of those. What is most common in LA, I have no idea (yet - moving there later this year). Some matte boxes can handle both, like the LMB, where the 4x4 and 4x5.6 trays are the same size because the 4x4 trays have a narrower width inside the tray, but the "normal" MBs tend to be one or the other.

Being as we're this close to Camerimage, I would anticipate that there will be a demo (if not debut) by then (about a month from now). Just my idle speculation.

South London Filters have a set of filters called Blue-Greys, which I used on a shoot earlier this year. It's a more subtle blue that doesn't pop as much but supresses more of the warm tones, so you might want to look into those. As they specialize in filters, they also might have some good ideas for similar filters if that particular set doesn't do it for you. Storm Blue filters might also be close in tone.

I'm presuming these are also fully compatible with capping shutters?

:unsure: No offense, but that probably wasn't the best way to phrase it...