Nicholas Grillo

Yeah, the Vimeo upload is quite a bit better (no random digital noise). Makes me wonder if I should've used different settings for YT? Not sure. Thank you very much for the compliments! Hoping for a festival premiere by the summer.

Thank you! I preferred the 7222 over the reversal for its high-contrast and graininess. I love the extra grit it gave the film.

Thank you! I really doubt I'll ever go back to digital (which I used for my shorts). Celluloid is too beautiful (and, in the end, it's not as expensive as a lot of people think).

It's interesting that you compared it to "Stranger Than Paradise." It was one of my biggest influences (I even used the STP soundtrack in the rough cut; it gave my composer an idea of what I wanted; only the first track in the trailer is used in the actual film).

Just completed post on my first feature, "The Eastsider" (www.theeastsidermovie.com), a comedy/drama set in suburban Detroit. Shot it on Kodak 7222 with the Arri SR3, an amazing camera. Nothing will ever beat the look of celluloid. Here is the trailer (contains coarse language): I'm putting this thread in the "in production" section, since I don't even have a festival premiere date yet (not sure if this thread belongs elsewhere).

Selling 400' cores of Kodak B&W Negative 7222 and Tri-X Reversal 7266. I have them up on eBay for $99.95/each shipped (FedEx), although I'd be willing to work a better deal if someone wants to buy all of them. They sell for $118.10/each (plus tax and shipping) through Kodak. 7266: http://www.ebay.com/itm/311305192632?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649 7222: http://www.ebay.com/itm/311305187742?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649 This is fresh stock. I just completed my first feature, and these are the unopened leftovers from the shoot. They've been refridgerated since I receieved them a few weeks ago.

Yeah, that's good to hear. It's all domestic US shipping (the 27 rolls came in via FedEx ground, these 13 rolls are being shipped overnight air via Fedex). Trust me, quitting (switching formats) was never an option. I decided the shooting format before I started writing the script (Detroit's gloomy winter belongs on grainy B&W 16mm film)! I shot a test roll of 7222 with my SR3 and loved every second of it.

Okay, I finally got it resolved, I hope. I spoke to a person named Steve, and he is overnighting the shipment of 7222, and arranging a pick-up for the 7266. No charges to my card. That's what I want to hear. That's what a company is supposed to do, no matter how big or small (ironically enough, I just had a customer complain on eBay: I sold a $15 CD, and part of one song skipped. He wanted a $5 refund, so I sent it over to him. Keep the customers happy. And I'm just some random guy on eBay, not a multi-billion dollar company). I also asked about the x-raying, and he is contacting the warehouse (about not placing the stickers on the packages). I asked if there was any possibility of damages to the film, and he said, "no." I recorded both of my calls with them today. Thanks for the input, everybody. Looking forward to posting about the actual film (my DP loves celluloid, and is quite accomplished, so I know it will look fantastic).

I just spoke with them again, and they said that they'd call back "within the hour." They gave me two choices: return the film and they'll ship out the 7222 when they recieve it. Or, they'll ship out the 7222 now and charge my card again, then return the money upon reciept of my returned 7266. I inquired about the boxes not having stickers, and the woman over the phone said, "Oh...really?" As if she knew it could be a potential problem. She replied, "I'll have to check with the warehouse about that." Insanity. I mean, I'm a little less worried about x-rays based on the responses here, and my DP's own words. Still, though, the people over the phone seem like they'd be better suited for a job at McDonald's. It's pretty sickening.

Sure, here's a copy of my original invoice (I received their 30% student discount, which explains the lower price): http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t488/nicholasgrillo1989/kodak_zps51391c45.jpg I'm definitely not accusing them of intential fraud, but I am accusing them of blatant incompetence. Originally, they charged my card about five times for all sorts of different amounts, and denied any wrongdoing, even after seeing my order on their screen and the list of charges. And they made it sound like I was the one making the mistake. However, they did rectify the situation (although, like I said, it took 3 days of non-stop calling, and I had to get my bank involved). And after all that, they sent me the wrong stock, and aren't in any rush to figure the problem out. I've been told that my student status might be on the reasons why they're not "prioritizing" my order, but that seems a bit strange, considering they regularly give student discounts (and have done so for decades). And it's still no excuse for their behavior. Thanks for making me feel a bit better about my x-ray concerns.

As for settling for the unwanted stock, I figured they'd want me to ship the 7266 stock back before they ship out the 7222. And I fear that they would say they never recieved my return, or something utterly insane. Who knows. I mean, people are legitimately flabbergasted when I tell them about this whole ordeal. And as the shooting date draws closer, I'm slowly losing my mind. I'm going to have to make some demands tomorrow, I guess. I've tried my hardest to be patient and cordial over the phone with them. As for the x-raying, thanks for the clarification. I guess I'm just petrified because of the costs associated with this project. I'd be tempted to jump off a bridge if Fotokem calls me next month, saying that my film is fogged and destroyed. Apparently, some x-rays are stronger than others? I've visted tons of other forums (although most of the posts are from 5-15 years ago, mind you), and most people claim that x-rays used by US shipping couriers are far less harmful than those used by airport security. It's a shame that there's hardly any labs left in the country. I'm from Detroit, so it'd be pretty difficult for me to drive to Fotokem in LA, to say the least.

I've never dealt with such an incompetent company in my entire life. A few weeks ago, I ordered 40 rolls of B&W negative 7222. The total came to $3540. The next day, I realized Kodak charged $8000 to my card. At first, they insisted that all of the charges were correct. It took several hours on the phone for them to understand their own mistake. Then, it took an additional 2 days of calling their credit department for them to actually reinburse me for their incorrect charges. In the end, they canceled part of my order (13 rolls), so I had to re-order it. What happened next? They sent me 13 rolls of 7266 Tri-X reversal film. I recieved them yesterday evening. I called them up today, and they said that my order was indeed for 13 rolls of 7222, not 7266. I told them that my production is just two weeks away from shooting, but they're waiting to hear back from the plant that shipped them out. Everybody is shocked by how they've been handling my order, especially since I made it clear that this will be my first project on film (they should WANT my business, not treat me like garbage). In addition, NONE of the boxes, which were shipped via FedEx Ground, had "Do Not X-Ray" stickers on them. My DP said that I shouldn't have much to worry about, and I forgot to ask Kodak about this (after dealing with all of their other screw-ups, it slipped my mind). Anybody care to chime in? I've heard Fed-Ex never x-rays their ground shipments, and that a company like Kodak should have some kind of agreement with them. Anyway, I feel as if I need to start preparing to work with what I have, which is basically a perfect balance of the two stocks (I could use the 27 rolls of 7222 for interiors, and the 13 rolls of 7266 for exteriors, in order to keep some form of consistency). Is the difference going to be distracting? Has anybody tried to mix these two stocks for a single project? This is my first feature, and I'm spending over $20,000 (out of pocket) on this film. The last thing I want is for it to be ruined by something so ridiculous.