Jay Young

Ok, Konvas or Mitchell? I know, that's like two different worlds. The Konvas is cheaper, and that should sell me on it, but... First, how can you tell if a Mitchell camera is 65mm or 35mm? I have seen several for sale on the internet, but I could never tell which was what. I would like to shoot anamorphic. Well actually, I would like to shoot 2-perf, but with the cost of lenses vs. conversion, it seems the same (and I like anamorphic flares). The Konvas' are cheap, have cheap glass, and it seems like more and more of these things keep coming out of mother Russia. If you were going to buy one camera, never do any hand held shots, always have the camera on some sort of mount (dolly, tripod head, whatever), and wanted to only shoot "scope" AR, which would use choose. Thanks.

Ok, so Bolexes are selling for about $600, but they are listing for $5000!! Beaulieu's are overpriced more so than ever; $950. I just about choked on my cereal. R10's are listing for $500 or more, and let's not forget the almighty Canon 1014 at $485. Is there any other place that has decent equipment for sale from other people that are not crazy? Am I wrong to question the prices of Ebay? I need some other camera equipment for several projects I am involved with. I want to purchace it, but I am NOT going to pay 5k for a flippin Bolex. On the other end, there is a Mitchell BNCR complete with Worrall gear head for $7000. I MIGHT consider paying that for such a setup, but, I don't really know for sure, what that camera is worth. Any thoughts?

No one knows who made that Hansel und Grethel film? I don't know if it's foreign or not. I really want to see it tho...

I semi enjoyed this film. As a sort of fan of the HP line, I must say what distracted me the most was the score. As a Music Theory Major, I have studied John Willaims' scores and writing styles for some time. Whoever this Hooper character is, failed at life. The scenes which needed a vast musical cue were almost dead, and the scenes that didn't need anything at all had some almost romantic forte. I liked ONE cue, which appears during the dinner party scene. It was quaint, just like the scene, and helped move the dialogue along. With the establishment of the Leitmotif's of the Williams score; how DARE this Hooper character to break from the convention. Even the middle films which Williams did not score use the same idée fixe throughout the score. Harry Potter has a huge story arc, complete with recurring themes and motives. Even if one wants to write "signature" pieces to stick in the middle of a story; if 7 films use the same actors throughout, it should use the established musical themes as well. Take a hit from Opera... Visually, I found the almost classic cinematography refreshing, and I always could see what was going on, unlike most modern action movies. I agree with the above posters in that the digital window transitions were not needed, and I LOVE the establishing and wide-almost scope shots and how they give this Potter film more of a cinematic feel. I'll watch it again next week.

I thought it was the Russian N at the beginning, but then I figured it out... Here is a page about the camera: http://www.zenitcamera.com/mans/quarz-2x8s...rz-2x8s-1m.html (russian) http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?d...TrUrl=Translate (quick web translate into english so my brain doesn't have to hurt this morning). Seems like Kvarts also made a 1x8 camera, but that must have been at least 15 years after the 2x8 you have. Or someone in Russia with lots of pens in his top pocket didn't get to copy a Nizo until very much after the fact. I hope that helps.

No one answered my question about the Beaulieu, but the same question goes for the H16. Why on earth are there Bolex's that are $4500? Thats insane. The prices all go from $1000 - $5000. Stupid people if you ask me. I have seen nice 35mm Arri's for less than that. Now granted, there are still some reasonable auctions on the Ebay for the H16, AND the 4008 for that matter, but why anyone would pay that much is beyond me. If I was going to buy either of those cameras, I would not pay more than $500 for either. Maybe I'm wrong, but thats just me.

On a tangent, Why have Beaulieu prices exploded? It seems that about 6 months ago they were in the sub $500 range, but now they are all $7-800.

The above footage is the BEST Super8 footage I have EVER seen, EVER! That excites me greatly. The part with the water streaming down the woman's face. I didn't know skin tones like that were possible on Super8. This is truly some amazing stuff.

That is my feeling exactly! The films I see all have the same immature cinematography. (and zombies...always zombies...) I really want to shoot either 16 or 2-perf 35mm, and at the moment, I don't know that Super-8 would be any cheaper. I guess I will have to look into good film stock, and see just how good I can make Super-8. And I promise; NO hand held! I was planning on buying a Russian 35mm camera, and finding either a 2-perf conversion, or shooting anamorphic (which ever was cheaper). The favorite camera currently, of mine, is the Beaulieu 4008 ZM2. Is there a superior camera that will allow me to use either anamorphics or some very good glass? To start out, I would like to spend less than $2000 on camera, glass and all. Just to see if I can do what I want to do. I'm so warn out from work, I can't think straight... I'll post more later.

So I have looked at a lot of footage regarding Super8. What I see is a lot of handheld shaky camera work. Can someone point me towards something that has some classic cinematography? Tripod, dolly, track. You know, standard stuff. I know it has to be possible... has anyone done it, or am I the only one left that actually appreciates static shots?

Most of the 'scope lenses that are DIY use Prisims and such. Just search for DIY Anamorphic and you will find plenty of plans and info for this.

So, I have been looking at several trailers of up and coming filmmakers, and some of the new HD stuff that is in the theatres. OK, I rather dislike video in any format. The 24p stuff that my HV20 gives is a smidgen better than just ok, but my K-3 looks amazing (provided the telecine was good). Public Enemies - I am very much distracted by the intermixing of the HD footage (no matter how expensive the camera), and the film. I was at the local electronics store and saw a Blue-Ray version of Pirates 3. They had the TV sampling rate on super-ultra-awesome cool wow, and I thought it looked like the evening news from '89. So I don't like the look of "crisp" Blue-Ray. I fully understand not having any money to produce the stories in your mind on the medium of your choice; you have to go with what you have. Some people only have a Sony Hi8 camcorder and can only shoot SD. That's find, and I will NEVER understand why people in this situation spend so much time and money on trying to emulate the "film" look. So, any thoughts on why I can't stand the 30i look? Any thoughts on your favorite look?

House of Flying Daggers is one of my favorite Mandarin films. I love the green. I also love the red, and most of the other colors in the film. I own all three movies in what I call this trilogy: Crouching Tiger, Hero and House of Flying Daggers. They are all beautifully shot, BUT I have to say that House of Flying Daggers is my favorite of the three. On a total tangent, can someone find me some information on this film? According to the website, its a take on Hansel and Grethel. Anyone know this film? The below shot I thought was both beautiful and emotionally full.

That's seriously yummy... I LOVE scope.

So I was watching a "making of" thing, just passing some time, and I got to thinking about some of these telecine/digital post houses wanting a timecode or something similar on the footage. Does the video assist have a "safe" area for whatever aspect ratio the picture is being shot built in? Perhaps I don't understand how video assist works. Would I just "zoom in" my footage in my NLE if the timecode was burned into the footage? Do modern cinema cameras put the timecode in the footage's overscan area and then the transfer/digitizing house pulls out the correct aspect ratio for the DI or work/answer print? Sorry if that makes no sense at all...

Now that absolutely makes sense. As a "computer guy", I understand Premiere, and learned it fairly quickly. I guess if I had been exposed to tape/flatbed editing earlier, then AVID would make sense. I guess I'll stick with Premiere.

First, please know that this is not a "which one is best" question. Also, I have read most of the posts and they usually turn into a "you need this computer" thread. I use Premiere Pro CS3. I like Premiere, and I can use it quickly and efficiently. Currently, it is the best for me. I have tried to use AVID, and I really can't make heads or tails out of it, even with reading the user guide. I find it unfriendly, and weird. Now, this may be due to the fact that I never cut film. I have read film cutting guides and know what all the "standard" marks sorta look like, but even this didn't help with AVID. So, that said, my question is: What is the most used professional NLE. What do the "big dogs" use, when not using actual film (not that everyone does that). If AVID is the de-facto, "walk into any edit office and that's what I'll see" software, then I will learn it. If its not, and it's just "really good" because it's just "really good", then I will most likely stick with Premiere. My thought on this is that the film I shoot, when scanned and dumped to HDD, I will edit myself, cause usually its cheaper that way. My computer now handles HD video well, so I assume it will handle a 1 light. Any thoughts? Also, if someone can point me in the right direction to where I can learn about rendering output consistently, that would be awesome. I have issues when creating DVD's from HD footage, cropped to 2.40:1... it's always not the right size (letterbox style) or it's interlaced...

Well, I never thought I would get so many responses. I love this board! So I'm in the slap middle of kentucky, and the nearest "major" rental house is who knows where... there is one 2 hours north of me in Louisville, but they have recently junked all there film for digital because people in the city want "harder, faster, more, now..." IMHO. I have been looking into a Bolex 16mm for some time, but I would like one with the 400' option, and those don't seem to come around all that often. I don't mind to crop my image for the scope aspect I want to work with. For all those people that say rent, I'm not sure if you are aware or not but there's like a depression on. Cost is a real issue for me in my current situation. My project is in the "now we just need money" phase for me, and I don't have a lot. So renting a camera would be fine, but I need the flexibility of owning a camera. I would rather put the rental money into owning a camera I can use whenever I please. However, at this point, renting may be the cheaper option (I don't know about the long run), and I suppose I will have to wait and see... Only time will tell. That $5400 Arri looks amazing!

So, I am working on a project. This is a long term project because it is MY project. There are a few "musts", but other than those, anything goes. The musts as far a medium goes are: 'scope aspect, real film, and so, my question is... do cameras really cost that much? I would like to own a camera. It doesn't have to be fancy, or even top of the line. MOS is fine, but sync would ultimately better. Looking on the Ebay, I see an Arriflex 435 with IVS and 4-400' magazines + RCU... for 97 thousand dollars. I don't know about you, but I aint spending $100,000 on a camera. $1000 maybe, but not $100,000. What about the Russians you say? Well, there arent many Konvas' for under a grand on the bay, they can be found. I guess the majority that are over $3000 can be attributed to people being crazy and smoking something other than tobacco... I know not. The same thing I find in the smaller gauges. Tho, in the 8mm field, camera prices are a bit more stable. So, what is one to do? Rent? For the same rent cost of a 35mm package, I can purchase a fine 8mm or perhaps even a 16mm camera. Any thoughts? Should I look elsewhere?

Hmm, now that you mention it, I agree, it would be better all black. I may have to re-work my scene... So what about a green screen composite deal? I think my options so far are: Film in a black out cyc with just the talent lit, do it in post.... Wait I just had an idea... What if the entire room, walls and all were not a cyc but frosted glass/opaque plastic ground glass type stuff. Then, the room could be mostly white, and I could just project an image on the outside of the wall. The camera couldn't see through the frost, which would allow dollying, and the image could be seen. That does take away the floating 2D panel idea... but, whatever works. Thoughts?

Wow, first, thanks for replying David... Your saying it would be better to have a large sheet of glass or projection screen, rather than one cut to size? I'll have to review "The Black Hole" as I haven't seen it is a long while. The dolly move is why I wanted to suspend the glass. I guess I could change the dolly path or something. Is it that I would project the image on a mirror (off camera) and then to a piece of glass? I guess I should say that I want to film the whole scene in a White Cyc. Does that make a difference?

So I need a floating display. As I have thought about this effect for some time, and how to pull it off. I have so far come up with some sort of glass or plasticized screen hung, suspended like. Then, using a projector I could make the display show whatever I wanted. Now sure, I could do it in After Effects or whatever, but I really don't want to if I don't have to. The display is going to be about 2 or 3 feet away and above the talent, so they can look at the display, but there will be no interaction. I want to rotate/dolly the camera around the display to show the rear side, and the display would be reversed (of course), which is why I would like to do it 'for real' rather than digitally. That, and I rather dislike digital... but, if that's the only way, so be it. The other thing I am worried about is spillage over the physical screen. I have done some tests and digital projectors (like the kind in most offices) are bright and can throw a good distance, but most of the time there is an overshoot that shows on the wall. Hopefully with testing I can get it right, and just tight enough to not show on the wall, as it's rather bright. So? Any thoughts?

I was just talking about those remotes the other day! Had 4 buttons on mine and as I recall I had to ware a lead suit before I pushed on of those buttons... Sorry for hijacking the post, and I might have made up that last part... "Lets change the channel!" ...ka-CHUNK!... haha

I have to say the acting in this film is amazing. I can't quite tell where the digi and the film differ here. Although on the close up's it seems the light on the skin tones look more digital than film. Of course, I could be wrong. Excellent!!!!

I can't believe no one mentioned anything about the sampling and refresh rate of the TV. I went to a store recently, and saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2. It looked like what the OP said, like it was made with an old VHS camcorder from the 80's. The genius sales rep said something about not having a 120Hz cable... and I just said "your dumb" and walked away at that point. I then went to another store, where a seemingly knowledgeable sales rep explained that most TV's have some enhancement setting. This setting basically changes the sampling rate from 60Hz to 120Hz... or something like that. Anyhow, while the effect was turned off, the Blue-ray movie (Final Fantasy Advent Children) looked like something I would expect to see in a theatre. When he turned the effect on, the image on the screen immediately looked like 80's VHS 60i SD video. He told me that it was because of the sampling rate of the TV had changed from something close to 24p to something like 60i. I still don't understand all this new jazz about HD 1080i 24p hip-hop, but I guess its cool. All I know is that I don't like my TV's to think for me. Just give me a monitor that "turns on" and all the rest of the controls are manual. (yeah right). Hope that helps.