Jon O'Brien

Only film is film. The only way film will survive the next 30 years is for filmmakers to say this, again and again. Only film is film. The rest is video.

Could you elaborate on this? The resolve sharpening tool is great. What specifically is so recognizable about it? This is youtube, remember. Can you post another youtube Super 8 video that avoids the resolve sharpening tool look that you find slightly objectionable? Truly, I would be interested to know exactly what you mean. Like I said above, people sometimes mention this sharpening but I like the look. So, what look do you prefer Tyler? Could you let me know also what the other tools are, that are expensive. Thanks. Always keen to learn from others.

Yes if you want the Super 8 home movie look, film handheld. I try to get out of Super 8 the opposite of the home movie look, so I put the camera on a fluid head tripod, and stabilise the footage, and whatever else on Davinci to make it look the way I want. I do intend to do tests with a gimbal and a lightweight film camera soon. You can use a mobile phone as a monitor, taped into place at the eyecup. I made so many home movies when I was younger that I'm over that look. I'd do it if someone asked for it of course.

It doesn't matter if it's been sharpened, or stabilised. Super 8 needs all the help it can get when digitised, in my view. Do to it whatever you want, to get the online look you want. Someone on facebook said a little ad I made for a historical site on Super 8 had been sharpened. But I sharpened it like that deliberately, so that the final look on youtube was exactly as I wanted it. I like to see that grain.

Could be a sideline thing for Panavision -- repairing Arri film cameras for private owners. Since they seem to have the machine shop gear and expertise for it. Just an idea. Don't know if it would work or if they would even be remotely interested. Yes, I do know they are a rental-only business but no reason they couldn't branch out into other profitable work. Like I said, just an idea.

If an SR board popped its clogs, could it be replaced by an entirely new board, or would it be impractically expensive? I just ask out of curiosity. I'm kind of past caring about whether film will survive --- nice it if does, but I leave it there. Mind you, I'm asking about an SR, not an SR2, or 3, or 416, which presumably have more complex electronics, especially the 416. And I'd be happy if it just ran, at 24 fps, and didn't do anything else, but kept constant speed, mainly for exposure reasons, not even thinking of sync sound at this point. Surely these things are just mechanics that need a motor to run them. How complex can it be? But I'm no engineer. Just an arty type.

Thank you Aris. Great information!

I think that someone will figure out how to keep the old Arris going, you know, the SRs, 416s, Arricams ... It might only be a fixed 24 fps, with a motor that lasts 10 years and then needs replacing, but someone will offer this service eventually. There's a lot of interest, a lot of will, and a lot of very clever, technically-minded, young engineer types out there.

I really think it's not worth worrying about. I've observed in life that things of value somehow seem to keep going. A way forward is found. Individuals come and go but technical means of producing art continue ... that is, unless enough people don't care enough, and then the art form is truly gone. So you pick up an instrument, or learn to sing well .... or take up some other interest that floats your boat.

Beautiful little film. It's got emotion in it. I love the way film drinks up light like it loves it. I can't put it any other way. Film loves light. I guess technically you could say it loves highlights, but there's more to it than that. Really nicely shot, too. Love that zoom into the exhaust pipes. Nice touch. Could you tell me, what program did you use to do your end credits etc? They look fantastic. I'm wanting to do something similar for my films.

That sounds encouraging, Robert. Reading some of the other posts, to sum up it sounds like things are going back to the way they were in the 70s, 80s, etc, where there were basically the rental house cameras for the high end productions and there maybe weren't many owner operators of Arris etc. You got your start on Super 8 and video, got a job at a tv station or went to film school, and got experience with their 16mm gear, and went from there. I've got an SR in extremely good shape, with three good mags. It seems to have been hardly used. I do wonder if the internal circuit board will one day get too old. But so far it has had absolutely no problems. People are negative about SRs lately. I don't know if it's justified. Mine was modified by Denz and has a new front with PL mount, in S16. If it develops a problem, I will deal with it then but so far all is good. I've got a Bolex Rex 5 S16 as backup.

Anyone got any experience with Cedar Audio VoicEX 2 plug-in for noise reduction? I want to record dialogue while filming with an MOS film camera or at least an SR that is fairly quiet but not absolutely so. I don't want to pick up motor noise. It's either that or ADR. If not Cedar Audio, have you used something similar? If I can get out of having to make a blimp or a barney, or try to buy an old one, that would be great.

Well, you do have me thinking more about this. I'm in a music group that meets once a month. I could do a short film documentary on them. Most are recent immigrants and have interesting stories to tell of how they came to Australia, and what they're doing now. They all have a really great attitude, they are humble, selfless, and they want to contribute to the society and give people hope and love, bring people together not create division. There's a story right there.

Ah yes .... thank you Brian for that.

Last shot, or is it last two shots, of To Have and Have Not (Bogart, Bacall, B&W). Bacall smiling with that unforgettable smile with the slightly tilted down head, looking at Bogie, swinging her hips in that again unforgettable way to Hoagy Carmichael's playing, with Bogart breezing out of the hotel as easy as could be, and Walter Brennan jauntily hopping along, happy that they're escaping that Vichy controlled hell hole at long last. Last shot of Oklahoma, crane shot of them all driving off in their buggies and on horseback, big sky, epic shot, set to music of course.