Jon O'Brien

I didn't know that Stuart. Thank you.

Does anyone know if you can get an optical director's viewfinder that has 2.20:1 aspect ratio? There was a model by Cavision that has 2.20 but it doesn't seem to be available anywhere at the moment. Alternative is of course an app but I'd also like to play around with an optical viewfinder.

That's sort of what I want to do. Combine artistic imagery with classical and classically-inspired music such as played by the Kronos Quartet.

I love it. Renews my hope I can do some arty little films soon on 35mm. All I can say is well done and please make more.

That's interesting Phil. Because when I see 70mm film projection, as good as that, I see flicker occasionally, a little bit of weave at times if I notice it, and just simply beautiful 'optical' photography and projection that is so much more magical than digital. But then that's what I see. It seems you don't see that. I see something that looks, to me, nothing like digital. Nothing like it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I use the word 'optical' in a non-scientific, vague sense. Because really I don't know how else to define in words something so beautiful as photography made and projected on film. I see the difference between film and digital. I see it. How else can I say it. It's not the idea of it that attracts me. It's literally the look I like. If people can't see that difference I don't know how to respond. I'm not trying to one up you. I'm trying to communicate an important truth.

My IIC has a seven pin socket on the camera motor, and the cable connects with this and has a 4 pin XLR connector at the other end. I will very soon be soldering a fuse case with 5A fuse into a length of electrical cable, with 4 pin XLR connector at one end and terminal connectors for the battery at the other. I will be using a standard 12V, 7.2 AH sealed battery. I'm advised that I must solder the positive wire coming off the battery to pin 4 of the XLR connector. Between the positive terminal and pin 4 goes the fuse. The negative wire off the battery goes to pin 1. Pins 2 and 3 are apparently ignored as they're not needed? Now, bear in mind, I've not done this before and have no idea if this is correct. It's what I've been told. This is a suggestion only and I'm not recommending that you or anyone do this. It's what I've been told to do and I'm going to solder it up and will report back to let you know if it works. My IIC is fitted with 2-perf gate and ground glass and they appear to be original Arri parts.

I'm not a pro cinematographer, but those fluid heads look like pretty recent ones. In earlier times they'd often have been geared heads possibly? So maybe a fairly recent photo? Yes looks like a 'standard' Panavision 35mm anamorphic set up.

Well, none of them look like Scope (1.2:1). It's difficult for me to see as it's in the shade but one of the gates looks a bit like 1.85:1 or thereabouts, which I find unusual. I presumed the usual practice when shooting 4 perf spherical was to shoot 'full' academy frame and crop to 1.85 either in the print making process or in the projector. Or maybe I'm just not seeing it well enough in the picture. Or is it a 2-perf gate (I'm referring to the bottom RH gate)? Doesn't seem quite to be 2.40:1. What do the labels say?

I beg your pardon, I mean Boris. I can't edit my original post for some reason.

I've got one too Bruno and am hoping the both of us can learn some good things from this thread. There are some brilliant technicians here who regularly advise. My question at the moment is can I get away without a fuse in the battery line from a Bescor 12V battery to the camera. There's basically two main gates that are generally found in a IIC, and both are 4 perf and off-centre slightly, due to the practice in the past of making room for an optical soundtrack about 2 mm wide to the side of the image. One is Academy, roughly 1.33, and the other is Scope, approximately 1.2, so nearly square in shape.

And final 'aerial' battle sequence was first class and an incredible technical feat for the day, and any day.

I agree, Ewoks ruined the last one of those three, just a bit. And even the opening sequence on Tatooine drags in a few places. Lightsaber jump with Luke on the flying skiff thing was cool though, worth the wait, and final duel with old Dad with the Emperor cackling away. The Emperor definitely didn't disappoint. So on the whole Jedi was very good in my opinion, if you go with the Luke, Vader and Palpatine bits. Even the little father, son chat on the walkway was brilliant.

"The Rebel's hidden fortune ..." he was going to say, before being cut off. I've just found out that that's a football team, based out of Manchester, UK. Could be a major shareholder I'd say.

I note that in the board room the pesky junior executive makes reference to missing data. What could have occurred? I'd say, at a glance, that what we're looking at is a meeting chaired by the boss of the film company deciding on what to do about this alarming situation, with an announcement to major shareholders looming. In fact, the guy in white is a major international shareholder representing a large internet firm. Vader, a film guy from way back, is fuming that they didn't film those night shots on film and store the original camera negative.

I didn't mean to offend you or any other technician, Dom. I believe you are an artist and a great technician. My comment was pointing out that a business will naturally tend to point a potential client more towards their major stock in trade. I will look forward to going to Panavision at some point and I'm sure they will be very helpful. I'm looking for people up my way who are interested specifically in film -- I'm very busy at the moment but looks like a project opportunity may be beckoning. I know of an award winning cinematographer up this way and producer on the Gold Coast who are interested. Who knows, could be a press release kind of affair. "And ... ACtion!! Film cameras whirr once more in Queensland"