Brian Drysdale

Any tripod that can handle a Betacam will be suitable for the Arri 16BL. At the money you've got available a good used one would be the best option. One of the older tripods that are "too heavy" would be a good buy, they're usually well engineered and can last a life time if well maintained.

Interesting about the DTS. Agree about the 16mm projection being a side track in this thread.

The projector is the key, but how often do you get high quality 16mm projection with a great lens? I've been at a number of film festivals where you can see the drop in quality straight away (even on a smaller picture) compared to the blow ups. However, the biggest problem with projecting 16mm is the quality of the optical sound.

A 16mm print projected onto a 30ft screen doesn't look good. A Super 16 print blown up to 35mm looks good when projected 30 ft wide. Assuming equal quality at the lab a standard 16mm blow up won't be quite so good. However, a film shot on 35mm will look much better.

I've shot 35mm, with transfers in London and Dublin.

A new Redhead kit usually comes with two densities of full scrims, plus the same in half scrims (covers half the lamp face). This is really only a set of scrims for one light head, check with the people who are supplying the lights what they have available and take all the different types and test them. Look at the online Matthews catalogue, they have a full range of scrims (lots of other stuff as well) and you can see the different types. Interesting how terms vary, because what is described by most people as scrims (and the people here) is described as wire diffusion by Matthews. They call nets scrims.

The Redhead is designed to run 800 watt 240V and if I recall 1000w 120v lamps (I believe there used to be a 30V bulb). If you want to change wattages get a range of different wattage lights, not bulbs. A good lighting kit will have a range of different wattage and types of lighting units. I suspect you'll run into difficulty sourcing smaller wattage bulbs that'll fit the Redheads and changing hot bulbs as you want to set your lighting levels doesn't bear thinking about. Changing bulbs when they blow is bad enough, it always slows things down. The power is more of an issue in the US, in the UK you can run 3 Redheads of a standard 13 Amp mains socket no bother, I've had 4 on occasions. You can move your lights back, but it's not always possible and moving the light out of a closer position will change your lighting effect. A common method is to put a larger light than you need then scrim or ND it down, then you won't need to change lights if it's not powerful enough. That's the American method. In Europe we just put the right lamp up in the first place (of course). ;-)

Both methods work, although not too many lighting kits here have scrims, you'd have to ask for them. Interesting to know if they're used more in the USA than in Europe. Gels have the advantage that they can be used on any light, although once you start getting a filter pack of diffusion and various gels they tend to overheat.

Usually I just use the ND gels. You can change them much quicker than the scrims, which I'd use as a first base then add the NDs. The problem with the ND is that they tend to fade and discolour. The Redhead kits usually has scrims, so best way is to have a play.

Look at the Paul Wheeler book "Digital Cinematography" it goes through the 790.

It sounds like you should go on a workshop where you can experiment with an instructor. You also need to understand waveform monitors and vectorscopes, it's more than a few web pages.

These lenses are going to be old. I expect you'll find the odd one coming up on e-bay, however you really want to see the lens before buying it. You could check second hand camera shops in places like New York and LA and let them know you're interested in one of these lenses. Some of these specialize in older 16mm cameras. You could put an ad in some web sites.

The current HD cameras basically seem to come down to either capturing data for grading in post or creating the "look" inside the production camera. Whichever method is used this thread reinforces the need to go through the entire workflow including a final 35mm print. There are variables at each stage, even running a graded internegative for projection prints through a telecine can involve a near complete re-grade for video. It's not always a single setting and letting it run.

At the moment it doesn't look as good as the real thing. These formats are tools to tell stories, you pick the one that gives you the best way to tell the story that your budget allows. It might be DV or it might 65mm film, this is part of the creative process.

If you're going a gritty drama you may not want clean. The BBC person's concern was that they'd lose that sense of a rough world. HD can look extremely clean; it's how to develop a new look for these dramas using the new format that he was concerned about. BBC drama has always had a different look to the 35mm American dramas. Also, grain is good for some subjects.

I suspect most of these are for use on old B & W non broadcast standard TV cameras or CCTV. With the Auricon you need a zoom lens with a built in viewfinder. The Auricon is a non reflex camera like the early CP16s. A commonly used lens is the 12mm to 120mm Angenieux, but there are other makes with a built viewfinder. The TV zoom lenses were intended to be used on B & W TV cameras, so wouldn't have the same standard of correction as the film camera lenses, which were used to shoot colour.

Economics are going to drive the conversion of the cinemas to digital projection. There are committees discussing the standards and these won't be as cheap as running 35mm film projectors (with the odd sound upgrade). If people are paying they'll want a standard a lot higher that they can experience in their own homes. Good enough is the wow factor at any given time. The saving comes in not having to transport the film prints. The issue is what the image looks like on a 30ft or 40ft screen. 16mm looks good projected onto a 10ft screen, not so hot on a 30ft wide screen. There is an aesthetic to this. Why do musicians still use valves in their guitar amps? Answer is gives a warmer sound. Film looks different to HD or video formats, so you use can use the different "looks" as required. I had a conversation with a manager in BBC drama who said they were concerned about the cleaner look that HD gives compared to Super16. In PAL you can tell the difference between 4.1.1 and 4.2.2, the colours tend to be more blocky with the former and not as smooth. When you shoot the master material, you use the best quality format that you can afford (it'll degrade as you go down the distribution chain) and gives the overall aesthetic look you want. I know people who sometimes shoot on Super 8; they also have cut it into 35mm because that's the way they want to tell their story. As regards the funding homeless etc., there are debates to be had on the question if governments should be spending so much on arms etc. Shooting film on 35mm as against HD is petty cash at these levels and doesn't raise the same moral issues. On a large Hollywod studio feature film the film stock is one of the cheaper items. Perhaps you ask why the stars get paid so much. The only way to see how HDV performs projected on 35mm is to shoot a test. You'll soon see where is works and where is falls apart. I suspect it may be like Super 16 in some aspects, better at closer shots and not so good at landscapes. The smaller number of CCD pixels in the HDV cameras are always going to limit their resolution compared to the high end HD cameras with better optics.

Sony camera manuals at http://www.sonybiz.net/ They're often found in the support sections for each camera. These are the PAL versions but you can find manuals at the US sites as well. Also at http://panasonic-broadcast.com/index.cfm? also at http://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo..._camcorders.asp

I haven't managed to find the DVW 970 manual yet, but you can get other Sony camera manuals at http://www.sonybiz.net/ They're often found in the support sections for each camera. These are the PAL versions but you can find manuals at the US sites as well.

Could be a faulty sensor. I've only had that warning come on in extremely wet conditions with condensation.

I've used the filmlike setting shooting at 25p and it was fine. Are you sure the menu wasn't accidently left on a progressive frame setting with the shutter off? I've noticed you have to check and recheck these things and sometimes you discover they're not as you believe they should be. I know one of my menu settings changed from the original on one shoot. The colours weren't that bright - more Agfa than Kodak or Fuji.

The 60 frames playback at normal speed (24, 25, 30 etc), so you get slow motion. You have less vertical resolution, but most people don't seem to notice this. It's been used in narrative films. However, you need to becareful with regards the subject's angle to the camera. It seems to work best if it's either moving across the frame or towards the camera.

You have to check faults by removing the possible causes one at a time. At the moment you need to know if the camera runs correctly when it's supplied with power from a battery that's known to be in a good charged condition. Another option is to take it to a good electronics workshop and let them check it with a 20V power supply. However, check that they connect it correctly, since I don't think the batteries are marked + & - on their cases (at least I can't remember if they are). It's possible the camera may have a couple of faults, but the red light remaining on is caused by a low battery. Another point is that to run quietly the CP16 needs regular servicing; they get noisy unless correctly lubricated.

You can shoot up 60 fps with the Varicam or for even faster frame rates there's the Cine Speedcam at up to 1000 fps HD. http://www.cine-speedcam.com/ You can get 60fps from the F900 by shooting 60i and then converting the fields into progressive frames in post.

Sounds like your batteries need re-celled. It's only to be expected if they've not been used for some time. There are companies that replace the cells inside camera batteries. Check out Whitehouse A.V. I've never seen a manual for a CP16R, learning these older cameras was always a word of mouth thing. The most you got was the threading diagram. The "Professional Cameraman's Handbook" has info on the CP16.