Stephen Perera

I am a Kodak Xtol fan at 1+1 dilution - I always use distilled water when I develop my BW and C41 rolls.......saying this by sheer coincidence I'm getting RODINAL delivered....bought the original version one sold here in Europe by Foto R3 for example..... https://www.foto-r3.com/es/rodinal-500ml.html The oldest commercial developer still in production, Rodinal is famous for its contrast control and flexibility. Outstanding keeping qualities make this a great developer you can always rely on. Highly concentrated and offering unrivaled value at dilutions ranging from 1+25 to 1+100. Recommended dilution: 1+50 for general purpose work. Rodinal can be used for contrast control by varying the dilution, allowing you to use a single bottle to produce negatives to suit your requirements. The recommended 1+50 diluton produces crisp negatives of normal contrast with slightly more obvious grain than standard fine-grain developers. Lower dilutions (eg. 1+25) produce high contrast images; whereas at higher dilutions (eg. 1+75 or 1+100) Rodinal has a compensating effect and can be used to render high contrast scenes with normal contrast. The appearance of grain is also proportional to the dilution, so at 1+25 it is at its most obvious, and at 1+100 it is at its finest. (Note: if you are not experienced with this developer, we do not recommend using the 1+100 dilution unless you want low contrast results.) Extreme dilutions can be used for special purposes: 1+10 will develop ortho film, and 1+300 will produce pictorial results from document-type films. One of Rodinal's undoubted attributes is its incredible shelf life, with half-opened bottles reported to last over 40 years. The solution is light straw colored when first opened, and during the course of a year turns darker until eventually becoming deep purple-brown. Don't be fooled into throwing it out! Rodinal continues to perform perfectly regardless of the color of the solution, and is the ideal product to keep on your shelf if you often find your usual developer is exhausted.

I have really enjoyed this documentary...everything I have seen...didn't even know this 'world' existed.....didnt know the mindset of the people under the masks.....I am very much into social issues etc as can be seen from the stuff Im putting out there on my Vimeo

I'm obviously not (let me try an American analogy as a European) even in the country where the ballpark is that big league players Jarin Blaschke and David Mullen are playing in hahaha - and very generous they are with their time in here of course - but you just have to apply everything you know with shooting stills photography to moving images cos film is film.....Portra is similar to Vision3.....that kind of thing...don't change the mindset when thinking of exposure.....literally think of things as if you are shooting stills...it really is like that...I reiterate THE ZONE SYSTEM is the key to being calm.....E.g. of when I had to calm down.......I had to shoot the inside of a glassmaking furnace in my first ever film shoot.....my lens went to f22 max....they were going to open up the furnace door for a few seconds......its over 1000 degrees centigrade in there........I said open it up for me to metre it a sec.......it spot-metred at f64 average for the Vision3 500T I was shooting.....so I thought hang on, the Sekonic is trying to darken the scene (make it mid grey) by about 3 stops so if I open up from f64 to f45 to f32 to f22 I will be fine....so I said open it up and I shot at f22 with no ND filter......the result was great.....thank you Zone System!

I would focus on getting coloured light correctly as per the advice David gives.....spot meter a grey card......I would not worry about the blacks as that can be taken down in post.....500T sees into the dark superbly I second what Tyler says.....in my experience with it.....it's so so good.....Portra 800 on still photography is just as fantastic....

their BW is Eastman Double X...here's a Panavision article... https://www.panavision.com/richardson-creates-retro-look-twist-once-upon-time-inhollywood "The film stock was KODAK VISION3 5219, 5213 and EASTMAN DOUBLE-X Black-and White film 5222 with one small sequence on Super 8 EKTACHROME and part of another short scene on 16mm EKTACHROME. Colorist Yvan Lucas collaborated with Richardson on setting the look and supervised the 4K digital intermediate. FotoKem developed and printed the dailies. “We took our initial tests to Yvan and to FotoKem and searched for a richer, saturated look particularly in the skin tones. With the aid of production design, costume and make-up, we got closer and closer to what Quentin was asking. Certain lenses capture color in a more natural manner while others give a richness. It takes time to understand how each is performing and the skill of a talented grader to make the adjustments.” Richardson adds, “I am very pleased with how the film looks but more importantly how it supports the brilliance of what Quentin directed by meeting his initial requests for a rich tapestry of color. I hope audiences agree.”

thanks Jarin, yes I know the whole thing was surprising.....Im learning about Double X the more I shoot it.......its looking good on the stuff I'm doing about my father (the intention is a visual family heirloom). I spot metred for the clouds etc to get that looking good and let the people go......they wanted grimy, grungy and grainy.....thanks for the input, much appreciated!

Fun test...I scored a 0 - perfect score, on the x-rite test do i get a badge? hahah

Digital Truth is a great resource. Here are the developer options for Double X. Remember this film is put into canisters for photographers so there's loads of information out there to process this film. https://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php?Film=%Kodak+Double-X%&Developer=&mdc=Search&TempUnits=C&TimeUnits=D Here's a thread on Tri-X developed as a negative:

"soft development" - he means to 'pull' it a bit......i.e. less time in the developer......you will get a more usable negative to do what you want with it....its a way of getting more information all over the negative instead of baking in more contrast etc....

Recently shot for the 'Pro Choice' campaign for a forthcoming referendum on the abortion laws here in Gibraltar. Abortion is currently illegal. They contacted me to shoot some pieces to project on a large screen at a public rally and for social media. They wanted to feature some women talking about personal experiences. They loved the idea of shooting on 16mm film.....embracing the grain and shooting specifically on a cloudy, dark windy day. Come the day we headed to a spot by the sea. Links attached. It was certainly going to look different to the typical Youtube video style we see all day every day..... The point of this thread: I spot-metered to get detail in the background of the sea and clouds and was willing to let the faces go dark...I didn't want to shoot pretty, wanted to shoot flat.....the conditions were terrible....soooo windy....messed up the audio as u can hear......clipped the young girls parts.....but wow Double X threw up great detail on the faces......I'm very impressed....I would say it handles the dark better than it handles the highlights......obviously I know the sun came in and out and as the scene became equal exposure in the background as in the foreground the contrast levels rose and fell but I'm impressed with the stock. Great how on the long one when the story shifts to a more positive note the sun comes out and throws crazy flares and hexagonal shapes caused by the salt particles blown onto the lens from the sea....I was hand zooming in and out on the parfocal Cooke Varokinetal 9-50mm lens. Friends......shoot Double X.....great film stock! I'm getting quite a lot of stuff done on this stock these days.... then there is this one: and this one......after this one was shot...the young girls asked for their identity to be hidden and voices altered....but here's the original cut...password is: choice

Jarin Blaschke (oscar-nominated cinematographer of The Lighthouse who is in this forum and comes in on threads) recommends shooting on Tri-X over Double X in 16mm format. I shoot Double X cos my lab of choice, Cinelab London doesn't do Tri-X processing so I have no choice....if not I would follow his advice. Have a read in this thread where he tells me.... "Thanks for saying so! If you're shooting 16mm, I'd highly suggest Tri-X instead of Double X, which was sloppy and soft by comparison in 16mm. Rate it at 100, develop as a negative, and give it softer development . At "Normal", double-X seems to have a gigantic shoulder and does a poor job separating highlights from midtones, which your video reinforces. Better to develop less and then "print" with higher contrast. The shorter development time will straighten the characteristic curve. Or, again, just use Tri-X and develop as a negative."

how about this...the Redrock MicroTape Sonar Rangefinder.....as recommended to me by a very knowledgable agent at BH Photo in New York in the online Pro Video chat.... https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/835059-REG/Redrock_Micro_8_026_0001_MicroTape_Sonar_Rangefinder.html

...so I threw caution to the wind.....I figured I'd take the section apart carefully and see whats up.......I put the other magazine beside me as visual reference for when I put it back together......well.....it was perfect....no problem at all.....no debris inside at all.....no piece of film stuck.....nothing, all perfectly smooth....wheel running smoothly......so I put it all back carefully...even the seal was easy enough to put back properly......the most difficult part was the tiny screws holding them straight to be able to screw them back onas my screwdriver not magnetic....so I advise a magnetic one if anyone is going to do this..... .......so I run another dummy roll through it again......boom same problem.....then i realised something......with the door open on the feed side the problem never manifested itself......I was holding both doors open to see what the hell was happening........ .....I found out at last!!!!!! the PROBLEM WAS THE FILM CORE HOLDER (the top of it obviously which holds the exploding spring parts that push against the spool to hold it) WAS RUBBING AGAINST THE DOOR on the feed side......somehow.....so its a question of disassembling that part and making sure it runs well within the circular cut out......... Iv'e notice in both my magazines that the spool spins in a slightly imperfect circle.....is this normal......? its the same 'imperfection' on both......

I see quite a few Arri 435 ES on sale.....what am I missing?

honestly.......the scratch it's super annoying obviously but.......doesn't detract from a very strong, interesting story......loads of great steadicam stuff.....I think it's great.....

and what about Super 8 Tim asks......

Great to hear it from Film Ferrania themselves on this thread.....

Hey Uli, no mention of that but I'm sure they might even come in on this thread themselves if we're lucky....would be interesting.....they're going to release Ferrania P30 in 120 format for us medium format shooters.....will be great to see what it can produce BTW I'm not a spokesperson for them........I simply emailed them asking about the Ferrania P30 BW stills film characteristics and developers etc and asked if they will produce 16mm BW motion picture film.....and they were kind enough to give me a 'production' date indication

Ferrania directly.....they emailed me. I quote verbatim. I was talking to them about the 35mm ferrania P30 for stills..... Hi Stephen, Regarding developers, our P30 Best Practices will always be available at this link: https://www.filmferrania.it/p30 We have a new version with two more developers nearly finished. We will update the PDF at the link above in the next day or so. The look of P30 is really quite subjective, but in general a "perfect" image would have a very strong contrast with a long gradient in the darkest tones and a shorter but still smooth gradient in the highlights. Regarding 16mm, we have not forgotten! In fact, we hope to produce our first batch over the summer. cheers, The FILM Ferrania Team FILM Ferrania, s.r.l Viale Della Libertà 57, Cairo Montenotte (SV), Italy FILM Ferrania USA, Inc 234 5th Ave New York, NY 10001 Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Tumblr

Hi all, thought it would be important to highlight the fact Film Ferrania will be produced as 16mm film stock in/after summer 2020....let's leave the 'we shall see whether they do it for summer' comments aside and focus discussion on this new film stock becoming available to shoot as a BW negative this year in 16mm format......obviously I have never shot Ferrania but Im looking forward to it.....

It all seems an editing mess at the moment but the 3 cans I have in the fridge will hopefully piece it all together.....Anyway...it's all about promoting what I think is a beautiful stock....Eastman Double X this is not about me......hopefully you will go shoot it soon

Thanks for taking the time to post everyone.....here's a bit more from the first 400ft

The film TOO LATE did the extended steadicam one shot thing with film cameras back on 2015....they would rest the camera in mid scene and with operator

if its of any interest to anyone Frame24 in UK offers great prices deals process paid....nice people too, they email you back informatively and fast........as do ANDEC Filmtechnik in Berlin, again they seem dedicated and great.....in Spain I buy from Alejandro Paino - a Kodak reseller.....he's become a personal contact and I simple WhatsApp him to order.

500T is an amazing stock.....so beautiful......it has great dynamic range......the grain is beautiful on it.....somehow you pump up the saturation n log scan dpx files and skin tones still look great......personal opinion