Andy Sparaco SOC

You might take take all of the money you would spend modifying a low cost camera and spend it on film and processing. As you become more proficient and spend more for Xfer the weakness of the camera and optics will become more apparent. Sounds from your post that you are in a "sweetspot" You are enjoying yourself getting results which you are happy with. Super 16 makes sense if you are in a money making part of the business. It is expected for professionals and optional for self finnanced practioners. Just buy double perf and you will be fine

THe PL mount is used on 65mm? 35mm/16mm (Cross Format) and Arriflex, Aaton and just about any other camera make (Cross Camera) And it is indeed a Positive Lock having no spring loaded components, Very Robust so you can hang long heavy zooms and telephotos with out the lens pulling down in the mount and slightly out of focus at the top of the frame. Some folks make the mistake of buying one PL mount convertor for Arri or Aaton , locking it on the camera and not changing the mounts on their lenses. This results in disappointment and sadness

Thanks for the suggestions! Anything not as tight as a supercarioid?

Can the accumulated wisdom of the forum give me some suggestions for a microphone to be used on a boom pole. Usually small to medium rooms with two people taking. Natural sound. The contemporary equiv of the Senn 814

There was a thread on this last week that got quite long. If the camera is apart and the case being machined for a PL, it is an opportune time to have the camera painted. I have been going with Arri grey because I have Arri cameras. But the camera painters can use any color and add flames if you would like. Your spending $$$ for the PL and conversion why not go full boat only adds a couple of hundred $$. I make a point of having nice tools properly arranged in matching cases, you set an attitude. It makes an impression when a nicely painted and accessorized camera is mounted. Not much for the touch feelie stuff I see it as just good biness. "Hey did you see Pete's new plumbing truck really nice layout" "Yep, he must be making some coin what is he doin we aren't?" or more to the point: "Well yes Mr Client, I acting as your Ad agency hired the Cinematographer and as you can see he and his crew have a first class act" If hot pink is your preference I'd say go for it and you might consider a matching outfit with your name on the pocket! :D

The 10~150 will not cover Super16 and was known more for it's "breathing qualites then sharpness". I sold off the 10~150 which came with my camera package. In ten years I had never used it. It can be done but a Zeiss/Cooke/Cannon or even the Fuji S16 lens would be a better choice. A modern Angie would also be a good choice. You might consider a Nikon Mount instead or Arri Bayo. THe PL mount is a great mount but not a necessity for shooting S16. The PL mounts greatest utility is that it is a "cross camera/cross format" mount. One set of optics on many cameras. Be sure to get your camera painted a cool color!

No one wants to reveal what they make because it fixes their position in the pecking order; so while wearing the Producers Hat I have seen costs for those pesky below line camera jockies to be: In the Indy feature market 2 to 3 K per week for a real but lo-budget production In the commercial market -TV Commercials Two to Three K per day with a three day week. But depending on the scale 500 to 750 a day or less or up to 10K a day. It truly is whatever the market will bare. Learn how to read upside down and beware of people with wheels under their desks

As much as possible and if the prospective client does not gasp "plus expenses and first class travel"

Your "film" is the perfect venue for HD

Try Clive Tobin http://www.tobincinemasystems.com/

You might look here: http://www.spectracine.com/product_2.html

There location is down the street from Arri in Munich The biggest advantage of using Cinematechnic as P+S Technics agent is that P+S Technic is not very Customer service oriented at all . They don't do email very well and they don't necessarily speak english. Jorge has a relaionship with them, can prep cameras before shipment which can save you dollars and understands there ordering system which can be cryptic. That has been my experience.

Love to see your new camera . The folks that Jorge use for camera painting are in LA. If the camera is apart a paint job is not a major cost 2 to 3 hundred . It will enhance your re-sale and also make it "brand new" I love Portland I shot a bunch projects out there. You have lots of micro breweries I tried everyone! There was one in an insane asylum that was completely cool! As you might guess I have been having an in depth conversation with a girl from St Pauli. One of the lead people at Van Diemen has started their own company. True lens- They make the raven matte boxes all of the accessories will work with the Van Diemen matte box. www.truelens.co.uk

Yes a van Diemen. I have 4x4 and 4x5.6 trays mounted on a Cinematechnic custom LiteWeight Bridgeplate with carbon fiber rods. Got them headers and a four barrel holly carb with a hurst shifter. Crager mags fat tires.... Yehaaaaaa sweet! Ive heard lots of good things about Axel Broda. It gets lots of use because I don't shoot video which has the effect of fuc cussing (excuse my french) your attention and ignoring a whole lot of distractions. Just wait a week or so for the Arri-S PL/S16 I'll post some snaps. Yehaaaa got that candy red paint...22coats...shag carrpeeet, bucket seats and a 8 track player Yehaaaaa!

To make a short story long I bought the camera in 1992 used it till 2000. The bearings were going and it was getting a little chipped up. So I was faced with a major overhaul. I was faced with the choice of the overhaul or to chuck 16 entirely and get a Varicam. Past experience has been when faced with a serious challenge Kodak usuallly delivers some magic to stay competative. I figure at least one more magic rabbit trick was possible before the digital demise. I had the camera overhauled/new paint/Super 16/PL Mount/1:85/1:66 fiber optic screen/Arri 3 gate/Rails/Registration pin also the fine pitch adjustment feature was added. Plus both mags upgraded and painted. All for 6 to 7k USD. This was before the dollar crashed --like 90 days before it crashed. I figure you would spend 10K today. Jorge @cinematechnic in Miami facilitated this transaction and also did a number of other things like replacing the outboard plug on the back of the camera so I would have two 11 pins for accessories, painting the viewfinder extender and handgrip Arri Grey. Also fabrication of a custom adapter to use an SR3 Eyepiece. So it was pretty much customized to my tastes.

You send the film on the metal spool into the lab and move the empty to the other spindle as the take-up. They will send you the processed film usually on a plastic spool. Dwayne's photo lab in Kansas City (www.k-14movies.com)may be the only lab to process Kodachrome 16mm. I think the swiss lab was supposed to shut down. Best of luck

quote name='Mark Williams' date='Feb 3 2006, 04:02 PM' post='88588'] Asparco 100% agree.. I think though by painting it you could knock off its re-sale value. I had hoped someone may know of an arri compatible paint ect.. Sometimes on ebay you see old cameras that look really good and they usually command a high price. I wondered whether those cameras had a lick of paint.. Anyone know how to do this properly? :) If you are going to paint a camera you have it done professionally. P+S Technic does a like new repaint when they do an over-haul. Cinematechnic in Miami does nice repaint. In both cases the cameras are disassembled before and prepared for new paint. I had a Arri SR Mag upgraded by Cinematechnic-almost had flames added to it like a motocycle fuel tank. In a week or so my Arri-S PL/S16 will be back with it's new Arri-3 Grey paint job. Just in time for the next episode of "Monster Camera Garage"

Spending a lot of money to upgrade and overhaul a professional camera and not have the camera repainted in a more contempary color is a mistake. Your clients make certain assumptions concerning what they observe during a shoot. An old beaten up camera can be perfectly maintained but you are behind the 8 ball as soon as your client sees it mounted on the tripod. Most producers know what the equipment looks like from seeing pictures on rental sites or on set. You have to met expectations. An ancient Arri SR 1 in SR3 grey is assumed to be no different and just as good as a SR3 to the casual observer. Fact of life!

Michael: I think if you look at Discreet Combustion you will find a much more capable and powerful set of color correction tools then those in AFE. Combustion is the same technology in the Flame/Fire/Smoke discreet products which is also closely related to the Discreet Lustre product. In regards to the colorist to each his own but there is a learning curve you will never match while at home . A full blown Xfer suite is a powerful image manipulation cave. You will have far fewer mis-steps if you benefit your project with the talent of an expeirenced colorist. You will get better results faster and they will be cleaner in the end. When is the last time you filled a cavity in your own tooth? Ihave been working with AFE since it was Cosa AFE in 1992 and it is a great product but you have the to resist the impulse to try and do it all your self. You will find it will be more cost effective in the end. Re-inventing the wheel is expensive and time-consuming. I know cause I have a couple-penny wise pound foolish

The addition of a PL mount adapter to an Arri Bayo or even Arri Standard mount is done routinely. Couple of issues: 1) You need to get a hi-quality adapter 2) You should get the adapter mounted by a tech who can check the back focus distance and add shims if necessary. P+S Technic in Munich makes a quality adapter There are lots of junk PL adaptors. Beyond that is the issue of which series - standard or superspeed and if superspeed which series Mark 1, 2 or 3 and where they are 16mm or 35mm coverage Much of this is driven by $$$ You can buy just about any Arri Bayo/Standard mount lens but you should forget most of the "standard mount ones -with exceptions. You want the large manly size lenses because they will work on follow focus/matte box rigs. Cost of super speed sets are suddenly on the up swing because of the demand for use on various spinning video adapters as well as S16 production Yes we all have the need for speed Just ignore that S Williams person :D

Asperger's is a form of autism. Characterized by a high IQ but an inability to cope with a social situation or change of routine. An extreme form of shyness. Shoot two hundred feet of 7201 and you will be fine

To survive in this business you must hold tightly to your goals. As you work more, achieve your objectives and grow more confident that you will "make it". You will feel more comfortable spending time doing other things. We are at a curious time when "film making" has become a social activity rather then an art/craft/profession. Your focus may seem a bit much to "ordinary folks", who usually are without much passion for what seems intangible.

Horita has a selection of timecode and wireless time code products which may fit the bill. A Denecke time code slate reading the Dat recorders time code might also work . You would need to have all cameras start on the slate. In the old "Docu Days, The sound recordist would carry a "blooper light" which would flash and place a bloop tone on the audio recorder. the shooter would swish pan from the recordist or interviewer to the subject. I think "THe Film Group" still makes them- low tech can be beautiful!. Do a google search to find all of these folks.

News to me thanks for the update. Last reversal I shot was 16mm Kodachrome. Sad to see KM go away

All of the B&W emulsions are ancient and un-improved for a decade or longer. The Ilford MP film based on their XP technology was the sharpest most grainless B&W film I ever shot. Not made anymore. You may find to get the 35mm look and have a less convoluted work flow, shooting Vision 2 stocks and pulling color in xfer a more efficient process. May cost less also. Here is a link to a vendor I used in the 90's in Canada http://www.blackandwhitefilmfactory.com