Mark Wiggins

I have to say, a lot of the big productions that have or are shooting over here on film such as Werwulf, Narnia, parts of the last Jurassic World movie, parts of The Odyssey and even Bugonia (which is set in the US but shot here) are American Studio productions which are either shooting here because of locations or tax breaks. To a large extent the British Film Industry is a service industry for the American studios and the American studios either have long term leases on UK studio space or actually own studios. Netflix and Amazon/MGM have leases at Shepperton Studios, Netflix also has a lease on the whole of Longcross Studios and Disney have a lease on part of Pinewood. In addition Amazon/MGM own Bray Studios (where the Hammer films were made), Warners owns Leavesden Studios and Sky/Universal own Sky Studios Elstree (not to be confused with Elstree Studios, which is next door, or BBC Elstree (now Fairbanks Studios) which is further down the High Street) where the last Jurassic World movie (shot on 35mm film) and the Wicked movies were shot. Also a new 18 stage studio is about to be built in Marlow (just west of London). But film is being shot in America. One Battle after Another and The Brutalist were both shot in America.

This is a real issue. People are reluctant to shoot on film when they know they have the safer alternative of shooting digital. When I started there was no digital alternative. It was either shoot on film or don’t shoot.

I’ll report back.

I care! lol And a couple of my regular ACd are total film nerds and seem to know everything there is to know about every film camera ever made! I exaggerate but you know what I mean. And the shear number of celluloid productions we’ve had in the UK this year (seven all shooting at the same time) means that the pool of film literate technicians, at least in the UK, is growing. Also more production people are learning how to manage problems being shot on film; which is important. I’ve already been asked my availability for a job in January and it’s 35mm.

It’s about 15kg with battery, full magazine and lens. I’m seeing the final version of the camera on the 17th. Should be interesting. The prototype has changed a lot over the years.

It’s ironic that people can actually add scratches and dirt to digital footage to make it look like film. Although it doesn’t.

Indeed. This is so. And being a new camera it doesn’t have the problems that come with cameras that can be older than the people using them.

When I was an AC I used to be obsessed about keeping everything clean. It was a major part of my routine. I used to get a bit OCD about it.

Yes. My pool of ACs that can use on film jobs is much smaller than the one I can use of digital. I know ACs who have never been near a film camera and have no desire to do so.

Thanks. I’m glad you liked it.😊

Yes. I agree with everything you say. I know ORWO isn’t the only new film. I only mention Kodak and ORWO because the post is from my experience and these two stocks are the two that I have shot. The rise on shooting on large format film is particularly interesting and the development of the new Logmar Magellan 65mm camera is not a bonkers as it may at first sound (I am seeing the final production version next week). I remember, when it first started to be developed, saying to a couple of friends of mine that had just worked on a 65mm production that there was going to be a new camera and they didn’t believe me. For now, everything is looking good and those of us who are lucky enough to shoot on motion picture film should enjoy the ride. Mark.

Thanks for sharing. I really appreciate it! It’s great to see that film is growing in popularity again.

I’m looking forward to seeing the results of your NC200 tests.😊

Cheers for that suggestion. The photo of me and Alan Trow is a screen grab from a BTS video from a job decades ago. No idea what it was shot on. I think it may have been the Canon XL1.🤔

I’ve tested the NC400, NC500 and UN54. All in 35mm. Not done any 16mm. Unfortunately most of my tests aren’t publicly available (I shot the tests for ORWO’s internal consumption) and they have only made one shot publicly available (it’s the First World War soldier in the Reel).