Search the Community

Hi guys! I’m currently in the pre-production stage on a project that I am planning on shooting this coming summer. It’s a music video that follows a group of people with emphasis on one of them and her experience and discoveries about herself during their stay at a music festival over the course of about ten days during the summer vacation. I’ve been toying with this idea for some time now and I’ve realized that I really want to shoot this on film. I really feel that film is the way to go, both in the way I would end up working and also in the end result. I really think a slightly soft and grainy and warm and beautiful S16/U16 (or perhaps even 35) Kodak Vision look would suit the subject matter very well. This is where I need your help. I am looking for a robust and light camera system that, if 16mm, would easily convert to Super or Ultra 16, preferably hand cranked, although this is not a requisite as long as the system has interchangeable batteries that last long and can be charged from a standard 220V socket as I will be staying with the group the entire time with limited access to electricity. A hand cranked camera would probably be a better option. I already own an H-16 Rx that I have some experience with, however it is not ideal considering I limit myself to Rx lenses and 100’ magazine and a viewfinder I’m not super fan of; too small and too dim imo. Basically, what I’m after: A light and portable S/U16 camera 400’ magazine preferably seeing as I will be shooting a lot of slowmo 24-48 fps Hand cranked is a plus Turret mount is a plus That being said … I have also been toying with the idea of shooting 35mm. I’ve seen several labs that scan 35 at a lower price than 16. Difference in the price of film isn’t that big either. Something like a Konvas looks almost perfect for what I’m after. The only problem being that it maxes out at 32fps and I’m not too familiar with old Soviet electronics. 3-perf would be more ideal than 4. I’d really appreciate some input and help from you fine people here ^^

Hello everyone, I'll be shooting a short film this month, for which I need to emulate the look of an early b&w silent film. It is a bold look but has to be watcheable as the entire movie is shot this way. I'll be shooting on Super 16, and was considering a couple options regarding film stock and processing: - Shooting black and white directly on 7222 stock, exposing normally. I like the idea, the stock is naturally grainy, but the dynamic range is quite limited. - Shooting 200T 7213, under-exposing the neg and then push-processing by one stop. Black and white would be done in post. It is risky, as the image is probably going to be grainy, high-contrast and the blacks will be muddy ; but I was thinking all of this would help "sell" the look. - Shooting 500T 7219, over-exposing 2/3 stop and then pull-processing. Black and white done in color grading as well. I like the idea of keeping color information to grading, and this looks like the safest option to me. As far as lenses and diffusion is concerned, it will be a series of old superspeeds, which I will be diffusing with something like a Glimmerglass or a black soft net. I know I should shoot tests, and I will. But I'd be glad to hear your opinions and if you think there's an obviously better option. Thanks ! G.C.

Hey guys, So we're shooting the first ten minutes of our feature film this month and I'm trying to finalize my lens package. We can afford 5 Super Speeds (35, 50, 85, 100, 135) but I don't know how low I can go on 16mm. If it can handle something like an 18 or a 21, or even a 24, I would be very interested. for more information on our movie, check us out at po.st/sowhat

Hey guys, We are currently selling a Zeiss Distagon S16 super speed lens, MKII, scale in feet & metric, ARRI PL-Mount, 16mm, T1.2. Let me know if you are interested or have any questions.

Hi Folks, I didn't go to film school. Most of my training came from internships in middle and high school (also my family was in local television) and those connections worked into jobs when I got out of school, so I'm not familiar with the film school scene, in fact, many of my mentors in the business advised me that unless I had a lot of money and could afford UCLA (this was 1978, by the way) or something equivalent, not to waste time and money on film school, especially since I had already had a good bit of hands on training during my volunteer work. It worked out for me pretty well , but that was a different time.Throughout the years I've done some consulting and community college level teaching, but never on a film school level until a year and half ago when I taught a cinematography class for the New York Film Academy in Celebration, Florida. I had a blast, great students and I got to work with some high caliber folks and for me the coolest part was I got to work with Arri S 16mm cameras that I thought I would never see beyond a museum again. Tri X Reversal, it brought back memories of high school football games and early 60's newsreels, my childhood and early adulthood.After reading up on NYFA both pro and con, I got the impression that many were questioning the wisdom of teaching students on an "old clunker" when the big guys are shooting with RED's and Alexa's. Fair enough, but you have to remember, this level of student, high school or early college is not going to start out with one of those anymore than I did with a Arri SR or Aaton Prod.You also have to take into consideration the number of students that aren't interested in becoming cinematographers. About two thirds of my students were wanting to be actors, directors and producers and they certainly weren't going to take it to the Panavision level. So here are the options for this level of student that I see. HD Prosumer or DSLR: I would lean toward either DSLR or perhaps some of what Black Magic is offering. This is where I have to criticize NYFA on their choice of the Panasonic prosumer grade cameras they use. Great cameras, but they're ENG and no matter how much you play with camera tape markings on the lens barrel,it's still not a proper lens for that. I offered the students the option of using that or the MF numbers on the monitor, as most AC's I've seen these days follow the cam op via a small flat screen monitor.Now DSLR's are great, but here again, they're not designed for a Hollywood type film crew operation unless you spend a good deal of cash on camera cages and follow focus attachments. This would be economically impractical in this type of situation, I could imagine the nightmare of trying to keep up with that many DSLR kits students were sent out with on the Disney backlot. High school students and even the adults in that type of situation need to keep the number of items in the field small,and the many pieces of tinker toy type stuff that goes with DSLR's would be a nightmare to contend with. Then you have super 8 and 16mm. I love super 8 and I could see it being used on a basic "primer" type of project, but beyond the avant garde scene, yuppie weddings and a certain type of look, its not really such a good training format either,It's best reserved, in my opinion for the "intimate" hand held, home movie or retro doc look, which is exactly what we're seeing the industry currently using it for. Then you have the old stand by, tried and true 16mm "clunkers". I love these things, they're my classic muscle cars, what I cut my teeth on, but it disturbed me to see so much precious film footage being wasted on exposure tests and workshops.Moreover , such a volume of labwork was a nightmare for scheduling projects, These days, especially for a film student on a budget, 16mm film stock is like oil and seeing it used like that is almost like driving a Hummer to the corner store. Check out this video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYADhAZsPNA Now let's say a film school has a fleet of "old clunkers". They're still good for training the basics on, but if,say you converted half of the fleet to a digital hybrid, the student could learn basic composition,exposure, work flow and camera crew operation and once they've mastered that, then they can move on to shooting their projects with real film cameras, if that's the direction, if not, they will still be prepared for the film type work flow that is currently standard procedure in the industry, rather than pick up bad habits from being trained on an ENG camera. P and S Teknik is already doing this with Arri 16 SR 3's, offering a digital mag and as I understand someone else is working on a digital super 8 cartridge. What are your opinions on this? Marty Hamrick Semi retired cameraman Oshawa, Ontario

I'm throwing ideas out because I'm interested in shooting 2.39 with standard 16mm film, which would thus require 2x Anamorphic Lenses with a 1.19 Frame on a standard 16mm strip, specifically this means fitting the largest 1.19:1 rectangle possible on 16mm, single perf or double, whichever gives more room efficiently without compromising steady feed. 1. Is it possible? 2. Who could manufacture such a film? 3. What would it cost? Thanks for reading this madness. -Steven

February Scanning Special For the month of February, Gamma Ray Digital is offering the following special rate for Super8 and 16mm 2k scans to DPX or ProRes files on our Lasergraphics ScanStation. This is only for members of the Cinematography.com forums: 2k DPX Log scans from negative -OR- 2k DPX or ProRes flat scans (ungraded) from prints/reversal: 16mm, 16bit DPX: $0.43/foot 16mm, 10bit DPX or ProRes 4444 or ProRes 422 HQ: $0.35/foot Super-8, 16bit DPX: $0.54/foot Super-8, 10bit DPX or ProRes 4444 or ProRes 422 HQ: $0.50/foot No extra fees for optical audio capture. Low minimum order size. No fees for file copy if you follow the hard drive guidelines below. The fine print: 100' minimum for Super 8, 200' minimum for 16mm. You supply the hard drive: eSATA or bare Internal SATA in NTFS format required for DPX; eSATA, Firewire 800 or USB3 in HFS+ or NTFS for ProRes. Does not include return shipping costs. Order must be placed and film must arrive at our office before Friday, 2/28/14. Payment by credit card, PayPal or wire transfer (cash is ok if you're picking up in person). A small setup fee may apply if you have lots of short reels (50' for S8 and 100' for 16mm). Let us know how many small reels you're sending and we'll let you know the setup fees, if any. Turnaround time is typically two business days, depending on how much film you're scanning. Let us know if you've got a deadline and we'll make it work. To place an order, use our contact form (http://www.gammaraydigital.com/contact), and include the code "CINEMATOGRAPHY" in the Subject line. Let us know your cinematography.com username if it's not your real name, how much film you've got, and what gauge/type.

Hi, I'm offering my camera set for sale, it includes: BOLEX EL mk.II normal16 camera body. last user had it sent to Bolex switzerland to complete service. Since then (4 years ago) only about 25 rolls of 100' film have been shot with camera. Camera runs without any problems, and it's really in great shape. Kern Vario-Switar Compact 18-75mm f3.5 zoom bolex bayonet mount. Lens is in mint condition and has great image quality. Angenieux 15mm f1.3 C-mount lens 2x Bolex <> C-mount adapter one genuine Bolex, and one "heavy-duty" from Andrew Alden - Bolex.co.uk Arri Standart <> C-mount adapter 4x behind the lens filters 1x with 85 filter 1x with 85N9 filter 1x with ND6 filter 1x free Power cable to 4pin XLR All fitted in PELI case ----- I'm selling this set, because I've got SR1 ant LTR sets and don't use Bolex any more. I'm located in Slovak Republic, Europe PRICE: € 850 + shipping

Hello, I have 8 brand new sealed rolls - 976m/3200ft - of KODAK 16mm VISION3 500T Color Negative Film 7219 that I am (unfortunately) trying to sell. You can send me a personal message for a quote. Best regards, Tiago Carvalho

Hey Everyone! I put this reel together to use for a few job applications, mainly in the self shooting/editing film maker kind of category rather than a legit DP (which im definitely not!) https://vimeo.com/84313742 Its mainly a mix of DSLR and S16mm stuff Id really appreciate some feedback! As I've no idea what people want to see in a reel! Thanks! Joe

I have some questions regarding the following: I have just acquired Final Cut Pro X ( I am aware that most professionals hate this new version but it is what I have..), Adobe After Effects, and Photoshop. I shoot Regular 16mm and Super8mm. My normal procedure upon unloading my film from the camera is to take it to my local processing place - PacLab over on 2nd Ave ( N.Y.C ) then when these great folks call me I then take my film over to Greenpoint, Brooklyn (actually I get off on Vernon Jackson stop on the 7 line in Queens and walk over the Kosciszko Bridge, so it kinda of feels like Queens but I digress) and head to DiJiFi to get my film telecined. This has been my process for a couple of years now since I have been experimenting with 16mm and super8mm. When I'm there I am faced with some options and I wonder if I have been making the right choices. From what I remember, I always go for HD over SD for all my footage, I always have it output to my portable HDD and I always choose ProRes ( I think its 444) so I can edit in Final Cut Pro which I NEVER do cause I do not really know how. I come from an in camera editing school, but most of what I have shot has no narrative, basically just shooting to see if I can get "good" exposures and experimenting. So what are some things I can do using the programs I have listed and or other programs I may not know about to make my footage (A) Sharper (B) Reduce the grain © How do I play with the color/ color grade my own footage? (D) whats the deal with compression? I was reading another recent form and found it, informative but totally at a loss when it came down to the talk about compression and resolution. Since I always opt for HD, 1080p and my doing myself a disservice? Now I am shooting REGULAR/NORMAL 16MM. So far I like my footage when I get it back from telecine but feel since I am not doing any POST work, the stuff I have shot lacks in color grading/sharpness/grain compared to other folks who have shot with my cameras but are keen on doing their own color grading/post work. What are some good programs, tips, and tools a person can use to make the most out of their super8mm/16mm footage? ---for fun I shot some footage of my buddy placing acoustic however the camera was not crystal synced...I did shot on 24fps but I am now aware that this accurate. I also made the terrible mistake of shooting w/o a wind cover ( on my h4n) so a violent hiss appears on some of the audio. I had my friend re-record the songs in a acoustic friendly setting and now have the task of trying to sync the audio to the image. Knowing what I now know my footage will not come out in total sync but can I manage to somewhat match? Sincerely, Rudy

I recently purchased an Eclair NPR with Perfectone motor from some one who doesn't know much about it. While practicing to adjust the shutter with some stripped clear film leaded in the mag, I noticed that the film gate covers the film aspect and one perforation side. Does this mean that the camera has been modified to super 16?

Hi! Im collecting stock for a new project that will be B&W. Most of the stock I have is 16mm color. Im not a DP by the way. When im start shooting B&W super8 I remember using a yellow filter to "add constrast". Because the final result will be B&W I need to consider some camera filetring? To have better results when turning color to B&W. Because of the low budget the stock will be transfered directly to HD Pro Res, no grading at that step. Bests! Andrés

I know there are some post on this topic, but they are outdated or they don't present enough information. So here is the story: I have been shooting video cameras for a long time. I've had the desire to shoot film but not the money. Recently I bought a Krasnogorsk K3 which looks in amazing condition to me. It has a 90… serial number, so I suppose it was made in 1990. It has all the accessories, even the box and I'm excited to start shooting with it. I know how cameras work, how to expose, filters, I have a light meter and I know hot to use it and I have shot 35mm stills. So I guess I'm safe in that area. But I need help with some tips about processing the film. I'm going to shoot basic things, I'll try to test my lenses, different apertures, etc. So nothing really important. I have to spools of 100ft and I would like to have them scanned to 2k. I would like to start with those. But looks like many labs have a minimum charge. And it something like $150. I have a super 8 camera. So I could shoot a couple of cartridges just for fun in order to reach the minimum charge. If I shoot negative, can I watch the super 8 film at home with a projector? What do you guys recommend? Please tell me about the process. I'm self-taught, I've done plenty of research on the internet but there is not much info this days. I would like to document my experience of shooting 16mm video, so I can share the info with other people who may have the same questions. So you may help more people than just myself. Thanks in advance.

Hi I have been trying to research the best places to get my film 16mm stock developed (UK) and then transferred into digital format. I found a company called idailies Has anyone had any dealings with them? Would love to know if people have used them and what costs where involved Anyone have any footage I can see that they processed would be a treat too many thanks David

Hey everybody After getting my Black Magic Pocket Cam, and a bunch of accessories, I'm about to start delving into the wonderful world, and perform some lens tests. I have 4 Schneider Prims, and 4 Kern Primes. The gear is almost complete. But I'm stuck in finding a solution for a ND Filter for these little primes. Any suggestions? I'm not sure if there's any that could fit a Matte Box? Not sure if that is still used. Thanks, F

To cinematography.com community, I recently just purchased an m42 krasnogorsk 3 off of ebay for 17.50 (which was a steal) , but i want to know some things. 1st- What lenses are compatible, any m42 or will shorter focal lengths cause vignetting? 2nd- What film works best with the k-3 unmodified? I want something balanced for tungsten but can be shot in daylight with a filter. 3rd- Is it worth it to get the light meter battery adapter, or should i use an external meter? 4th- Is the super 16 mod worth it? Thanks, J.M.

I just got a Bolex H-16 Blimp in the mail today. I bought it on Ebay. The seller really didn't do this thing justice. WOW! I can't wait to test it and see if I can get my Rex5 in there or if I can swap out the motor it came with for the Tobin sync I have. It's roomy in there and everything can be unbolted out if need be. Worse case, I can use it as is with a regular H-16. Anyone familiar with these? It was made by some engineering company called Sonex. These photos make it look small but it's pretty huge... I have to put this on one of my big beast/crane tripods.

£449 ARRIFLEX 16S + 2 MAGAZINES (8V) + ORIGINAL ARRIFLEX MATTEBOX + ORIGINAL 8V MOTOR + ORIGINAL CABLE Fully working. Just serviced by Les Bosher in South Wales. Pristine and clean inside and outside. Original Mattebox is in good condition. Magazines have some signs of use and acrylic pieces (on footage meter) cracked, but does not affect performance. Serial Number: 6587 £499 ARRIFLEX 16S + 2 MAGAZINES (1 12V, 1 8V) + ORIGINAL ARRIFLEX MATTEBOX + TOBIN TCS TM23 + ORIGINAL CABLE Fully working. Just serviced by Les Bosher in South Wales. Pristine and clean inside and outside. Original Mattebox is in very good condition. Magazines have some signs of use and both acrylic piece (on footage meter) cracked, but does not affect performance. Serial Number: 8467 PLEASE CHECK DOCS ATTACHED WITH PICTURES. CAN SHIP WORLDWIDE. WOULD LOVE TO KEEP THEM, BUT NEED THE MONEY.

Hello, I am selling NEW rolls of 16 & 35 mm FUJIFILM that we received early April for a shooting that took place this summer. Since we bought them with a significative discount, we did not have a return option. The following are available for purchase: 17 rolls of 16 mm ETERNA VIVID 160 are available at a unit price of 65 € + Shipping 11 rolls of 35 mm ETERNA VIVID 250D are available at a unit price of 110 € + Shipping These rolls have been stored in a cold and dry place. They can be picked up in Brussels or shipped at your location. A more detailed listing including pictures for these film rolls can be found on Ebay: http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/NEW-FUJIFILM-35mm-ETERNA-VIVID-250D-122m-400-feet-ARRI-AATON-KODAK-/111182279217?pt=FR_JG_Photo_Camescopes_Cameras&hash=item19e2faf231 http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/NEW-FUJIFILM-16mm-ETERNA-VIVID-160-122m-400-feet-ARRI-AATON-KODAK-/111182279220?pt=FR_JG_Photo_Camescopes_Cameras&hash=item19e2faf234&_uhb=1 If have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Rolls can be bought online though Ebay or directly by contacting me. :) Jonathan

Comrades, I have some footage I shot that I would like to add sound too but I am totally baffled as to how to do it. When it comes to Final Cut Pro I am a total neophyte. I shot using a Canon Scoopic MS. I shot it on 24fps. I then got my footage processed and then transferred to HD 1080 @ Pro Res. I recorded audio from the day using a ZOOM H4N but it my stupidity I forgot to put the windscreen on my H4N, so the audio footage has a lot of what I call blow-outs from the wind. I asked my friend to re record all the songs from that day and I have all the songs re-recorded. The problem I am running into is how to sync the footage with the newly recorded audio. I should of gotten my camera modified by the film group to shot shoot crystal sync but at the time I could not afford it. The 24 fps marking on the Sccopic MS is probably not exactly 24, correct? However once I got my footage digitally transferred to HD wouldn't the frame rate change? Basically I am asking how can I change the footage frame rate in FCP so that I can match it up with my audio? Also what are some basic tips/things to do when editing film transferred to HD on FCP? Like for instance: getting rid of the edges that show the perfs so that I just get the (4:3) box? On some of my transfers I get a little beyond the pert, so I get a sliver of white, I am sure I can crop it out but I do not know how to do this operation :( Can I enhance my footage, perhaps make it look sharper? Lower the grain/noise ( I got good exposures. I figure ask anyway.) Can I play with the colors? My main goal is to sync the audio with the footage. I almost matched the audio with the footage but it comes undone at some point and then is out of sync. I did this in the crudest manner just by moving the audio to the point where the musician starts playing the guitar. I normally edit in camera( i started out using super8 and really dig the straight8 thing but I now I ready to actually EDIT). I plan on learning how to edit the original way, splicing and taping/glue/film cement my film but I acquired some computer programs and really need to learn how to use them, I also plan on taking some courses in the various programs (after effects/fcp x/ compressor/etc). For now I figure I come here and ask. Please excuse my ignorance/stupidity. here is rundown of my gear used and available: Canon Scoopic MS 16mm camera *unmodified Regular 16mm* non-crystal sync ( not for long, like i mentioned earlier I plan on sending my camera to get the crystal sync mod) Final Cut Pro X Compressor Adobe After Effects Adobe Audition I got the film processed over at PacLab digitized at DiJiFi I just acquired these programs as a gift but I am computer illiterate. Sincerely, Rudy

Hey gang, I've got a roll of expired Kodak 500T EXR 7296 in my fridge here that I'd love to shoot. Trouble is it's a) pretty freaking old and b) probably hasn't been kept in a cool, dry place for a large part of its life. This particular film was discontinued in 1995 but could have been made anytime between then and 1989. Naturally there are too many variables to really know how it'll look but is there anything I should keep in mind if I want to shoot it? Rate it faster? Slower? Any thoughts would be great. Cheers, James.

Hey Gang, I just purchased a Canon Scoopic MS off eBay. It came loaded with a Pro DV. 6X Wide Angle Adapter on the lens. I've shot a test with it on to test out the camera itself, I will have to do another without this adapter lens. This film is currently at the lab so I've yet to see it. When the lens is on the camera I can not use the zoom feature but it appears (at least thru the viewfinder, to me) that it is wide angle lens. (I am used to K3's so when you want a wide angle you get a Peleng 8mm fisheye or a Zenitar 16mm fisheye lens.) With the Pro DV .6X Wide Adapter on my lens the focus is for just I was wondering if this would make my camera a wide angle lens, but by how much? What is Pro DV .6x Wide Angle Adapter C62766? Is this similar to a Wide Angle lens adapter? P.S Has anyone ever used or have for sell a Canon Scoopic 400ft magazine adapter. The Scoopic takes CP 16r magazines and Mitchell 400ft Magazines, any one have a spare one of these they wanna get rid of ?

Hey folks, I'm shooting a music video on an SR3 soon with some superspeeds. I had a look through the viewfinder the other day, wide open at t 1.3 and I 'seemed' to be able to pick the focus fairly accurately. I don't want to eyeball the whole shoot however and get back soft rushes. Has anyone judged focus by eye and been ok? Or should I always be measuring? By the way, I'm not going to be shooting the clip at t1.3! Cheers!

As some of you may know, we recently acquired a Lasergraphics ScanStation at Gamma Ray Digital. We're putting together some demo videos, and would like to include as many formats as the scanner can handle. We're all set with Regular 8, Super8 and 16mm, but if you have high quality (sharp, well lit, G-rated) footage in Super 16, Ultra 16 or Max 8, please send me a PM. We're looking for things like landscapes/cityscapes, architectural footage, nature footage, slow motion or timelapse. Basically, footage with relatively little camera motion so that we can easily put titles over it. In exchange for letting us use your footage on our website and YouTube/Vimeo channels (with credit, of course), we'll scan a couple rolls (50 footers for Max8 or 100 footers for Super/Ultra16) at no charge to 2k DPX, TIFF or ProRes files - your choice. As a thank-you, we'll also give you a deep discount rate on additional scanning. We can only offer this to the first couple of people who send us film in each format, so if you do have this kind of footage, please let me know so we can make arrangements. Here's an example of one of the videos we've already made: I hope this doesn't come across as spammy - we're really just looking for some footage to show off the machine and I'm too impatient to wait for the right material to come along! Thanks! -perry