Can 16mm get into film festival?

[mary allison]

I don't mean that to say, will some festival somewhere accept a 16mm?

 

I already have a full script, story boards, locations, everything, but am torn between doing it in 16mm or 35mm. So, will a 90 minute film in 16mm be taken seriously by film festivals?

 

I have a bigger project in mind after this smaller one, and want to shoot the smaller in order to submit to a festival and get interest from producers in financing the laerger project in 35mm.

 

thx

Edited December 18, 2006 by mary allison

[David Mullen ASC]

I don't mean that to say, will some festival somewhere accept a 16mm?

 

I already have a full script, story boards, locations, everything, but am torn between doing it in 16mm or 35mm. So, will a 90 minute film in 16mm be taken seriously by film festivals?

 

I have a bigger project in mind after this smaller one, and want to shoot the smaller in order to submit to a festival and get interest from producers in financing the laerger project in 35mm.

 

thx

 

Since most festivals view a DVD or tape, if the 16mm is well-shot, they probably won't even know what format you shot it in. That's not really what they are judging anyway.

 

A separate question entirely though is if you get in, will they take a 16mm print, or insist it be shown projected digitally or in a blow-up to 35mm. 16mm projection is becoming rarer at film festivals. You may have to transfer the final 16mm movie to HD, for example.

[mary allison]

Ok, I'm a bit blonde today.

 

I make a film on 16mm, then transfer it to video to submit to a festival, then transfer it again to HD to show it at the festival?

 

By the way, is HD like a DVD, or is that a different form of technology?

 

Also, if I just went aheda with 35mm would i still have to put it on video to submit to a festival?

[Matt Frank]

Ok, I'm a bit blonde today.

 

I make a film on 16mm, then transfer it to video to submit to a festival, then transfer it again to HD to show it at the festival?

 

By the way, is HD like a DVD, or is that a different form of technology?

 

Also, if I just went aheda with 35mm would i still have to put it on video to submit to a festival?

 

Getting accepted it doesn't matter what format it is in, but once you are in you will need to show it in whatever format they use at that particular fesitval. Most fesivals should be able to show 35mm and HD.

 

HD is different from DVD since DVDs are standard def. Some fesivals may be able to show on a DVD but the quality will not be good when blown up to a large screen. I would reccomend shooting on Super 16 since the film costs would be the same as regular and that way you will have a little more information on the neg when you transer to DVD or HD and you can always do a 35mm blow up if you get accepted and dont want to go HD.

[Robert Hughes]

Just keep in mind the costs involved in any 90 minute feature length production. It's expensive! Any self-producing filmmaker will need pretty deep pockets to bring a feature film to completion.

[Michael Collier]

Either way the movie will be on video at some point or another. Unless you are cutting from work prints on a flatbed you will need to telecine everything for the NLE cut. Then you can have neg cutters assemble a roll for IP/IN and then release, if you plan to blow up (or shoot 35mm) But odds are you don't want to send in a 90minute 35mm print just for consideration, so you'll want a DVD to save money on submission costs. Whether or not you make a 35mm print for festival showing is up to you (and your 'financial advisor'...ei bank account ballance)

 

If you do end up shooting 35 or blowing up 16 for a projected showing, then you may make your DVD from the original telecines that you cut from. You just have to be sure the transfer is of good quality and free from window burns in the image area. If your doing HD for festival play, then you can go much cheaper on the first telecine (one light on their cheapest machine to DVCAM or DVCPRO....or even betaSP) and when you finnish your cut, your EDL can be used to complete the edit. The post house can transfer only material that was used, saving a lot of money, since a good HD scan can get pretty pricey. You can strike a DVD from that conform, and a HDCAM or DVCPRO-HD tape for festival showing (whatever they accept)

 

I would first decide what you would rather show....a print or an HD copy of the work? If your doing print and have the cash I would say 35mm, if your showing HD then S16 will do just fine.

[David Mullen ASC]

DVD is standard definition (SD) video (ignoring the new HD-DVD and Blu-Ray formats).

 

You could transfer the 16mm neg to standard def video for offline editing, but after you have generated an EDL, you'd have to decide on how to finish the post.

 

You could retransfer selects off of the camera rolls to an HD tape format and do an HD online/conform; or

 

You could get the 16mm neg cut, make an answer print, then strike a 16mm IP and transfer that to HD tape; or

 

You could transfer originally to HD and edit using downconversions to SD, then go back and online/conform the HD masters to create an edited HD master; or

 

You could take your 16mm IP, blow it up to a 35mm IN, make a 35mm print and show that at the festival... but you still would probably have to make an SD video copy to send to the festival for judging. But that case, your video copy may just be temporary, an offline edit using the SD video dailies. Later you'd want to do a high-quality video transfer though, probably from the 16mm IP.

 

Whether you show it in HD or 35mm, you'd be better off shooting in Super-16 rather than regular 16mm due to the widescreen aspect ratio of 16x9 HD and 35mm 1.85 projection.

[Jean-Francois Morin]

I don't mean that to say, will some festival somewhere accept a 16mm?

 

I already have a full script, story boards, locations, everything, but am torn between doing it in 16mm or 35mm. So, will a 90 minute film in 16mm be taken seriously by film festivals?

 

I have a bigger project in mind after this smaller one, and want to shoot the smaller in order to submit to a festival and get interest from producers in financing the laerger project in 35mm.

 

thx

 

-------------

 

As a student my self, and shooting on 16mm film, I can say that very few fest can screen 16mm print... especially if your sound track isn't on your print... The best thing and the cheaper one is to shoot on 16mm, and get a digital transfert... ending on DigiBeta, HDcam, DVD or whatever....

 

Shooting super 16mm is the best way to blowup to 35mm, but $$$... and this is without all the post prod. process... $$$$$x10

 

And if I can say... I cannot judge your work but as a rookie filmmaker, maybe you should shoot simple, and cheap... Maybe find a good DVcam, so you don't have all the filmprocess to pass through, which is quite expensive... You will be able to edit on computer, which is way more easier...

 

If you think about a feature film... shot on film, and ending on print. I don't think that you can do it under 50 000$ at least... maybe I' m wrong, but i'm almost sure... or maybe shoot on reversal, it's cheaper... or in black and white...

 

And for the fest. having his feature screen, is or very expensive for the inscription fees, or very hard to be accepted...

 

 

In my case for exemple, I am shooting my next project, which is a 10 minute short on super 16mm... I get my transfert on a Digital format, not sure which one yet... I'll probably end on a good DVD copie, for the fest. admission... If I am accepted in some well known fest. I'll maybe do a 35mm print...

 

And if I can say, if you are a new filmmaker, shoot simple, and cheap... It is not your talent of DOP who will make you remark, but what you have to say, and how you say it...