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So how difficult is it to use 16mm?


Daniel Smith

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I think that makes my point more eloquently than I possibly could.

 

There is no such thing as being "up and coming" in this country because there is quite literally nowhere to go.

 

Phil

 

"Soft, Simon Ellis?s critically acclaimed short film, commissioned by Film4 and the UK Film Council with The Bureau for Cinema Extreme, has put Ellis on the international film industry?s radar."

 

You forgot the international film industry. Or how about on the set of "Children of Men II"? Or the set of "28 Days Later Still"? Or the set of "Harry potter and the Wizard's Overbite"? Those are some places to go.

 

There is no UK-owned production company making proftiable, commercially-released feature films in the UK at present - not one, not a single solitary instance.

 

http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/informatio...13BB&skip=0

 

"The Bureau

 

The Bureau is a London based production company..."

 

Evasion noted.

 

Mitch

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It is possible to get discounted stock from Kodak in the UK. I know one producer who managed it on a recent short.

 

Unfortunately, the British TV companies are shooting a lot less Super 16, so there are less short ends etc around compared to the past.

 

However, people do manage to get things made and I know a number of people over the last 5 years who have made their first & second feature films (£1m to £2m budgets mostly, but one I believe had $12m).

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For christ's sake, I can register a limited company tomorrow and call it a production company. Doesn't make it real, or meaningful.

 

As far as I know, "The Bureau" is a leading light of what the UK film council refers to - with a straight face - as "cinema extreme". They also claim to be aiming at the creation of a "sustainable film industry". Sustainable film industries don't need cinema extreme, they need cinema watchable, or popular, or audience-friendly - certainly nothing like extreme.

 

These sorts of people are wasting millions of pounds of what is semi-public money, and getting it so precisely, exactly wrong you actually have to wonder if they're hired by Americans to keep the UK film industry down. I take my hat off to them, I really do: I can't imagine what I'd do to ensure that more damage was done.

 

And believe me, I have not forgotten the international option - indeed, it is the only feasible option. It has long been the mark of success in the UK to have left, and that's a more damning indictment than I could come up with in any other way.

 

Phil

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It has long been the mark of success in the UK to have left.

Really? Damn, I thought the same about the places I left to come to the UK, me fool!?!

(Don't worry, I am Western European, no Polish plumber, even heterosexual and no longer shoot video)

 

And just because I love US-style megalomanic franchise sequels with British actors and crew all over it,

the same once again:

 

It has long been the mark of success in the UK to have left.

I think your paths of glory have just been opened up for you by yourself.

Need a lift to Heathrow or Dover?

 

Now, shall we return to the topic of how difficult it is to USE 16mm?

What about my self-loading Bolex 16 Pro? Anyone interested in discussing that?

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I started with video. I bought a wind up B&H 16MM on Ebay $50.00 ,bought 3 rolls of 16mm reversal from Kodak. $90.00 I'm sure they will ship to you in the UK.

When I projected the footage on my wall it changed my life. thus far the look and feel of film cant be beat!!

I see you guys posting about the RED and how great it is, that's $40,000 and you still don't get the look.( NOT KNOCKING THE RED) A fifty dollar wind up camera produces a way better image than my 4,000 DVCAM.

for such a small price you should at least give it a try.

 

Toby

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These sorts of people are wasting millions of pounds of what is semi-public money, and getting it so precisely, exactly wrong you actually have to wonder if they're hired by Americans to keep the UK film industry down.

 

To criticize is to volunteer - get out there and get on that board. ~:?)

 

And believe me, I have not forgotten the international option...

 

Well then, there is quite literally someplace for up-and-comers to go, and since it's not difficult to use 16mm, a bit of gentle encouragement is all that's needed....

 

Mitch

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Hearhear! Someone with something enlightening to say! Thanks, Toby!

 

Funnily enough, my path was not dissimilar. Although having known ciné-film (mostly Super 8) from the filmmaking of my older brother and his film group, my first films were on on video too (even S-VHS-C, years back then!).

 

Super 8 was the logical next step after video was just ... unsatisfactory for the imagined visions. And over the time, 16mm joined in through my brother (again):

First via a Beaulieu R16 (a sort of initiation camera from which one moves on rather rapidly), then the superb Eclair ACL.

My personal dreams of an Aaton XOplus were not really financiable (on any side of the Channel!), but 400 Euros bought me a Bolex 16 Pro from someone how decided to move his production company to video-only ... he might regret having lost the ciné-film option now... or maybe not...

And I have never looked back since then. Actually, with the "revolution evolution" going on in the Super 8 sector, and both Normal 16 and Super 16 undergoing a revamp as well, one could say that the timing to start discovering ciné-film couldn't be better.

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Hey Daniel'

I picked up a 35mm KONVAS 2M WITH 3 PRIME LOMO LENS. for $1,200.00 It took about an hour to figure out how to load the mags.

Under 2,000 and I'm shooting 35mm. There are a few feature length movies shot with this camera. Search the internet to see the quality of footage with the LOMO lens on a Konvas. You won't be disapointed.

If you can afford to shoot digital, you can shoot film.

 

 

 

Thanks Michael'

Bolex Pro, nice camera, sure would like to try that someday. Is the Pro self blimped?

The new film stocks are helping Super8 in a big way. I will take Super8 over Mini DVcam anyday!!!

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Nice

You don't see many Bolex Pro's. There have been a couple in like three years on Ebay, that I noticed anyway. They usually get a pretty good price.

 

 

You are absolutely right, they are really rare. As they were sold in not unsizeable quantities (yet less than most other cams, nevertheless), I hence assume that those who have one want to keep it.

 

Because of the rarity, it's also not very prominently known and hence seems to be a bit underrated ? especially as most people think of Bolex as being the H-series cameras.

 

I think this machine is really magical, and so advanced it's really amazing. It's also phantastic to operate, anything but cantankerous, as is sometimes said with respect to the automatic controls that it offers in additon to full manual. Sometimes I am inclined to think it's a bit like a morph between a Panaflex and a Super 8 camera.

 

I could go on and on, but will stop short. I intend to post material from the Bolex 16 Pro and start a thread on it when I have this side of my 16mm equipment sorted out. Will take some time, though.

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