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So I won 10,000ft of 35mm stock ( 65D)


Phil Thompson

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hey,

 

Sorry for the somewhat daft nature of this post but I won 10,000ft for about 100 dollars. (don't ask). Anyway, the stock is super slow 65D Fuji. At the moment in England its so dark and moody but I really want to do something bonkers and attempt a feature film in a weekend. One room style. Is shooting 65D indoors madness? I'm not a DOP, just an eager director hungry to shoot. What would you do? Plus I've got a favor regarding the hire of a movie-cam too.

 

All the best

 

Phil

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I'm assuming you mean 64D, Fuji F-64D actually. And, yes, you can use it indoor, in theory... but you'll need a good amount of light, so I'd not go with any night shooting indoors. Using window light as a key and letting rooms fall off into darkness is a possibility, but you'll want some fast glass to get as much exposure as possible and you'll also want some D lighting fixtures (HMIs, Kinos, PARs with the proper blue bulbs, and Photoflood practicles) to keep everything balanced, unless you want the "orange," look from shooting D film in tungsten lighting.

I mean, if you have the film, and you're not going to use it for anything else, might as well experiment with it... Certainly plenty of films have been shot with slower films indoors... they just happened to have larger lights. This era of fast film stock really is almost a "recent," development, so it's not impossible!

 

I am assuming you have a light meter? And if anything, might as well find someone 'round you whose worked with the stuff.

 

I did something equally as crazy before; shooting a feature documentary on expired/recanned/untested (mostly) 35mm stocks on a russian camera I'd never seen before. And, while some of it was grainy as hell it was most certainly one of the most worthwhile experiences of my shooting life as it was all, go with your gut, trust your instincts, and really take chances...

 

And, if it all goes to hell you're out for film and processing... but at least you tried, right?

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Guest Stephen Murphy

hey,

 

Sorry for the somewhat daft nature of this post but I won 10,000ft for about 100 dollars. (don't ask). Anyway, the stock is super slow 65D Fuji. At the moment in England its so dark and moody but I really want to do something bonkers and attempt a feature film in a weekend. One room style. Is shooting 65D indoors madness? I'm not a DOP, just an eager director hungry to shoot. What would you do? Plus I've got a favor regarding the hire of a movie-cam too.

 

 

Phil

 

 

The 64D is a lovely stock - I've used it quite a few times. You can use it indoors but you'll need a decent hmi package. At least in the new year it'll be a bit quieter and you should be able to get a decent deal on a lighting/grip/genny package. 10,000 ft might be a bit tight for a feature though:-)

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The 64D is a lovely stock - I've used it quite a few times. You can use it indoors but you'll need a decent hmi package. At least in the new year it'll be a bit quieter and you should be able to get a decent deal on a lighting/grip/genny package. 10,000 ft might be a bit tight for a feature though:-)

 

 

10,000 feet is like shooting a 1:1 ratio. Experimental film, go for it. Fuji is very forgiving in mixed lighting situations. Fuji always has been. There still daylight film, CZ 800, handles tungsten light quite well. It yields a warm image, but not unrealistically so. 64D I suspect will do rather well with mixed lights, fluoros, tungsten, window light. Your just going to need lots of it, so grab everything you can lay your hands on. It'll make them all look good.

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  • 1 month later...

You can sell it to me for $200, double your money and walk away :-)

 

 

 

This is too slow for general interiro shooting, primarily designed for daylight exterior use only, but I agree it is beautiful, and the sharpest ECN film that Fuji makes (or Kodak).

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  • 1 month later...

hey,

 

Sorry for the somewhat daft nature of this post but I won 10,000ft for about 100 dollars. (don't ask). Anyway, the stock is super slow 65D Fuji. At the moment in England its so dark and moody but I really want to do something bonkers and attempt a feature film in a weekend. One room style. Is shooting 65D indoors madness? I'm not a DOP, just an eager director hungry to shoot. What would you do? Plus I've got a favor regarding the hire of a movie-cam too.

 

All the best

 

Phil

 

IF you haven't done it already, I'D write a script in a play like style, rehearse it 2 or 3 weeks before rolling a single frame like a play WITH a zoom lens on a hand held camera included in the rehearsal and shoot it in a few hours in a live action production sorta the way Coppola intended to shoot One From the Heart but was talked out of. I'm thinking something along the lines of the TV original Marty or Rope without all the ambition of wild walls and a major movie star. Make it a character driven piece with NO FX, NO flash and NO formulaic genra bullsh^t. A human story about people. Try to get it booked into art houses and hope for the best.If you only have 10K of film, it's the only way to go.

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  • 3 months later...

You could lock the film away safely while you intensively develop ideas/script for a short film. Maybe that takes a month or a year. Who cares if the film is great. If you have some free gear and some willing helpers, then expand the timescale for the production and put as many amazing things in there as you can. Make an amazing and intensively developed micro budget short film rather than a one weekend 1:1 cut feature.

 

Cheers

Gregg.

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Nice acquisition. I managed to bargain 12 000 feet for about 1200$, myself, not bad. Keep in mind the processing costs, which will likely be the "above the line" if your making a lengthy short. Determine your post-production route (optical workflow, D.I) and if you want to finish to film or DVD. This will make it easier to budget. Figure out what gear your going to use with it. Choose the right script and don't jump the gun, not with 35mm. Think long and hard, plan it the best you can and it will be a very rewarding experiance.

 

Don't be afraid to fail, those who take iniative will invitably fail. But they learn and atleast they try and some come out looking pretty good. You have something people want. Actors, crew, there's always someone willing to be part of a serious filmmaker's project. But I can't stress it enough, pick the right script. If your a director, this is your focus.

 

All the best.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Don't attempt to create a feature simply because you obtained 10,000 feet of stock for a remarkably good deal. There's much more to a film than that. I agree with what the previous posts have stated; keep that film in a safe place for a while and develop a nice, clean-cut script. Above all, don't rush things. Take as long as you need to develop the story. Then, once that's all said and done, you begin the filming phase. It will be a great experience. Usually difficult, but always rewarding.

 

 

Best luck to you. I hope you make a wise decision.

 

 

 

- J

Edited by Jordan Seymore
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  • 2 months later...

i dont want to crash it but 64D for indoor? even with a very good and experienced gaffer that won't work 100%. it might look solala but i'd rather save the filmstock for a project outside. maybe you'll find someone who trades 5000ft of tungsten stock vs your 64D? that would be ideal. just dont keep it in the freezer for more than 2 years.

 

cheers

randy

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Store it in a fridge for 10 months. Write a feature to be shot only outdoors. Learn how to use reflector boards and silks etc. Shoot 1:1. Sell it! Then start again....

 

Shorts are a waste of time if you can do a feature in my opinion!

 

PRIMER (2004)

 

Budget $7,000 = $7,400 today

 

Like “El Mariachi”, this high concept no-budget sci-fi thriller is the stuff of indie dreams. Produced for an extremely low 7K on 16mm amid the digital revolution, Primer collected the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Shane Carruth had been a former engineer who quit his job to make a film - a risky venture considering he had not even made a short film before. Nonetheless, with intense research he taught himself not only how to direct, but do the cinematography, sound recording, editing, sound editing and everything else involved with the craft. Oh yeah, he was also the lead actor and composed the music. Carruth didn't leave himself any room for error either. He used a 1:1 shooting ratio, which means every foot of film shot ended up in the final cut. At one point you can even see Carruth on camera as actor calling cut in the shot. Amazing.

 

http://www.dailyfilmdose.com/2009/02/top-ten-low-budget-films-under-500000.html

 

Good luck!

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