65mm B&W Motion Picture Film

[Josh Gladstone 20]

For timelapse/motion control shots they used a custom made camera. Here's all the info I could find on it:

 

TODD-AO 70mm

70mm MOTION CONTROL TIME-LAPSE CAMERA SYSTEM

MANIFACTURED BY: MAGIDSON FILMS INC.

MOTION CONTROL AND COMPUTER PROGRAM BY: ATHENA SYSTEMS LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

JOHN CLARK MICHAEL R. O'GARA ART TANAKA

PARTS MACHINED BY: MOLDEX METRIC

GARO ESKENIAN DUC NGUYEN WALTER JOCHUM

70mm motion control time-lapse camera designed & constructed by: Ron Fricke.

Manufactured by: Magidson Films Inc.

Motion control and computer program: John Clark & Michael R. O'Gara & Art Tanaka (Athena Systems, Los Angeles, California).

Parts machined by: Garo Eskenian & Duc Nguyen & Walter Jochum (Moldex Metric), Dave Garcia (Dav-Co Precision).

Manufacture supervision: Joshua Tamir, Aron Tintfass.

Additional electronics: Jim Sorensen.

Additional camera modification: Reinhard Lichter."

And it's really poor quality, but you can see it and they talk about it briefly in this video at around 1:25:

(You can see the regular cameras they used as well if you start at around 1:08)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QxtjaiXvcg&t=68

Edited March 14, 2015 by Josh Gladstone

[Chris Burke 53]

Yes, I remember seeing that making of video now. I thought they said they had a custom rig. Was Samsara shot with the same camera?

Edited March 14, 2015 by Chris Burke

[Chris Burke 53]

Was Samsara shot with the same camera?

[Josh Gladstone 20]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe they used two or three Panavision Super 70s plus the same time lapse camera they custom built for Chronos. They also switched from Todd AO lenses to Panavision from Baraka to Samsara.

[Doug Palmer 16]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe they used two or three Panavision Super 70s plus the same time lapse camera they custom built for Chronos. They also switched from Todd AO lenses to Panavision from Baraka to Samsara.

In Chronos I believe the time-lapse camera was fitted with Bronica still lenses, which presumably covered the Imax format well, and very sharp certainly in still photography. I hadn't realised this custom-built camera was also used in Samsara. Did they continue with Bronica ?

[Scott Pickering 4]

Wow. With the small resurgence in 65mm origination, I wonder how long they will keep the remaining cameras in service? Certainly IMAX is covered, but from reading here, it seems 5 perf 65mm may be on its way out, at least with Arri anyway. I'd still love to do this project, but time doesn't seem to be on my side.

[cole t parzenn 4]

Well, I know of ONE available camera: a seller refurbished Mitchell FC - yours, for just $29,995! According to Wiki, they're BNCs, made bigger.

[Mark Dunn 184]

Working but not very usable. Evidently intended for unattended instrumentation use because It only has a rackover finder AFAICS.

[Kenny N Suleimanagich 33]

Here is a reflex model with a full set of primes, for half the price.

[David Cunningham 69]

You may find this interesting and helpful. Maybe you can work with them to special order 65mm motion picture film. I'm sure it can be worked out if the order is large enough.

 

http://www.ilfordphoto.com/pressroom/article.asp?n=202

[Mark Dunn 184]

MP film has a different perf profile from 35mm. stills. But Ilford used to make MP film, so maybe they could dig out their old perforators.

[Scott Pickering 4]

Problem isn't so much the film itself (as I'm sure Kodak could do a special order of 5222 in 65mm), but the developing. Fotokem has a machine capable of doing B&W film, but they said the challenges were to great and expensive to get it operational. So where else would one get the film developed (without shipping to Europe)?

[Simon Wyss 115]

That is plain boldness. What’s challenging with diluting a commercially available developer such as XTOL or D-96 and fixer? Give them greetings from me, I can come over and run their darn machine as I have worked as a machine developer.

[John Holland 67]

No where in Europe to process 65mm colour or B+W .

[Matthias Greving 0]

ARRI Munich still has the machine to process 65mm at least in colour. But only as special order.

Just send them a mail to find out.

[cole t parzenn 4]

Here is a reflex model with a full set of primes, for half the price.

 

I saw that but wasn't sure what to make of the "Fries" name. I wonder about the lenses...

[Mark Dunn 184]

Fries modified any number of Mitchells and Arris for reflex viewing, PV mount and so on and are very well known.

[Freya Black 154]

MP film has a different perf profile from 35mm. stills.

 

Not in the soviet union where they used to use Kodak pitch, so soviet cameras could be the answer there.

 

Freya

Edited April 19, 2015 by Freya Black

[Richard Tuohy 15]

Yes though I believe the soviets shot 70 rather than 65! I know a fellow here who had a Konvas 70 converted to 65. Silly boy!

[Tyler Purcell 458]

Got some numbers for you guys!

 

So here is the cost to make a 65mm film through and through:

 

 

8003659 50D 1000ft = $1247 Retal

1662428 500T 1000ft = $1400 Retail

 

8 min per 1000ft roll

120 min total length of film

8:1 shooting ratio

 

106 rolls of film (MAX)

 

$148k production stock

 

Processing $35,000

Telecine $20,000

Feature = 16,000 feet

inter positive $62,000

answer print $14,000

Audio= $2720

 

$135,000 + $15,000 (audio licensing) + 6k (negative cut + splice)

 

Panavision Sound camera package = $120,000 for a 6 week shoot

 

$180,000 (processing) + $148,000 (stock) + $240 camera = $568,000

 

So for $568,000 you can pay for 65mm, if you're efficient.

[Josh Gladstone 20]

Hah. Wow. Love it. For half a mil, you can shoot 65mm if you're careful. I wonder how that budget would compare to shooting on an Alexa65.

[Justin Hayward 78]

Got some numbers for you guys!

 

So here is the cost to make a 65mm film through and through:

 

 

8003659 50D 1000ft = $1247 Retal

1662428 500T 1000ft = $1400 Retail

 

8 min per 1000ft roll

120 min total length of film

8:1 shooting ratio

 

106 rolls of film (MAX)

 

$148k production stock

 

Processing $35,000

Telecine $20,000

Feature = 16,000 feet

inter positive $62,000

answer print $14,000

Audio= $2720

 

$135,000 + $15,000 (audio licensing) + 6k (negative cut + splice)

 

Panavision Sound camera package = $120,000 for a 6 week shoot

 

$180,000 (processing) + $148,000 (stock) + $240 camera = $568,000

 

So for $568,000 you can pay for 65mm, if you're efficient.

 

Get on that script!

[Tyler Purcell 458]

I'm budgeting a short documentary film on 65mm right now. It may get off the ground quicker then any feature as there is potentially some big funding behind it. Now that it looks feasible to shoot large format, I can apply this model to ANY script/story I want. Honestly, I may search for a better, more worthy script first. There are plenty of great one's out there. :)