Old Harry

Just to the north of Swanage you'll see Old Harry Rocks, and Bournemouth beyond.
I took this last spring on one of the delightful boat-trips they run out of Swanage quay, with my 35mm Pentax Super A and Tamron 500mm mirror-lens. Ektachrome 100 film.
We were hoping for puffins, which we later saw when the boat doubled back t'other side of Swanage, but the light had then faded rather so I wished I'd loaded up with faster film.

16mm Does the Splits

Faces of Sixteen Mil, part 3: HALF-SIXTEEN



Here's one to beat the credit crunch.... IF...

Half-Sixteen can be adapted to ANY 16mm movie camera that takes spools of film. Conversion is straightforward: you mask the gate vertically, do the same with the viewfinder, and then tip the camera on its side and start filming. When the film runs out, turn the take-up spool over, plonk it on the feed spindle and re-thread. Now expose the second half, in the same way as you would standard 8mm. Process the film, then split the 16mm film using maybe one of those cheap Russian splitters. You now have Double the length of film. The image is quite big, about 1.66 : 1 ratio, considerably better quality than super-8, at less cost. On the face of it, Half-Sixteen seems the ideal format and it's a wonder that camera and projector manufacturers haven't embraced it. It was the brainchild of UK solicitor David Jones, and he and Tony Shapps worked on the system.

The 16mm projector conversion is more involved. Film rollers need to be replaced with 8mm ones, the sprockets need slight modification, and the gate-channel also has to be 8mm wide. The claw movement stays the same of course. Projectors catering for both 16mm and standard 8mm are the easiest to modify... such as the Specto. The machine must also be capable of tipping onto its side, as the camera was. The film is loaded on 8mm spools. This horizontal format is like a mini version of VistaVision !

OK now for the big IF. You will of course need Double-perforated film. If you can find it there's no problem. But in recent years film manufacturers have gone over pretty exclusively to Single-perf stock. This is a great shame because double-perf is also very useful for doing special effects in 16mm. Anyway, the fact remains that you may have to search on Ebay for out-dated Double-perf. Look for 2R on the label, meaning: two rows of perforations. An alternative is to use standard 8mm film which is identical to 16mm 2R, although having twice the number of holes. These extra holes don't matter, but then it will likely cost more than 16mm.

So there you have it. Rock steady, high quality widescreen pictures with Half-Sixteen. Once you get going it may be worth shifting the camera lens over to centralise the image, though not essential. By the way, it's quite easy to mask the Bolex reflex finder for any format, as the prism swings out nicely, revealing the ground glass.

Standard 8mm film, should you wish to try it, is available from
www.widescreen-centre.co.uk
or
Photoworld, Llandudno, Wales.phone 01492 871818

Going Anamorphic

Before we examine the third face of Sixteen Mil, perhaps I should tidy up one or two points about SCOPE filming.

When you put an anamorphic lens onto the front of your camera lens, you hope to double the width of the image. (Nothing happens to the height, it's not like a fisheye converter.) The type of lens on your camera, though, is crucial. For one thing, the front element should be smaller than the rear element of the anamorphic. As you zoom back to the wider settings, you'll very likely start seeing the inside of the anamorphic unit... vignetting at the corners of the frame. To lessen this effect the anamorphic should be as physically short as possible. And the zoom lens should be small, like the little Switar or Pan-Cinor Compact lenses, or the smaller TV lenses.

Or use fixed focal length prime lenses with their front elements as non-recessed as possible. I've found that 35mm still SLR lenses can work well on a 16mm movie camera. Also they are easy to join to the anamorphic because their front doesn't rotate during focusing. It is of course essential that the anamorphic stays vertical at all times, unless you're looking for drunken effects.


For 16mm filming the widest possible focal length is about 16mm, depending on all the above factors. That's effectively like 8mm of course in the horizontal plane. Pretty wide. You won't get as wide coverage though with a zoom lens. But don't forget, even long-focus tele images can look very effective in widescreen Scope. The 50mm SLR lens shown on the Bolex below is good for 2-shots of your actors talking, blurring the background. Also effective for distant landscapes such as mountains. Many of the great shots we remember from the widescreen movies have been taken with long focus lenses. Omar Sharif's debut emerging from the mirage in 'Lawrence'... and so on.



Whichever way you fix the anamorphic it must be really rigid and square with the backing lens. The Bolex is fairly easy to adapt using the turret holes for supporting posts. Or a simple bracket from the base of the camera will work. It's also important to have as little air space as possible between the two lenses... it helps stop vignetting and improves definition. Also the gap should be light-tight, maybe use an old rubber lens cap or something. On the set-up shown, it is not strictly necessary to use turret posts or a bracket, as I've made a separate adaptor to hold the anamorphic onto the non-rotating SLR lens. But it needs to be really firm.

For focusing I usually estimate the distance and set both lenses accordingly. Then check the image in the reflex finder. I am constantly amazed at the image sharpness obtained with the Kowa. If there is a difference in quality when using it I can only discern a slight lessening of contrast. Otherwise it looks like a normal sharp unsqueezed image. However, it does tend to reduce the depth of field. So correct focus is a must. Exposure: I normally allow about a third of a stop for light absorption within the anamorphic. A large lens shade is good to avoid flare. The Bolex matte box is ideal.

You will of course see a squeezed image through the reflex finder. Usually, composing the picture is not harder than normal. But it's handy to have another "director's finder" to decide the composition before filming. This can be masked for Scope.

Projection can be done using longer anamorphics, as the backing lens is usually not that wide an angle. A simple bracket can hold the anamorphic precisely in position. Set the anamorphic's scale to the screen-distance. Then focus the projector normally. Make slight adjustments if necessary. A good projector lens is essential as any defects are magnified.

Faces of Sixteen Mil, part 2: SCOPE

All through the War the Cinema industry did rather well, and now it's all over the queues are as long as ever. For those lucky to be alive there are ever greater films to experience. Thrilling World War Two dramas for instance, complete with aeroplanes and all the other props lying about. However, as the fifties dawn a new enemy is beginning to emerge, more terrifying than Adolf. No, not the Bomb, or even Reds under the Bed, both of which will spawn new movies.
SomeTHING else is about to take over the world....

Television.

In Hollywood they worry.
"Just how do we get people out their cosy homes and back to those drafty cinema queues ?" ie. my English translation. Probably should be "goddamn line"?
Then, somebody at Twentieth Century Fox has an idea.... He remembers that back in the twenties, long before the war, a French professor called Henri Chretien had come up with a strange lens. It squeezed more information into the film image horizontally to give a panoramic effect on the screen when projected using a similar lens. The studio bosses hurry over to France to buy it from the old man who has been largely ignored up to now. Why the rush? Because people from Warner Brothers are hot on their heels... but they miss the deal by a few hours.

Fox is about to start shooting a new biblical epic called "The Robe", so it is decided to simultaneously film it using another camera fitted with Chretien's lens. Highly experimental stuff, not least because it needs a new filming technique. But will the cinemas accept the new (actually 1920s !) technology ? They will have to also use this strange "anamorphic" lens as well as providing a much wider screen. The gamble pays off. CinemaScope is born.




Before long, everybody wants widescreen and CinemaScope... "the modern miracle you see without glasses" implying it's 3D which of course it's not, though curving the screen does help the illusion. New lenses are produced that use the same compression factor of 2x, under a multitude of names... such as Panavision, still greatly used today. There have been many other widescreen or panoramic processes, like Cinerama which came slightly earlier than CinemaScope, but the Scope anamorphic system has proved the most popular mainly because it is comparitively cheap. Also easy on the projectionist.

So in the early 1950s the classic 4 by 3 image is transformed overnight to 2.66 to 1 ratio. Even normally shot 35mm films are masked top and bottom to try and capitalise on the public's new thirst for Widescreen. At the same time, stereo sound is entering the arena. To make room for the extra sound tracks the CinemaScope frame is narrowed slightly (2.55: 1 ratio), and much later ends up at 2.35 : 1. But nobody seems to notice. The enveloping panoramic effect is still there and improved sound quality fills in the gaps.

So what happened to our old friend Sixteen Mil ?
Like 35mm, Sixteen was born with the classic 4 x 3 picture. That was way back in 1923, when it was intended solely as an amateur format. But during the war 16mm was used extensively by professional cameramen even with colour film. (Did you see the recent TV programme ?) After the war 16mm becomes very popular for showing films including reduction prints from 35mm.... and yes, Scope. So it's not very long before Chretien's lens is plonked in front of the 16mm projector-lens. Unfortunately, except for Arc-lamp projectors, the light output suffers because of the increased size of screen.

And for filming ? Why of course ! The same lens does it all.
Bolex and other manufacturers introduce special adaptors to suit their cameras. At first they are not too popular with film-makers. Perhaps because of that light problem ? Showing a small letter-box picture doesn't do justice to a Scope movie. Take a look at the "Robe" image above: Richard Burton must be in there somewhere ! Click on it, see what I mean ?
It will be years later in the late 1960s and 70s when much brighter projectors are developed for 16mm.


Unlike 35mm, 16mm CinemaScope retains its image shape of 2.66 to 1. On the screen that is. However, when showing reduction prints from 35mm the projected image is slightly narrower at 2.35 : 1. The one standard that has survived to this day is the 2x compression factor of the anamorphic lens, as the image is filmed or expanded on projection. Other lenses like the Iscorama were introduced with 1.5x compression, but they remain non-standard.

Final thoughts...
If TV had not reared its head in the fifties, would Chretien's lenses have ended up on a rubbish tip ?! Also, now TV is racing to become more and more like cinema, with Hi-def widescreen and surround sound, will Cinema sadly fade away ? Or right now is someone in Hollywood maybe saying: "I've got an idea..."

Kodachrome is still being sold !

I happened to look in my local Boots chemists the other day. There on a low shelf was old 35mm Kodachrome 64 Slide Film. Not "old" old. Well in date 2010 stock. What's more it looks process-paid. Thought you should know !

Faces of Sixteen Mil, part 1

The 16mm film gauge has been with us a long while, and is responsible for many, many great documentaries and dramas. The actual strip of film I'm sure you know, looks something like shown above left, with the frame-line bisecting the perforations, sound-film having just one row. The image ratio is the classic 4 by 3.
There have been quite a few innovations over the years to make new formats from dependable old Sixteen Mil. Over the next few weeks I'll be taking a look at them.

Let's start with one you've probably never heard of if you are under 40. It's that one on the right and it's called PAN-16. No joke... there are two images between the perfs. What's more, they are a very wide aspect ratio... something like 2.7 to 1. So PAN-16 is a true widescreen format that uses no anamorphic lens, and costs half as much to run as normal 16. If I remember, PAN-16 was invented by Stuart Warriner sometime in the 1960s. It was adopted by a relatively small number of widescreen enthusiasts including a certain Tony Shapps. In some ways it's a bit like the cut-price 35mm TechniScope format that became very popular. PAN-16 offers better picture quality than super-8, probably cheaper too ! Very wide ratios like this are best seen on a curved screen to enhance the 3D-like effect.

But before you get too excited... remember this is a very non-standard format. The 16mm camera must be converted to half-pull-down, and so must the projector. Obviously, a precision engineering job. It's practically impossible that you'll find any equipment already converted. And then there is the slight problem of showing it elsewhere. However, we shouldn't scoff at outlandish formats like PAN-16. In today's world, it no longer matters too much how the images were captured. If it's somehow possible to convert to a standardised format on either digital or film... that's all that counts. The original PAN-16 image can be first-rate. With a bit of ingenuity it could perhaps be blown up to the 16mm SCOPE format, which we'll be looking at next....

Normal service will be resumed....

....as soon as possible !
We've been having one or two technical problems lately, I won't bore you with the details. Filmcam website is also affected, so if you are waiting for the update please bear with us. Don't hesitate to email me in the meantime if you need any info on anything.

The Blog will continue shortly.... I'm going to be looking at the various 16mm film formats, one or two of them may be news to you. See you soon!

A Kodachrome Christmas in 2010 ?

Kodachrome-lovers... here's the latest news. Kodak has finally ceased manufacture of Kodachrome 64 slide film. That marks the end of the 74 year dynasty that, as I think I said in my earlier post, produced some of the world's greatest colour images.

That last production-run will be bought up fast, so don't delay if you want to have a final fling. Steve McCurry will be using one of the last rolls, and donating it to their museum, I understand. See www.kodak.com for some of his stunning photos and in-depth view, as well as those of many others in mourning... quite moving stuff.

In their defence, Kodak say that Kodachrome sales are a tiny fraction of their turnover. But then, these past 20 years, they haven't exactly advertised the stuff have they ?

The good news is that Dwaynes in the US are to carry on processing all types of Kodachrome until the end of next year. So you just might be able to cover Christmas 2010 on Kodachrome ! A happy thought.

Henri Barges In

This picture bothers me. Cartier-Bresson's "Bargeman on the Seine River", taken as usual with his 35mm Leica. I'm looking at page 11 of "Great Themes" in that excellent Time-Life series on photography, badly shown here for obvious reasons. You've bound to have seen it in many other publications too.

For me this image is absolutely extraordinary. The bargeman, not far from Henri's 50mm lens, is out-of-focus, yet he occupies a big chunk of the frame. Not at the side as maybe other photographers would have done, but bang in the centre. In contrast, the bargeman's World we see sharply on all sides. We have the wonderful diagonals and shapes of the roof, the mother's foot, the dog's ear and the soft-focus elbow. It's such a dynamic image, our eyes constantly moving about... the cherub, the dog in mid-wag, and so on.

How could anyone have grabbed such a whimsical picture ? Surely, the family would have shown at least some interest in a wandering man with a camera. After all, not too many folks carried cameras in 1957. But their attention is on the baby, the bargeman. Even the nearby wagging dog isn't interested in Henri. Just maybe the other dog is.

So how on earth did Henri make this image before the whole pattern collapsed. Maybe he just saw it with his eyes, instantly raised the camera and clicked. But then he would have risked a parallax problem caused by the close figure, and omitting vital details. Surely he had to spend at least a moment or two composing... didn't he ? !

Kodachrome... Alive or Dead ?

Is Kodachrome still available ? Can it still be processed ? There seems to be a great deal of confusion around.

Kodachrome is of course that legendary colour transparency film that first appeared in 1935. Amazingly, it was invented by two musicians who also enjoyed dabbling in chemistry, and their names were Godowsky and Mannes. The saying goes: "Kodachrome was made by God and Man !" What they came up with led to some of the greatest colour photos of the 20th century. In the dentist's waiting room, many a tooth-ache must have been calmed gazing at those images in the National Geographic mag.

Firstly Kodachrome was manufactured in 16mm movie, then came 8mm, 35mm and other formats. Also 120, which I regret not using. After initial teething problems, Kodachrome was recognised as THE most stable colour film. Archivally stored, the images should last hundreds of years.

Kodachrome is also a very sharp film with accurate colour rendering. It is difficult to describe in words the sort of 'naturalness' and clarity typical of a Kodachrome. But it's market share declined when Fuji introduced their own high resolution films, which had the advantage of easy E6 processing. Kodachrome's process is highly complicated, having to add the colour dye couplers. Over the years, processing labs declined in number. Kodak has now closed its remaining plant at Lausanne, Switzerland. And their decision-makers (who probably never used Kodachrome themselves) have ceased manufacture of arguably the world's greatest colour film.

A bleak picture ? Yes and no. Kodachrome continues to be processed by the independent Dwayne's Photo of Kansas USA. They offer a top quality service, and also sell Kodachrome 64 slide film. And until very recently you could buy 35mm Kodachrome here in the UK from Boots the chemists of all places... maybe worth asking them if any tucked away. Super-8 Kodachrome Movie film is still obtainable from Dwaynes, and also from Wittner of Germany where it is packed under their own label. They will also forward your super-8 film to Dwayne's if desired. Whereas film used to be process-paid, you now have to cough up extra, but it's probably worth it. On the other hand, I understand 35mm slide film continues to be processed without charge if you send it to the Kodak Lausanne address. (They then forward to Dwayne's.)

You can find secondhand film on Ebay etc. It's condition will depend on how it was stored, but generally Kodachrome should be OK for several years after the best-before date. Maybe because, unlike other colour films, it's inherently more like a black-and-white film ?

My advice is: if you have any Kodachrome hanging around in your still or movie camera, get it processed fairly soon. And if you want a final fling buy some while you still have the chance !

Visit:
www.dwaynesphoto.com
www.wittner-cinetec.com

Saving the Palace in photographs

Many of us in Bridport have fond memories of the Electric Palace Cinema which has been here since the 1920s.... with decor typical of that era.
Gone are the days when queues would form along the street. During the past 20 years, various folk have tried hard to keep it going against the odds. One 60-something chap I remember appeared to run the cinema single-handedly, manning the ticket kiosk, selling sweets, running the projector, and when the curtain motor broke down we (audience of 6) watched him jerkily winding it back by hand! That deserved a clap. The building was always icy cold in winter, which didn't quite help if you were watching say 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Sadly, the Palace was forced to close some years ago due to structural problems. I think the last film I saw there was 'Independence Day'(!)

After the closure things looked really bleak for Bridport cinema-goers. Once the town even had a second cinema called the Lyric that ceased many years ago, before my time. However, fairly recently someone had another go with the Palace, and it eventually reopened. It's now as lively as ever. New films most weeks including the odd World Premiere believe it or not.... 'The Young Victoria' no less. It took alot of hard work by dedicated people to get our cinema going again.

Local photographer Sammy Izri made a record of the restoration. You can see a few of his Rolleiflex photos at www.myspace.com/sammyizri
They show telling details of this cinema waiting to be saved. However, to absorb the atmosphere you really need to see his prints, which are currently on display at Bridport Community Hospital. The hospital is to the north of Allington Hill (stunning views from the top). Enter the A&E door and then along the corridor. Not the most inviting venue perhaps, unless you've just sprained an ankle up Allington Hill, but I promise you won't be disappointed.


More up-to-date info on the Palace at www.electricpalace.org.uk

Afghan Star

Last Wednesday I went to see the Premiere of "Afghan Star" at Bridport's Electric Palace Cinema. The film-maker Havana Marking was there also. She has made a remarkable documentary about a pop-idol TV programme that goes out in Afghanistan. You may have heard about it on the news. Around 2000 enter the singing competition, and 3 of them are women. Even though the Taliban are not in power, this is a very risky thing to do, and the women can receive death threats. It's an inspiring film though, showing the ordinary Afghans going about their lives, and their various attitudes to this rather modern TV show. Do see it if you can. It won awards at the Sundance festival. I understand it's now being shown at a London cinema, and later to go on Channel 4.

One of the women singers came from Herat, another hailed from Kandahar, two towns I remember well from the seventies. Here's one or two 35mm slides of Kandahar....taken with my old Kodak Retinette on Kodachrome II.

Mumbai film nearly ready....

I just thought I'd let you know, 18 year old Rob's documentary film on Mumbai is in its final stages. I find the city kids' chatter really interesting, and for some of this he has added subtitles. A friend is composing an original score.
I can't wait to see the finished film.
I'll keep you posted...

Shopping for an 8mm Pocket Bolex

Around 50 years ago, yes 50, Bolex sold their beautiful range of 'pocket' cine cameras. The B8, C8, D8... and then the design got rather less pocket-sized when they started adding reflex-zoom lenses. You still see these classics for sale. In their day, they gave excellent results with standard 8mm film. Like my beloved Bolex B8 (try saying that fast) that I told you about last time. But can you expect the same today ?

Standard-8 film (or Regular 8mm as it's also called) is still available, in colour and black and white.... see below. Even the great new Ektachrome 100D emulsion. If you are shooting with digital as the end product, it makes alot of sense to use standard-8 film. It can be scanned just the same as super-8. And as film has improved, potentially the results may be better than in the old days.

How Versatile ?
Many of the Bolex's have a wide choice of filming speeds, more, usually than super-8 cameras. And the Bolex lenses are legendary. And interchangeable, so lots of different kinds available. Arguably, with the precision gate you might get better results than super-8, even if the image area is smaller. Loading the Bolex is child's play, though not as quick obviously as a super-8 camera. Mustn't forget also to turn the film over halfway for the second run. Using a non-reflex camera for close-ups can be hit-and-miss, so Bolex offered a neat little set of prisms that correct the viewfinder parallax. You can also get the Som Berthiot Pan-Cinor zoom lens that provides reflex viewing, but will add bulk. Make sure it's the D-mount version. They also did them for 16mm cameras with C-mount screw. Some Bolex pocket-size cameras offer backwind and fading for special effects like in-camera dissolves. Highly versatile then, as well as giving beautiful images.... and currently very affordable.

However, 50 years is a long time for a movie camera. Even when new, Bolex recommended frequent oil checks. So many of the ones you see around today are probably crying out for a good service. This B8L for example. It looks in pretty good nick, you'd agree ? And the light meter flickers nicely, alive and well. But when I loaded up some old film it clearly doesn't like the faster filming speeds. (IMPORTANT ! ALL cine cameras: NEVER run at the very fast speeds without film loaded.) There are also signs of weaving in the gate when examined with a magnifier. In short, this Bolex needs a good overhaul if you intend using it. Enjoy delving into the innards of cameras ? Do it yourself perhaps... For how to oil a Bolex take a look at www.filmshooting.com/scripts/forum

So don't expect miracles from an elderly cine camera that's spent nearly all its life in a cupboard or attic. When cared for though, there is little reason to doubt these Swiss marvels could be in use for a long time yet. Like their watches.

Film Supply ?
Here are two UK suppliers of Standard 8mm Film.

PHOTOWORLD 7a Victoria Street, Craig-y-don, Llandudno LL30 1LQ (phone 01492 871818)

www.widescreen-centre.co.uk

You'll find them both helpful, and they offer processing too.

Remember Your First Movie Camera.... ?

Most of us can't remember our first experience of the magic of movies... But if you're a film-maker you'll very likely have vivid recollections of your own first movie creation. Your ecstatic grin as you saw those early images flickering onto the screen. And a short time before that life-changing experience, you'll no doubt have spent alot of time shopping for your first movie camera.

Mine was a neat little Bolex B8. Knowing nothing of cine cameras, my brother and I spent the whole afternoon in a small camera shop in Guildford, picking the brains of the amazingly patient shop assistant. (Not like today when they know next to nothing about cameras !) I had budgeted for £20 for both camera and projector, and was tempted by the magazine ads for cheap New equipment that was beginning to be imported to Britain... this was the early 1960s. But we were so impressed by the sheer quality of the secondhand Bolex for 21 guineas, that I spent all my pocket-money savings on it and managed to borrow the remainder from my brother. So no cinema-visits for a while !

Still no film to put into the camera, but my father luckily came to the rescue. Every shot was carefully planned... a family outing to the Isle of Wight I remember. Then the long wait for Agfa to do their bit. And I can still feel the excitement hearing that plop as the 8mm film landed on the door-mat. (Somehow video misses out on this one !) Then slowly unwinding the reel to see all those microscopic images for the first time. It was to be another long wait until I'd managed to borrow (I confess) more money for the projector...which one ? I'll tell you in another post...
I never regretted, though, the financial outlay on the camera.
And when the family saw my first film come alive in a darkened living room, I think we all had that grin across our faces.

The picture shows a Bolex B8L. This is similar in appearance to my first movie camera, but the B8 doesn't sport a variable shutter or light-meter... I remember I used to set the aperture from the instructions that came with the film. And I couldn't afford a posh Bolex pistol-grip like this, I eventually got a cheapo one from Boots.

Indian Rail Travel

Seeing some of Rob's India video footage has got me rummaging through those 35mm photos I took when I visited last. See my blog a few months back... in 'older posts' probably. One of the joys of travel through India is the Railways. The trains are great for photography. Open doors provide unhindered views, and you'll see and experience all of life onboard. But not so much if you travel in the air conditioned classes of course. Remember I was using my Olympus XA2 camera ? But I'd now run out of b/w film and so was onto the Indian Kodak colour stuff. So here's three of the photos going from Agra to Delhi... grainy eh ? Maybe caused by the heat during storage ? Atmospheric though. Does the photo of the elderly Indian gentleman remind you of anyone famous from last century ?

Mumbai film now in production

My son Rob went out to Mumbai in December, not long after the tragic events there. He took personal video footage with a Sony mini-DV camcorder, and he showed it to me this morning.... I was bowled over. To me it captures magnificently and simply, how India copes with such a trauma. He's editing the film now and it should be ready later this month. I'll let you know on this blog when it's released, and let you know the link. These three images are taken from the film.

AFGHANISTAN ? WRONG !

On one of my blogs you may have seen a photo (taken by my late brother Rex) of some people and camels passing a parked Land Rover. I had assumed it was in Afghanistan, however I am now informed by the driver of the said vehicle that this was not the case. It was in fact taken in the Bolan Pass in Baluchistan.... That is in Pakistan quite a long way south of the Afghan border. My apologies to everyone for this mistake.