Some actual films

E

edinc90

Well-known member
I shot both of these for my intro to film class at a university in NY (not that one) last semester. I shot on Kodak Plus-X black and white reversal 16mm film. I used a Bolex H16 camera. All the editing was done on a Steenbeck flatbed, and later projected and recorded to make a digital copy.
So many people say they "film" things, when they aren't using film at all. Use film once (successfully) and you won't make that mistake again.


 
If you plan to make any friends here you should be a bit less pretentious about what you shot on. It's hard to tell how people mean things in online posts, but that's certainly one way to read this.
 
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edinc90 said:
So many people say they "film" things, when they aren't using film at all. Use film once (successfully) and you won't make that mistake again.
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I've edited with a steenbeck, and have made at least 6 films on 16mm (one of which was recently on B&W reversal, myself as the DP, but it's usually on color). I've shot with a 16mm bolex (H16, like you), super 16mm bolex, and super 16mm Aaton. I am also a film TA where I teach students how to shoot on film (and may be a level 2 film TA next year).

I've heard a lot of pretentious film students come out of school claiming 'you aren't shooting a real film unless it's on film,' for what reason, I don't know. Perhaps to feel better than those making videos or youtube films. I just think it comes off as sounding extremely pretentious. To be honest, I HATE this attitude, and I don't believe it to be true in any form what-soever. You can say what you want about the medium of it versus digital, but the term is just a term.

'Filming' only refers to a process of shooting images (usually for a narrative, but this can be debated endlessly). It's a term coined way back when the only medium to shoot on was, in fact, film. Now with the advent of video, then digital video, the term 'film' had become a standard term used by filmmakers alike. This often comes up in debates online with 99% (or more) of filmmakers agreeing it has nothing to do with the medium it's shot on, simply the content.

And yes, I've shot on digital and called it filmming, and the end product was a film, despite being experienced and having shot on 'real' film. I don't consider some to be 'actual films' and the others to not be.
 
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I only watched the second film. I'm not sure I understood all of it, but I do think it was made well. I also don't think you were exceedingly pretentious. It's not like you said, "Digital is no good" or "Digital sucks" or "Digital is a crappy medium," like some people might say about other tools used to produce a movie (e.g. cameras, editing programs, microphones, etc.). I think both can and have worked.
 
hey, Ed. I liked the fact you edited the 16mm and left the splices in :) I'm a filmmaker who shoots film every chance I get. That is every time I have money to burn. Oops! There, I lost another group of investors. I didn't mean "burn" in that sense. LOL

Anyways, I'm curious, which video camera, format, settings you used to shoot the projected 16mm off the screen? It's good as an effect. I often wondered if it would work.

You should edit in some music and maybe dialogue, no? At least with the second movie, because the first one it's kind of ok not knowing what was going on, and the acting was a bit like silent era; but the next movie I couldn't figure out what was going on so I didn't watch it to the end.
 
Technically speaking, their have been several very high budget movies recently to be shot in HD. Many filmmakers (such as George Lucas) have chosen to shoot a movie digitally.
Talking about "filming" somthing is equivilant to saying your going to Xerox somthing. It just means your going to photocopy it. It may or may not actually be a Xerox machine.
 
I wasn't trying to be pretentious about shooting on real film, sorry if it seemed that way. I mentioned mistaking "filming" for shooting on something other than film because when I was looking for how to film a computer screen, I came across a lot of people video taping off a computer screen, but saying "filming." What I really needed to know was if Kodak 200T film was fast enough (and color balanced correctly) to film a computer LCD. Eventually I found cinematography.com, which answered my questions (yes and yes.)
In the interest of being less pretentious, perhaps the title should have been: "Some films shot on film"

I didn't put any sound in because that's the way it was shot. I wanted to show it the way it was shown in class. I'm also busy with other stuff, maybe when I have time I'll add in some music.

After hours of splicing my film together, I can say that I hate editing on film, and would rather edit on an NLE. That said, you can't beat the look of shooting on film vs digital.

I shot both of the films with a DVC30 off a white wall in my living room. I don't recall the shutter speed, but it was one of the speeds designed to shoot CRTs with to eliminate the flicker.

To sum up: I'm sorry if I offended anyone. Yeah, the films could use work in the acting, writing, directing, and editing departments, but I'm not an actor, writer, director, or editor yet. Shooting on film is a unique experience for someone like me who has shot digital his whole life. If you have the opportunity, shoot something on film. It will give you a new appreciation for how Hollywood movies are made (until it switches over to digital completely.)
 
I shot film only for 18 years and now I shoot video only. I am never happier than when I pass Kodak or a film lab. I was never pretentious about film, it was a career, not a girl or a car. If anything I am pretentious now about video, because I know better.

I knew many people who strutted around with their film pretense. Most are looking for work now. You would be best to keep that in mind.

You obviously have talent but I am afraid your instructors failed to inform you the business of film has changed while they have continued to teach from 10 year old texts.

As they say, "those that can't do do teach".

Finally Edward, stick with this filming thing, you have a chance, but no better chance than any other kid. Keep your ears open and your mouth shut because you will learn more in six months working in the real world than six years of school.
 
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