Ensure You Get The Most From Your 16Mm Film Production

By Kathy Kaufman


Eastman Kodak first introduced 16mm stock during the nineteen twenties, offering it as a less expensive rival to 35mm film. The new format meant a non-professional filmmaker could start their own 16mm film production. Also, it made renting and buying movies a lot cheaper, and this helped increase the demand for the stock.

In the beginning, 16mm was not used by professional filmmakers, although later it became more common for them to do so. Famous films shot with the format include Clerks, The Constant Gardener and The History Boys. It became especially popular in television production, because the technology was lighter than 35mm, so it was easier to record news or documentaries.

There are three broad formats. Firstly, there is Standard, which has perforations along only one side of the stock, leaving space for a soundtrack on the other side. Then there is Super 16, which creates a wider frame. Although there is no room for a soundtrack, this format can be expanded to 35mm for projection purposes. Finally, there is Ultra 16, which is a do-it-yourself modification, converting a Standard camera into a Super 16 without the expense of having to buy one.

Four hundred feet of stock equates to around 11 minutes of actual screen time, but the same amount of 35mm stock will only produce four minutes. 35mm does have a wider aspect ratio, creating more space for the imagery, which means the image is of superior quality. The popularity of television nowadays has made 35mm less important because more people watch movies on television screens rather than big cinema screens.

Kodak or Fuji were the main suppliers of the stock. To shoot, you need to load your camera with film, and then take a light meter reading to indicate the exposure level. From this you can determine which f-stop setting to use, or put another way, how much light to let on to the lens. This determines sharpness of image.

Many 16mm cameras were made as much as 50 years ago, so when purchasing one, be sure it works properly. There are many well known brands to choose from such as; Bolex, Krasnogorsk, Bell And Howell and Arriflex. A user's manual will help you enormously, if there isn't one with the camera when you buy it, you should be able to get one on-line.

Stock is not cheap. You can record for hours on a digital camera at no extra expense. With film, you must prepare meticulously, and you're only able to record precisely what you need. Digital cameras enable you to record sound also. Film cameras are not able to, sound needs to be created in post-production.

If you're making a fiction movie, then make sure your script is finished before production begins. Get the best actors you can, and if you can't get professionals, then use friends or family if you think they might be good in front of camera. Scout for beautiful locations too. Prepare everything correctly, and you will have a successful 16mm film production.




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