Filmshooting

Could it be because those of us making films just get on with it? I've got four films in production at the moment: three of them full 'scope. Two are in post - edited and striped, but having the sound track added. A further two are mainly in the can, but waiting a few more shots and titles before be...

If you want lip sync, then you will have to either: Clap each sequence with lip sync. Have the film striped. Add the sound to the sequence, and then edit it into the film. or Dubb the lip-sync sequences. To match sound to film, either transfer the sound to reel-to-reel and edit for length of film, o...

The conventional route uses a sound projector: most can record sound as well as play it back.

Shoot the footage; record the sound. Edit the footage and have it sound striped - narrow strips of magnetic tape are glued to the edges of the film. Now add the sound.

No computers necessary!

What splicer did you use? How much cement did you use? Did you brush away the fragments from grinding the film ends?

Properly made cement splices should be less obtrusive than tape.

Mine is the 8Z but packaged as 'Kowa for B&H'. This has a 54 mm rear thread, but the same lenses.

I have two full 'scope assemblies: a big B&L with a Minolta and a Kowa 8Z variant on a Canon. In both cases, best results are obtained by focusing both the A lens and the camera lens. With the Kowa/Canon combination, the correct focus on the A lens is visible on the microprism screen, which make...

For striping (exposed film only) it is difficult to beat EvT Magnetics in the UK:

magevt@amserve.com

They can do laminate (acetate) or laminate (polyester stripe.

Anyone out there have any information on the R8 magnetic sound equipment made by Peterson in The Netherlands around 1956? I'm trying to establish the beginnings of 8mm sound striping for my Walton website.

http://www.isoplethics.co.uk/walton/walton/htm

The built-in light meter averages the brightness over the whole field of view. With a scene of normal composition, the average will allow a normal mixture of dark and light items to be exposed correctly. When you point the camera at the sky, you are effectively showing the camera a uniformly bright ...

For me, S8 is still the cheapest way of making movies. To replace the facilities I have for S8, I would have to spend £4k to £5k, right? The interest on that pays for all the film I can shoot, edit and stripe in a year. Add in the fact that I would be spending more £ks every couple of years...

'Protect-a-Print' is a green, slightly thicker than normal leader that is smooth on one side and finely abrasive on the other. It is designed to clean gates and guides by removing the built-up dirt. It is better to clean the projector thoroughly after each session. 'Protect-a-Print' wetted with isop...

What surprises me is that the very old films are still enjoyable. The sound I used was just old 'silent movie' piano, but the audience really enjoyed them. For my own films, it still surprises me how tolerant audiences are to sync. Stuff you've recorded completely wild, just for effect, is accepted ...

It may be posible to go even older in style. I did a show for a specialist group (not movie specialists) a few weeks ago. The first hour was all stuff from before 1914 - drama and documentrary. To my surprise, they loved the very old drama shorts (2 to 8 minutes) and have me to do another show. Perh...

Get a junk projector and hand-crank the gate mechanism? A powered step-by-step drive shouldn't be a problem, either

My preffered way of burnishing contacts is to use a draughtsman's glass-fibre eraser. Some model shops sell them too - as burnishing tools.

Remember that you have probably removed all the plating too, so a thin film of silicone grease should be applied to slow down further corrosion.