Bolex Matte Box Ideas

[odyssic]

I finally have a Bolex matte box and I was wondering where I can get some instructions (online or book?) or does anyone have any interesting ideas for what to do with it? I was thinking some simple split screen matte shots but I'm exploring my options. Since I saw this Man Ray film on DVD where he split the screen six ways and had six glass things spinning, I've been obsessed with the idea of using it.

It didn't come with mattes or glass so I'll have to make those.

Thanks!

Steven

[Mitch Perkins]

I finally have a Bolex matte box and I was wondering where I can get some instructions (online or book?) or does anyone have any interesting ideas for what to do with it? I was thinking some simple split screen matte shots but I'm exploring my options. Since I saw this Man Ray film on DVD where he split the screen six ways and had six glass things spinning, I've been obsessed with the idea of using it.

It didn't come with mattes or glass so I'll have to make those.

Thanks!

Steven

First, take a page out of Flatwood's book and extend it out to edge of frame as often as possible; you'll get better colour saturation, and no lens flares, (unless you want 'em for certain shots.)
Always wanted to try the circle in the middle, whereby you can have someone's face in the sky, but never got around to it...see Woody Allen's part of "New York Stories", where his mother disappears during a magic trick, only to re-appear in the sky to harangue him and tell the whole city of his failures. But just a smiling baby's face over a cityscape would be pretty moving...you'll need glass w/dot and a matte w/hole, for that.

Mitch

[odyssic]

I see I see. So the glass with dot to blot out exposure and then the matte to expose just that area.

So are the acetate sheets that normally come with the matte box for titles or what? Would one need a super speed macro lens for that to work?

Steven

[Mitch Perkins]

I see I see. So the glass with dot to blot out exposure and then the matte to expose just that area.

Yep.

So are the acetate sheets that normally come with the matte box for titles or what? Would one need a super speed macro lens for that to work?

Steven

I don't know from acetate sheets or mattebox titles...

I can tell you that the dot/hole thing works nicely with the fact that the edges of dots/mattes inches away from front element will be fuzzy, facilitating the blending of the edges of the baby face into the sky above the cityscape, which I command you to shoot.


Mitch

[flatwood]

First, take a page out of Flatwood's book and extend it out to edge of frame as often as possible;....

It makes me think about those shots where some guy is looking through a pair of binoculars using a "binocular" matte. I love those shots, they always make me laugh. I should do one soon!!!

[Mitch Perkins]

First, take a page out of Flatwood's book and extend it out to edge of frame as often as possible;....

It makes me think about those shots where some guy is looking through a pair of binoculars using a "binocular" matte. I love those shots, they always make me laugh. I should do one soon!!!

Yeah, eh? It doesn't look like that when you look thru binocs, but you gotta make sure the audience knows...similar is the "keyhole" matte...makes me wanna do a peeping tom movie. ~:?)

Y'know, without opening any old wounds here, I realised recently that unless your matte rods are low/far enough out of the way of lens barrel, you can't get your hand in to twist the focus ring, and a follow focus unit is needed. Heh heh...

Mitch

[flatwood]

Yeah, eh? It doesn't look like that when you look thru binocs, but you gotta make sure the audience knows...

Once, I saw the binoculars image treated like the real thing and it didnt come across nearly as well as the two circles.

[odyssic]

Just saw 1st disk of unseen cinema and those early filmmakers seem to use mattes every 5 minutes for some in camera effect or another.

On this matte box, you can set it so that the zoom lever is behind the matte box. Then you could theoretically zoom through the keyhole and keep focus. If a peeping tom shot were needed.

Must find baby to superimpose on sky. Perhaps I'll have to wait a few years until I have one of my own.

Steven

[flatwood]

....you could theoretically zoom through the keyhole and keep focus. If a peeping tom shot were needed.

Thats a cool idea. Funny, last night I was watching part of U571 and they had several binocular shots. I had to laugh since we were just talking about it.