The UltraPan8 2.8 projector project

[Nicholas Kovats]

Toronto filmmaker, James Gillespie, treated me to his wonderful work in progress - a very special modified 1950's Specto all metal projector specifically for the ultrawide UltraPan8 film format. Extra rollers, modified step down transformer, brighter 300w halogen bulb and blue LED fans! 8fest is in for a treat next year (Jan, 2014).

Photos -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/90929958@N ... 461090136/
8Fest -> http://www.the8fest.com/

Cheers!

[Scotness]

Looks good

[carllooper]

A real life UltraPan8 projector.

Make sure you get some video of the projector in operation at the festival. Especially with those blue LED fans.

Carl

[milesandjules]

Man that image is wide. I love the warm feel the film has. Nice work Nicholas.

[Nicholas Kovats]

I sure will. However, it may be my own UP8 2.8 projector that is actually completed first. Jame's machine has some major transport issues. Mine does not. Gotta love the integration of old and new!

A real life UltraPan8 projector.

Make sure you get some video of the projector in operation at the festival. Especially with those blue LED fans.

Carl

[Nicholas Kovats]

Thank you kindly. More to come. Do you happen to know Carl Looper in your neck of the woods (Australia)?

Man that image is wide. I love the warm feel the film has. Nice work Nicholas.

[milesandjules]

Only on the forum so far….unfortunately we do live 3000km apart…. 8O I'm in Queensland and he's in Victoria.. he he

[Tommy]

I liked the film... but I think UltraPan8 is just to wide of a picture.....just my opinion.

[carllooper]

Its only just a tad wider than cinemascope.

It can look a little awkward on a conventional 16:9 computer screen (and worse on a 4:3 screen) but would look awesome on a cinemascope computer screen, and would have no problem at all on a cinema screen or a gallery wall.

C

[doug]

I liked the film... but I think UltraPan8 is just to wide of a picture.....just my opinion.

I've always thought these very wide formats look their best on a curved screen. As well as reducing slightly the aspect ratio, the image takes on that 3D-like appearance. I wonder if anyone in the UP8 community has tried this. I remember Tony Shapps projecting his Pan-16 films on a deep curve screen similar to the Cinerama sort of thing, probably at least 12 feet wide, and they still looked pretty sharp and bright with I think a souped up Specto. Naturally the viewer has to be not too far away to get the full effect.

[doug]

I don't know how Tony managed to keep the edges sharp on that deep curve. It's interesting to see James Gillespie's UP8 Specto, and look forward to hearing more on this. Hope the Totonto festival goes well and wish I was there.

[Nicholas Kovats]

Some Specto history as provided by Tony Shapps, i.e.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tony <tony@shapps.myzen.co.uk>
Date: Sun, Dec 8, 2013 at 7:28 AM
Subject: RE: The UltraPan8 2.8 projector project
To: Nicholas Kovats <nkovats@gmail.com>


Hi Nicholas,

Thanks for your email. Also for the information on the dear old Specto (made in the town of Windsor in a factory near to the castle which is about 15 miles from where I live just North-West of London and one street outside of the latters boundaries). The only thing missing on the model you saw is Stuart Warriners variable pitch control mechanism.

The Specto was available with interchangeable gates and sprocket wheels; this meant you could run Standard (Regular) 8, plus 9.5mm and 16mm film through the machine simply by changing over the parts. Which is why we were able to turn one on its side and run it with the VistaVision format. Did I ever send you a bit of HALF-SIXTEEN film? If not let me have your address again and I'll try finding a bit of it when searching through for that other elusive roll of PAN-16.

Ian Smith, another gifted engineer, also converted a Specto (and Bolex H16) to run an enlarged 16mm format he called VARISCOPE. Hi (that?) system was later adopted by Rune Ericcson to become what is professionally known as Super-16 using single perf stock and opening up the gate on camera and projector to take advantage of all the emulsion area.

The original Specto 'featured' a dim 500-watt tungsten pre-focus lamp and a fairly bulky stepdown transformer with a number of tappings for different voltages. Additionally to the above, there was also a hi-speed analyser version used by research departments etc.

Kindest personal regards and, of course, the Seasons Greetings from sunny Moor Park and a Great New Year.

Tony
tony@shapps.com

07536022569
01923826500

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