1) I picked up a pair of Eumig C3 regular 8mm cameras recently. The spring in both cameras seems very strong and for eighty+ percent of a run, the speed (16 fps) seems accurate. However, the very end of the run is MUCH slower. My Bolexes and Beaulieus maintain the same speed then stop dead. Any Eumig C3 users have the same experience? Is it the nature of the camera?
2) I viewed a recently restored dvd of "Potemkin". I would swear it was cranked and projected at 16fps. I liked the effect. Anyone aware if this films' technical history? :?
Two Questions!
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe
Two Questions!
Make those little films if only for yourself
Re: Two Questions!
That's the nature of a spring. Fancier cameras (your Bolexes and Beaulieus) will have a governor or something similar to cut the motor when the spring's tension begins to drop. In most clockwork cameras, the spring just winds down.
Movies started out being very slow, around 12fps. Cinemas realized they could fit more showings in if they increased the projection rate, so they may have shown movies shot at around 12fps at 16fps. Filmmakers cottoned on to this, and started increasing their own film rates to match those of the cinemas, who in turn increased theirs again. This continued up until the advent of sound demanded a constant speed on both sides.
Nowadays, you have another problem to contend with. As many as 80% of all silents are presumed lost or partially lost. A decade ago, films like Metropolis were missing a considerable amount of footage. Today, however, most of it has been recovered (although there are scenes still missing). With different copies of varying completeness floating around, people tend to buy the one that's the longest, thinking it's the most complete. Unscrupulous sellers, however, will simply take their old edition, with all its missing parts, and decrease the frame rate to make it seem longer.
I don't know for certain, but it wouldn't be at all surprising. There never was any real standard speed during the silent era, it ranged between 16 and 26fps, with 20fps being about average.mohican wrote:2) I viewed a recently restored dvd of "Potemkin". I would swear it was cranked and projected at 16fps. I liked the effect. Anyone aware if this films' technical history? :?
Movies started out being very slow, around 12fps. Cinemas realized they could fit more showings in if they increased the projection rate, so they may have shown movies shot at around 12fps at 16fps. Filmmakers cottoned on to this, and started increasing their own film rates to match those of the cinemas, who in turn increased theirs again. This continued up until the advent of sound demanded a constant speed on both sides.
Nowadays, you have another problem to contend with. As many as 80% of all silents are presumed lost or partially lost. A decade ago, films like Metropolis were missing a considerable amount of footage. Today, however, most of it has been recovered (although there are scenes still missing). With different copies of varying completeness floating around, people tend to buy the one that's the longest, thinking it's the most complete. Unscrupulous sellers, however, will simply take their old edition, with all its missing parts, and decrease the frame rate to make it seem longer.
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reflex
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Re: Two Questions!
It was hand-cranked at 16fps. Many films of the era was shot at 16fps and projected at 18fps. I'm honestly not sure if this was the intent with Battleship Potemkin.mohican wrote:2) I viewed a recently restored dvd of "Potemkin". I would swear it was cranked and projected at 16fps. I liked the effect. Anyone aware if this films' technical history? :?