K40 and Stadium Lighting

[tfunch24]

This coming autumn I'm going to be filming some high school marching band competitions. I'd like to film them using K40--I have a freezer filled with new non-jittery K40 carts ready to be used and it's cheaper for me to develop (my supermarket offers developing services via Fuji via Dwayne's)--but the competitions are held at night. How does K40 hold up under stadium lighting? Would it be better to use Ektachrome or possibly Tri-X (I'm not too crazy about filming in B&W but if I have to, I will)?
Any suggestions appreciated.

Tom

[Billbot]

As an asside; can I ask why you are choosing to film such events on S8 film and what you plan to do with the footage? I'm just curious.

thanks!

[tfunch24]

In answer to your first question, I like the look of Super 8. I don't plan on filming entire competitions on Super 8; I obviously can't afford that. I'm planning to film highlights of each competition and, at the end of the season, edit the total raw footage into a short film.

As for your second question, after I've finished shooting, I will transfer the raw footage to my PC (via Video Cinemate) and edit them into a short "film." I'll transfer to video (either VHS or DVD) and share it among friends. I don't have any plans to have it professionally released or exhibited, if that's what you're wondering.

Tom

[David M. Leugers]

tfunch24

Unless your stadium has much improved lighting, K40 will more than likely prove to be too slow a stock. The type of lighting (color temperature) will make a big difference on how the film will look. I love B+W, but I would hate to see you have to shoot it because your project definitely calls for color. The best thing you could do, I suppose, would be to shoot a test prior to filming the whole film with Kodachrome, Ektachrome VNF 7240, and Kodak negative stock (at least 200 ASA) both with the daylight filter in and removed. Make notes about each shot for reference later. After processing, transfer all film and view it to see which stock / filter combination does the best job. I'm betting the Kodak Vision 200 will be a good choice due to its speed and tremendous latitude. Good luck, sounds like a fun project.

[tfunch24]

Unless your stadium has much improved lighting, K40 will more than likely prove to be too slow a stock.

Hmm...that does not bode well. I was hoping to film it on K40 because I have a freezer filled with K40 cartridges.

The best thing you could do, I suppose, would be to shoot a test prior to filming the whole film with Kodachrome, Ektachrome VNF 7240, and Kodak negative stock (at least 200 ASA) both with the daylight filter in and removed.

These competitions are held at night. Would I really need the daylight filter considering I'm filming by artificial lighting?

I'm betting the Kodak Vision 200 will be a good choice due to its speed and tremendous latitude. Good luck, sounds like a fun project.

Question for Roger: is it possible to transfer negative films via one of your transfer units and convert the captured negative image to a positive image with the "color inversion" feature found on most NLE software? It can't be that simple, I'm afraid.

David, thanks for your advice. Unless I can find an inexpensive way to transfer negative footage, it looks like it's going to be a toss-up between K40 and Ektachrome.

If I absolutely had to film in B&W (which I'm hoping to avoid), would Tri-X do the job? Kodak bills it as a "medium speed film" that is ideal "out door night sports photography."

Tom

[mike]

I shot a chicago white sox baseball night game (they played cleveland) using k-25, exposing for artificial light. I had an f opening of 2 and shot 16fps. The footage came out great, even the fireworks display. I could have even stopped the iris down 1 stop to acount for the florescent lights.

[jessh]

My advice is to shoot some film and see what works. dont waste a whole roll on something that has a good chance of not comming out though, shoot just a little bit and then shoot other things that you want to shoot that are well lit, that way you dont waste a whole roll and can see if you get acceptable results. what kind of camera are you using? If you have a camera that works well enough in low light and a well lit stadium you may be able to get away with using K40. Most stadiums seem to be rather well lit so using something like a Canon 310XL (1.0 lens 220degree shutter) and K40 MIGHT give acceptable results, if not then a good low light camera with Ektachrome may work, and Vision 200T would work even better if you can get setup to invert the image. to transfer the negative film you need to white balance out the orange mask and then you should be able to invert it in software, I have never done it though.

~Jess

[tfunch24 being lazy]

I'm using a Leicina Super that's equipped with a Leicina Vario 1:1.9 8-64mm zoom lens. I don't know what degree the shutter is. I've used it in low light situations with K40 and gotten acceptable results.

The first competition isn't scheduled to be held until mid-September. The opening home football game is going to be played two weeks from this Friday. I'm going to attend the game and just get some meter readings with K40 and Ektachrome. It's funny; I'm going to thaw out two carts of film just to get a reading and then back in the freezer they'll go.

I'll keep everybody posted on the results.

Tom (it's late and I'm too lazy to login.)

[S8 Booster]

Found this. Thought it might be of interest.

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fet ... _id=001G1n

Most stadium lighting is metal halide lighting. No one can afford to light a stadium with tungsten lighting these days as it is just too ineffeiceint. If it is a professional game; the lighting level should be quite high. Use a fast print film; 800-1600. You will be shooting wide open so a teleconverter is not useful, You will loose too much shutter speed. As far as golf is concerned, don't shoot during a swing. Wait till after the shot and the golfer has followed through. Otherwise you will be in deep ka-ka.
-- Jonathan Ratzlaff , February 17, 2001; 11:19 A.M. Eastern

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/produ ... .shtml#H06

Light Source KODAK Filters on Camera* Exposure Index/DIN
Tungsten (3000 K) WRATTEN Gelatin No. 82B 80/20
Tungsten (3200 K) None 125/22
Tungsten Photoflood (3400 K) WRATTEN Gelatin No. 81A 100/21
Daylight (5500 K) WRATTEN Gelatin No. 85B 80/20
White-Flame Arcs WRATTEN Gelatin No. 85B 80/20
Yellow-Flame Arcs None 125/22
Optima 32 None 125/22
Vitalite WRATTEN Gelatin No. 85B 80/20
Fluorescent, Cool White§ Color Compensating 60R + 10Y 32/16
Fluorescent, Deluxe Cool White§ Color Compensating 20R + 20Y 64/19
Metal Halide H.M.I. WRATTEN Gelatin No. 85B 80/20

* These are approximate corrections only. Make final corrections during printing.
§ These are starting-point recommendations for trial exposures. When you don't know the type of lamp, use a KODAK Color Compensating Filter CC40R

R

[tfunch24]

Thanks for going to the trouble of finding and posting that information.

Tom