Some inspiration...

Found these pictures in a magazine I read [Black and White Photography] who hold a Readers section for the readers to send in their best shots. I absolutely love these pictures, they contain so much passion and so many individual stories contained, let alone how much detail there is in what is only a small 'gathering'. Its what i imagine that the meets for pigeon fanciers are like, lots of men huddling around their pints in dimly lit Working Men's Clubs.

Ian

Jeremy Hunt is a Crook

Funding

So just an update, my Dad recently sent me a newspaper clipping from the Northern Echo I won't explain the clipping here as it's self explanatory...

Film fund will put region on screen

Ian

Visual Pleasure

Came across this footage recently on cinematography.com and was blown away by it! Some of the best Super 8 footage i have ever seen. The timelapse's at the beginning are perfect and the reflections in the water are beautiful. Obviously not directly related to the documentary, but it shows the potential of Super 8 and how it is such a viable format which rivals 16mm.

I'll post the video on here, but its best to follow the link to YouTube and watch it in "HD"

Also here is the link

Kodachrome and [South] Africa

I recently went round my Nana's and where I orginally got my Super 8 camera from her spare bedroom wardrobe, i remember there being a shit load of old Super 8 and 8mm reels, a projector, a hand cranked desktop 'steenbeck-eque' editing machine and splicer! Well it was still there! Bagged the lot and went through each reel with my mam, as obviously alot of them were of her as a kid! My Great Grandad used to live in Africa (and had a pet monkey) building bridges and roads and this was in 1953. The footage is still amazing and with it being Kodachrome hasn't degraded at all and film just makes the place look stunning, granted it was Africa mainly in Sierra Leone but just shots of baron infinite landscapes were mind blowing! However i think the nostalgia kicked in a bit, but non the less super 8 would make South Africa look amazing.

I will try get some screen shots up and that, but im gunna' try bring them all down to Farnham, so we could have a watch of it sometime!

This is the hand cranked 8mm editing thing, it is mental!!

Ian

16mm and Super 8 Cost

Well as you probably know I'm trying hard to try get some film, 16mm or super 8 into this project (providing the budget allows) and i've been looking at some prices of getting some 16mm Ektachrome stock processed and transferred. Now for this we are looking at processing at Dwayne's in Kansas US who are offering $101 for processing of 400ft plus an extra $2 to prep it for transfer. The transfer would be done at Frame Discreet, also in the States who provide possibly some of the best transfers around. Prices are $80 for a best light transfer. Best light is usually average at Soho or iLab, but those are telecine, these are frame by frame transfers offering amazing quality, density, contrast and the best images. Now i will look into telecine at iLab and try get a qoute as it may be more finacially viable to go with the lesser quality, however im not sure they transfer Ektachrome stock.

Super 8 is also a possibility, but i think we will have to go with Frame Discreet for the transfers as we will need the best quality we can get from the smaller neg. Prices are $12 processing plus $2 telecine prep and $20 per 50ft. We would also have to buy the super 8 stock, but could get lucky and buy one with 'Processing Included' which could save some money.

Super 8 reversal would look beautiful, as too would 16mm reversal it all depends on the stylistic angle we hope to pursue as they are both very different formats. We also need to consider; even though both will mix with digital footage, how we want them to mix and where will we mix them!

Here are some transfer pictures from Frame Discreet:

The quality of the transfers is amazing, the top is a bog standard transfer, the bottom is a frame by frame transfer by Frame Discreet. The left looks like a re dubbed VHS!

As good as Ektachrome is Kodaks Vision 3 with a preview video below:

Flocking Blogging

Well here it is, the official "Untitled Pigeon Racing Documentary" blog. Post here with updates, influences, pictures, videos etc. It is 1) A good communication device coupled with the Facebook group and 2) the archiving of the blog allows us all to present the workflow/progress in our individual progess reviews.

To post everyone needs a Google account i think... however if people can't be bothered setting up another account i will create a "default" account and tell everyone the password and login details etc.

Thanks

Ian