[Tig] Super 16--BBC and other comments...

[adam berk]

I just finished a music video shot super16 a few weeks ago.  It was a  
spirit transfer to 1080p d5-hd.  It seemed to me that the slower  
speed stocks partnering with better lenses provided great results.   
On the other hand, there was a section shot on the fuji 500D, with a  
not so great lens that came out very soft and very grainy.  In my  
opinion, and from my limited experience with super16, the kodak 500T  
resolves a far less grainy image than the fuji 500D...even when  
underexposed.

For a sharp, tightly grained picture in HD from super16, I think it's  
probably smart to stick with ISO250 and below...


To add another super16 show to the list, "The O.C." is on Fox and  
broadcast in 720P i believe.


thanks so much,

Adam Berk
BluMedia Projekt and Creative Technology
Flame/Smoke artist and C>me development team
T. +13303103950
E. adam at blumediaprojekt.com

www.blumediaprojekt.com
www.creativetechnology.com



On Jan 11, 2007, at 8:53 AM, Ted Langdell wrote:

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> Ted Langdell
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> On Jan 11, 2007, at 5:13 AM, vinny wrote:
>> Rob,
>>
>> It has nothing to do with the originating format, it has  
>> everything to do
>> with the broadcast path of the images, heavy compression etc..  
>> This has been
>> going on since I believe in the early 90's when CBS New York made a
>> statement that 16mm or s/16mm was too grainy for broadcast.
>>
>> Bob Mastronardi of Kodak New York was and is very involved with this
>> subject, perhaps we can have him respond.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Vinny Hogan
>> Cineworks-Miami
>
> The BBC item and Vinny's post are interesting from a couple of points:
>
> CBS aired "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman" which, from what I understand  
> was shot in Super 16... something that I hadn't realized from  
> watching the show until I happened on a location shoot at the State  
> Capitol grounds in Sacramento and asked about it. Arri cameras were  
> in use, IIRC. IMDB (for what that's worth) reports they were from  
> Claremont camera. Not sure whether it ever aired as an HD program  
> on CBS.
>
> IMDB (FWTW) also reports Randy Starnes was a colorist on an  
> "unknown" number of Dr. Quinn episodes, so he might comment.
>
> I could have sworn that the last season(s)? of NBC's West Wing were  
> shot in Super 16 and aired in HD... but I can't find confirmation  
> of the use of Super 16. I remember comparing episodes from the  
> previous season with the first of the new one and couldn't really  
> tell much if any differences.
>
> And... Kodak has several web pages of data about series and MOW's  
> that have been shot on Super 16.
>
> http://www.kodak.com/US/plugins/acrobat/en/motion/16mm/ 
> super16_intro.pdf reports on page 8 about "The Virgin Queen" a four- 
> part BBC miniseries that also aired on PBS's Masterpiece Theater.
>
> http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/16mm/why/filmMaker/hdtv.jhtml? 
> id=0.1.4.3.10&lc=en ends with this comment:
>
> POSTSCRIPT: On November 8, 1996 CBS Television engineers authored a  
> technical paper based on their subjective and objective evaluations  
> of a daylight exterior test shot on a backlot in Los Angeles. The  
> test was recorded on 16 mm, Super 16, 35 mm film and in high- 
> definition video formats. After converting all the images to HD  
> format, the authors reported that the 16 mm and Super 6 film  
> produced objectionable "weave, judder and noise." They recommended  
> producing all content for television in either HD video or 35 mm  
> film formats. The accuracy of that test is questionable, but one  
> thing is certain: In the ensuing eight years, film and scanning  
> technologies have changed the equation. It is long past due time to  
> toss that report in the circular file.
>
> Ted.
>
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