Super16 questions

[Zagorchinov]

Hi there,

My upcoming thesis film will be produced in Super16 for blow-up to 35mm print. The negative stock is Kodak, the film type is of my choice. I've never shot Super 16 before, so I have a some questions, before I start testing:

1. Are there any specific S16 tests I should shoot?
2. What about Vision2 500T pulled -1 stop versus Vision2 200T normal developing? Which film will have less grain?
3. What about overexposure? Is 1/3 of a stop enough?
4. What about Vision2 250D versus Vision2 200T? Which film will have less grain?

I know the questions of these answers will be most clear after testing, but I hope to get some guidance in advance.

Thanks in advance,
Dian Zagorchinov, cinematographer
www.zagorchinov.com

 

[David Mullen ASC]

200T normally exposed and processed would be finer-grained than 500T overexposed and pull-processed.

200T would be slightly finer-grained than 250D except in the blue layer -- daylight stocks have a slower-speed blue layer since the color temp is higher. But the two stocks are very close. And even 500T is very close so I wouldn't worry too much if occasionally you need to use 500T stock.

Remember that overexposing doesn't make a stock finer grained, it makes it look tighter in grain structure because you are exposing the small, slow grains inbetween the large fast grains -- but the large grains are always there and are what determine the speed of the stock.

1/3 to 2/3 of a stop overexposure would be a good thing in general. 1/3 is within a margin of error for exposing, i.e. you won't always get a denser-than-normal negative because you may occasionally misexpose by 1/3 of a stop. 2/3 of a stop overexposure generally means that your negative will always be denser than normal. But 1/3 is better than nothing.

I've tested those three Vision-2 stocks and always find that they are very close in quality, which is a good thing but it makes choosing harder. But when in doubt, use a slower film if you can, and overexpose it if you can for the best blow-up.