Stepping up the Game: The Bolex H16 and the Arriflex SR2 and SR3
As our new module called 'Filmmaking' deals with the production of a 30 second advert on real film stock for the upcoming Nahemi Kodak Awards, it is only natural that we would start getting to know film cameras and their handling – as well as how to load and unload them – to get a first impression of what filming with an analogue 16mm camera will be like. Which is why I consider this to be a splendid kick-off for a blog entry.
Thus, we have been introduced to the Bolex H16 Reflex made by the manufacturer Paillard, and the Arriflex SR2 and SR3 made by the German manufacturer Arri. Starting with the Bolex H16 Reflex, this is a purely mechanic, self-loading camera that can take 16mm film rolls of up to 100f in length. Since it comes with daylight spools, this is a camera than can technically be loaded in the light, as opposed to the Arriflex cameras that I will discuss later on in this post.
The Built of the Bolex H16 Reflex Model
On top of the camera, you can find the eyepiece with the viewfinder. In order to ensure that the image is in focus, you need to look through the eyepiece and at the grid lines or ‘cross hairs’. These cross hairs need to be in focus, instead of the image in the background to ensure that the image is sharp.
On the right-hand side of the camera case, you will, amongst others, find a mechanical handle to wind up the camera and a film gage that shows you how much film you have already used up. Make sure that you reset the film gage to zero with every new film stock or else it will show you the wrong numbers. On the right side as well, you will furthermore find a catch that can either be set to the letter ‘M’ for ‘moving picture’ or ‘P’ for ‘picture’. While the setting for ‘M’ enables the camera to run smoothly when pressing record, the settings for ‘P’ enable the camera to take single frames with every pressing of the record button. The latter is a feature that allows you to film in stop motion.
You will furthermore encounter a wheel with numbers attached to it, which is the wheel to set the shutter speed for the camera, which can be set to either 12, 16, 18, 24, 32, 48 and 64fps. Obviously, the higher the shutter speed, the quicker you run through your load of film as you use more frames per second with increasing number. Another factor to look out for is the noise a higher shutter speed creates. Since the camera is purely mechanical, the sound also increases with the speed, which makes sound recordings noisier as well.
At the front of the Bolex camera, you will not only find the mechanical record button, but also the lens gate and the lens attachment. However, since this camera was mostly used for filming news, it not only comes with one lens, but rather with attachment for three lenses at once. This once ensured a quick change of lenses to adapt to life events. The bottom one of the three lenses is a turrid lens that serves as a lock and prevents the other lenses from rotating. Once this turrid lens is unlocked, you can easily turn the set-up and change lenses whenever needed.
At the front as well, there is furthermore a catch for ND-filters as well as for colour filters, such as e.g. yellow. However, these colour filters are only used for black-and-white films as they help set a better contrast in the resulting footage. It is recommended to leave the filters in the gate when the camera in not in use so dust is prevented from entering the film gate and sticking to the film stock, which could damage the footage in the ensuing wind-up process.
Since the Bolex camera is rather light compared to the Arriflex cameras in question, it can be mounted onto the tripod with a C-screw.
Loading and Unloading the Bolex H16 Reflex
Moving on to loading and unloading the Bolex H16 Reflex, I have devised a little step-by-step-manual for you, which is as follows:
Open the magazine at the left-hand side of the camera
Load the camera by clipping the film on the daylight spool in on top
Drag the beginning bit of the film slightly out and let it get caught by the teeth
Draw the film stock past the film gate
Close the gate after loading
Wind the camera up manually by unlocking the handle outside the case
Wind the camera up with the handle until you encounter resistance
Lock the handle in its position
Press the record button and roll the film for two seconds to get rid of lit stock
You are ready to film! As you film your shots, the camera winds itself up
After filming, re-open the case
Eject the full daylight spool by pressing the flip catch inside the case
Take the spool out of the camera
In case of an erroneous wind-up, you can even easily cut the film on the bottom of the inner case as there is a slicer attached. This prevents from losing any more film material than necessary.
The Arriflex SR2 and SR3
The Built of the Arriflex SR2 and SR3 Models
Moving on to the Arriflex SR2 and SR3, their setup is not too dissimilar from the Bolex HR16 Reflex even though they are sturdier and heavier than the latter. And while the Arriflex SR2 has been in use in the industry starting in the 1960’s until it was taken out of commission, the SR3 has ‘only’ hit the market in the 1990’s. Both now seem to be considered ancient in the world of 16mm cameras, but they are nonetheless a good starting point for us film students.
However, a major difference between the Bolex, the Arriflex SR2 and SR3 is the fact that the Arriflex SR3 is electronically powered by a battery. This also means that properties such as e.g. shutter angle and yardage are not set by handles, wheels or levers anymore, but by the use of buttons. On the left side, you will find a catch that can be set to either ‘normal’, ‘PS’ or ‘CCU’. While ‘normal’ describes the standard frame rate, ‘PS’ – as abbreviation for ‘programmable speed’ –allows you to switch between frames rates such as 18fps, 23,976fps, 24fps, 25fps, 29,97fps and 30fps. Just press the black menu button and then hit the blue select button to select your desired shutter angle. If you want to reset the yardage meter on the camera, you simply hold both buttons down to reset it to zero. This mode can also be found in the camera menu. The SR3 even comes with a video assist box attached to its side that allows to feed the image into a TV screen with the help of an additional digital camera.
However, the ‘new’ battery power comes with a caveat: It needs up to 24h to recharge fully and only holds for about one reel of film. If the video assist is engaged, the battery’s running time lasts from 30min to a maximum of three to four hours. And even though video assist spares you from constantly changing the focus on the eyepiece between the director and the camera op, you should not rely on it for focus. The sharpness of the image can now be verified by the use of a wheel next to the eyepiece mount. Turn the wheel and the image will turn red, exposing the grid viewing. Adjust the grid lines so they come into focus and then turn the wheel until the red light is turned off. Failure to do so will lead to the film being exposed in red.
The original lens kit that is compatible to both Arriflex SR2 and SR3 capture at the old TV ratio 4/3 and will thus not be useful to our TV advert and us for Nahemi Kodak. However, our college has provided us with a new lens kit that features six prime lenses with the following focal lengths: 8mm, 12mm, 18mm, 25mm, 35mm and 50mm. Since lenses are a vast topic in and of itself, I won’t go into detail for now. However, I will write another blog entry on lenses and their properties in the near future.
The first obvious mutuality of all the cameras is the weight that is considerably higher than that of the Panasonic AVCs or P2s. You can tell that camera technology has made a major leap forwards in the past. This has also implications for the mount, as both cameras need ¾-screws in order to safely attach them to a tripod.
While Bolex H16 cameras are self-loading, Arriflex SR2 and SR3 cameras need to be loaded manually, which is a challenge in and of itself. Since these cameras can take up to 400f of film stock, the film stock cannot be loaded on daylight spools, but needs to be loaded on normal spools, in the pitch-black darkness to avoid exposure. This not only means that it becomes more difficult technically, it also means that loading an Arriflex requires more time which needs to be factored in when filming.
Loading and Unloading the Arriflex SR2/SR3
Bolex cameras are loaded and unloaded on the same side of their body, but SR2 and SR3 are loaded on their right side and unloaded on their left side. When loading the camera, the footage is usually already loaded on a film call, which is essentially a black cog. The loading procedure for the SR2 and SR3 is as follows:
Open the right side of the magazine
Pull the lever back and lock it down at the end position
Put the call on the spin so the film runs counterclock-wise with the perforation upwards
Flick down both pins on top of the spin to lock the film spool in place
Push the end of the film into the slot holder
Slowly turn the wheel outside until the film clicks into the sprocket
Clip and lock the lever so it touches the film (this will serve as your film meter)
Close the lid and lock it
Shake the magazine to check whether the lid is truly closed
Then pull the film stock tightly to the white line at the bottom of the magazine
If you pulled too far, cut the excess film off by cutting THROUGH a perforation mark
Form a loop at the front of the magazine without pulling the film too hard
Feed the film into the slot holder on the other end until it is set on the teeth
Use the wheel to roll the film in through the left side of the magazine
Create an equal loop at the top and bottom of the magazine front
Adjust the film at the catch so you see three black spots at the end of the perforation (this is your visual sign that the film is clamped on tightly)
Open the left side of the magazine
Take the uptake/intake spool and clamp the end of the film into the core of the spool
Roll the film once or twice around the spool to tighten it
Click the lever inside the spool to create tension and secure the film
Push the intake onto the spin and push down the pins on top of it
Push the lever onto the film until it sits tight
Close the lid and lock it
Shake the magazine to test whether the lid is locked
When you finished loading the Arriflex magazine, you then attach the magazine to the actual camera in a 45° angle. On top of the magazine, you will find lever and a silver pin. While the lever will help you detach the magazine from the camera again, the silver pin acts as a lock for the lever so it does not accidentally pop open.
Once you locked the magazine to the camera with the silver pin, follow up with attaching the battery. Any failure to lock either the magazine doors or the magazine can result in exposing the footage to light. After assembling the camera, turn it on and press the ‘phase’ or ‘test button’ for about two seconds to test whether the camera was properly loaded or whether the film stock has tangled itself up.
For unloading the abovementioned Arriflex models, you proceed as follows:
Unlock the lid and open it
Pull the lever back into its end position and lock it
Lift the pins atop the spin
Lift the intake with the footage and take it out
Place the footage into the can and seal it
Remember: Loading and unloading the camera needs to be done in the dark or else you risk that your hard-earned footage is destroyed before development. This can either be done in a professional darkroom or in a portable ‘film changing bag’ or ‘darkroom bag’.
As you can see, this is a fiddly task with many steps to execute and remember. Since step 1 to 9 in the loading stage and step 1 to 5 in the unloading stage need to happen in the darkness, it is vital to practise loading film stock into the camera, which is what I started today.
Upon starting to load the camera, the most surprising element was the tenseness and the inflexibility of the film stock material itself. It took me a while to get used to the material and be able to push it into the slot holder. It was then difficult for me to develop a feeling on when the perforation would finally catch into the teeth and be able to be spun out with the help of the attached wheel. Surprisingly, once I managed to feed the film out of the slot holder, the rest was rather easy. Creating a loop than was equally looped on both ends but still tight enough to be pulled in without creating a crease was easier than I had expected it to be.
I managed to load the SR3 two times and the second time already went much quicker and smoother. Once I practised it more often (and practised the unloading of the footage as well) I will move on to practise loading the camera in the dark using a film changing bag such as this one:
Looking back on this issue, a few issues become apparent that need to be kept in mind if you want to ensure that everything runs smoothly on set:
Avoid the video assist or keep the camera turned off before filming or else you’ll be down to 30min of shooting time
Practise loading and unloading until it becomes second nature to you
Well, this is going to turn into a practise-heavy couple of weeks. But I am sure it will be so worth it. After all, how many film students can claim that they shot on 16mm?
References:
Arri (1992) Arriflex 16SR 3 Instruction Manual [online] moodle.northernart.ac.uk [Accessed on 4 October 2018]
Charnley, L. (2018) Introduction to Film Cameras: Bolex / Arri The Northern School of Art, Hartlepool, 27.09.2018
Pixel Peeper (2018) Extra Large Professional Film Changing Bag [online] Image taken from: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional-Changing-Light-Proof-Double-Skinned/dp/B00AFY11GS [Accessed on 4 October 2018]