8mm Forum: Installed the coolest 16mm film ever

This is topic Installed the coolest 16mm film ever in forum 16mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=001376

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on January 10, 2016, 08:29 PM:

I just did a museum install for a film called H.M. by visual artist Kerry Tribe. The film is the story of a man who after an injury only had 20 seconds worth of memory. To visualize this the filmaker has a single 16mm film running through 2 projectors on a 20 second delay. The whole film is on a loop. The sound is a unique stereo soundtrack so that some images produce full stereo sound (when the images on both sides match) and other times there is a dominant left channel and a subdued right channel (when you are seeing the images that were previously dominant on the left).

Wait stereo 16mm? Yep the engineers that worked with her on this project have worked out a very clever sound solution that runs a SMPTE time code in place of the optical track and that triggers the sound from a mac mini beneath the projector which is actually playing back the sound. This solution can actually reproduce full 5.1 sound for a 16mm film.. Here is a link to a short video of the rig in action.

KERRY TRIBE'S H.M. in the CAC Gallery at UC Irvine

Posted by Barry Fritz (Member # 1865) on January 10, 2016, 11:00 PM:

Wow. Very cool.

Posted by Paul Suchy (Member # 80) on January 11, 2016, 06:10 PM:

Absolutely amazing!

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on January 12, 2016, 10:07 AM:

Now that is some nice engineering.

Dino, how many times do you think that film is going to be run, looped like that? How long do you think it will look pristine?

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on January 12, 2016, 06:03 PM:

It will be run hundreds of times...I think I have noticed a slight flaw in the looper where it sometimes hits the edge of the film when it is coming off of the platter since it bounces a little and there is not much room for play...This is causing tiny diagonal scratching...I am talking to someone to try and rectify this...

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on January 12, 2016, 07:17 PM:

This is definitely cool Dino. There was a display on early film-making at The Getty last time I was there...but my guess it was digital...didn't spot any film projectors. Your display is so much more exciting. Makes me want to take a trip to SoCal to see it in person [Smile]

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on January 12, 2016, 07:47 PM:

Like something from a Tate gallery exhibition Dino! Amazing.

Noisy little swines though these Eiki's arn't they?

Posted by David Michael Leugers (Member # 166) on February 05, 2016, 12:37 AM:

Pretty awesome! I have long thought that something like the dual system sound is the way to go forward if possible. Making your own soundtracks to go with silent film prints would just be so cool. Plus the sound quality is so much better than 16mm optical or even S-8mm mag sound.

Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on February 05, 2016, 04:05 AM:

An interesting set up. How long does the film actually run before repeating itself. Hope you've got plenty of spare lamps handy!

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on February 05, 2016, 02:36 PM:

I hope the projection area is very dust free.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on February 05, 2016, 03:43 PM:

I'd like that SMPTE solution for my optical sound 8mm prints Dino, as a solution to project them on Mag sound only machines.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on February 05, 2016, 07:27 PM:

Dino - that's very impressive! I wondered how you keep both projectors at exactly the same speed as even a very slight difference would soon cause problems.

Posted by Elyas Tesfaye (Member # 3356) on February 23, 2016, 05:00 PM:

Hi Andrew,

I actually found my EIKI SSL-Os to be my quietest and smoothest machines by far... Anyone agree or disagree [Smile]

?

Best,
Elyas

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2