I was an early adopter of the RED ONE.
I was an early adopter of the DVX100.
Hell, I was an early adopter of Digital8 Standard Def video tape.
I like new tools, new cameras, and new ways of telling stories, but I always seem to go back and reference them against my favorite tried and true medium: FILM.
So, when I heard that the a new camera called the Digital Bolex was in the works, I was intrigued.
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I cut my teeth on shooting 16mm film, and used all sorts of cameras to do so: the Bell & Howell, the ARRI S, the BL, the SR3, and yes… The Bolex.
The original Bolex was hand-crank operated. Think a jack and the box, but you’re hoping the film doesn’t pop out. It was small and compact and versatile. And the images were as crisp and as vivid as the stock you used and the lenses you shot through.
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Jeremy Osbern shooting with an ARRI S 16mm Camera
So flash forward to a couple indie Filmmakers who struck a deal to use a Super 16mm-sized Kodak CCD sensor in a brand new motion picture camera, named after the famed film camera of yesteryear and housed in a body that looks a lot like an old-style Bolex.
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Filmmaker Misti Boland and I wanted to shoot a short film, and decided it would be a good opportunity to pick up a Digital Bolex D16 to run it through its paces.
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COURTESAN Camera Department: Camera Operator Emily Herold, 1st AC Bailie Richards, & 2nd AC Emma Penrose
But we didn’t want to just shoot with it: we wanted to abuse it, to push it to it’s extremes. So we came up with a short film that would push in on the image, shoot outdoor exteriors in sub-zero temperatures, shoot with mixed lighting, and move the camera using dolly shorts, hand held, and even some pseudo-Matrix bullet time for good measure.
And how did it hold up? Pretty well!
The camera does feel a lot like I’m shooting film again. Lighting is best when done by eye (like I did with film) and exposure is best when double checked with my light meter, as there are no additional exposure tools in camera (like zebras or false color). The ISO options are 100, 200, or 400, but like with film there is some latitude to pull a little more information out in post, thanks to the CinemaDNG RAW image workflow.
Working with the raw image felt like sitting in during a telecine session in the film days. There are multiple ways to process the footage, but our editor and colorist Stephen Deaver used Davinci Resolve and the raw files integrated seamlessly.
For the last couple years, I’ve been playing with some different techniques for doing some Matrix-style bullet-time work. Here are some example shots from a music video I shot for the Syn City Cowboys using a RED EPIC:
I didn’t know how these shots would turn out using the D16, but we incorporated some into the finished film, and they turned out even better than I thought they would. You can see a hint of the effect in the last shot of the teaser trailer above.
All in all, a fun camera to use. The camera’s c-mount means that with adapters you can use a variety of lenses. For this particular project, I used a full set of cinevised Leica Rs with an EOS adapter. The D16 is compact, can fit in tight paces, and gives an image that has better color rendition than DSLRs at a similar price point.
And the film we shot with it? I’m excited to say that it will premiere in competition at the Slamdance Film Festival as a part of the Digital Bolex Fearless Filmmaing Showcase!
Here’s the initial poster:
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And here are some stills from the film:
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OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2015 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
COURTESAN, starring Jessi Burkette, Joseph Anderson & Jeff Dobson.
Directed by Misti Boland and Jeremy Osbern, cinematogapher: Jeremy Osbern, camera operator: Emily Herold, 1st AC: Bailie Richards, 2nd AC: Emma Penrose, editor: Stephen Deaver, composer & sound by Nathan Towns, assistant director: Jess Shuler, gaffer: Marcus Guider, key grip: Chris Bradley, production designers: Natalie Edmondson & Xandria Richardson, art director: Alex Backus, makeup: Siobhan Naughton Kozisek, stills: Kendal Sinn, with production help by Savannah Rodgers & Christie Scanlin Dobson. Produced by Through A Glass Productions.