[Frameworks] 16mm sound recording

[Mike Morris]

The workflow suggested here is certainly the way I've worked since I first started making films, but has anyone mentioned the possibility of a mostly digital workflow arriving at a print with optical sound? One can still get a digital transfer with keycode burned in, correct? Then mix the sound digitally and have it mastered for optical track (I used someone in Burbank for this recently, though I had them transfer it to mag), export an EDL from your non-linear editor and have a conformer cut the neg (or cut it yourself), then send the AB rolls and a sound file to Colorlab? This would work just fine, right?
Mike MorrisDallas, Texas


Scott, this is pretty useless advice.  How many theaters even project 16mm?  How many of those have (16mm) DTS?  Of those theaters, how many want to run Morgan’s film?  A tiny subset, at best.
Technicolor Magnecraft — are they still around?  Very doubtful.
Morgan just needs to learn how films are made and optical tracks are printed.  He doesn’t need to shoot single perf stock, as he earlier suggested.  He needs to learn about editing double system sound (theoretically with a 16mm mag track) and then find a lab that can make a track neg and prints for him.
This depends on location.  I’d recommend Colorlab as they do everything he needs, including optical tracks and 16mm B&W printing.
But talking about DTS and Technicolor Magnecraft is just offering obscure info that won’t help Morgan.  Fine to reminisce, I do it all the time, but this is, scarily, 2016.  I doubt that DTS, owned by a holding company, is interested in making one-off disks for anyone.
I’d suggest these steps.
* Read the Sharples book, good historical advice* Shoot B&W neg or reversal.* Edit picture and 16mm mag track.  Mix tracks if need be.* Find a lab* Conform original (A&B rolls, or single strand if you like seeing splices)* Send to lab for optical track and release printing* Pay lab bill.* Submit to film festivals, who will insist on a digital version because they can’t project 16mm.* Have your 16mm print damaged by someone who doesn’t know how to project 16mm, or has an old and malfunctioning projector.
Jeff “old curmudgeon” KreinesKinetta
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/pipermail/frameworks/attachments/20161214/ae33186f/attachment.html>