[Frameworks] Portable 16mm projector modifications (SPECTRAL Wandering Sounds and Images)

[Zach Poff]

Hi all. I'm writing to share updates about a project hosted by Mire film 
lab in Nantes, FR:  Wandering Sounds and Images is a series of creative 
research seminars and artist residencies focused on off-grid nomadic 
cinema performance (part of the SPECTRAL [1] collaboration between six 
artist-run film labs in the EU).

The research seminars brought together an international team of 
artist/experimenters. During three meetings in France, we created 
portable technologies for 16mm projection, "magic lantern" projection, 
and 8-channel sound diffusion. Mire will offer these tools to resident 
artists starting next month. _(There are three residencies. Application 
deadlines for the first two have passed. Subscribe to Mire's email list 
[2] to find out about the third.) _

We also thoroughly documented the project to invite others to build 
their own tools based on our designs. We're sharing this documentation 
on the wiki at filmlabs.org [3]. It's a work-in-progress, but the 16mm 
projector wiki section [4] is now good enough to share. Our goal is to 
transform 16mm projectors into portable, battery-powered performance 
instruments. We want to liberate them from the AC outlet and bring them 
outside to project film loops & normal reels with variable speed and 
brightness, forwards and backwards, and single-frame. We replaced the 
shutter with a flashing LED to create a "virtual shutter" with 
adjustable angle and # of blades. We modified two Eumig projectors and 
one Eiki. (The wiki is based on the Eiki since they are easy to obtain, 
but the fundamentals apply to most projectors.)

To make the project easily reproducible and adaptable, we used an RC car 
motor and battery, a common micro-controller and 3D-printed modular 
parts. The wiki contains a complete Bill of Materials along with source 
files for the micro-controller code and the 3D models. There is a 
step-by-step Construction Guide [5]. I hope our work inspires you to 
modify your own projector. It was a group effort, but I'm happy to field 
questions or direct you to somebody else on the team who can help you on 
your journey!

Find out more:

  	* Mire's description of SPECTRAL and the Wandering Sounds and Images 
project: https://www.mire-exp.org/spectral-2/
  	* My summary of the project (with photos, videos, and wiki links): 
https://www.zachpoff.com/artwork/wandering-sounds-and-images/
  	* github repo with source code: 
https://github.com/z-l-p/film-projector-retrofit

-Zach Poff

Links:
------
[1] https://www.spectral-cinematics.eu/
[2] https://www.mire-exp.org/mirenews-newsletter/
[3] 
https://www.filmlabs.org/wiki/en/meetings_projects/spectral/mire-wandering/start
[4] 
https://www.filmlabs.org/wiki/en/meetings_projects/spectral/mire-wandering/wandering-16mmprojection/start
[5] 
https://www.filmlabs.org/wiki/en/meetings_projects/spectral/mire-wandering/wandering-16mmprojection/construction_guide/start
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