Shooting on Film Archives - British Cinematographer

The positives in the negative

A woman holds a small camera close to an older woman with her eyes closed. Film equipment and a monitor are visible in the foreground, capturing the positives in the negative moments of this indoor scene.

Film capture is thriving. Whether it’s the visceral handheld of The Smashing Machine, the shallow-focus portraiture of Bugonia, the lonely suburbs of Dragonfly, or the intimate vignettes of Rituals: Union Black, filmmakers are embracing the unique aesthetics of analogue. “There’s a lot of hyperbole about the different magics of celluloid, but I generally think the chemical process of film losing silver … Read more

Film Lab 2.0

A person adjusts knobs and controls on a professional audio or video editing console in a dimly lit film lab, with illuminated buttons and screens visible—capturing the essence of film development.

Cinelab marries analogue craft with digital innovation in the service of the filmmaker’s vision. Cinelab Film & Digital represents the 21st-century evolution of the film laboratory: a place where a 100-year-old analogue capture medium is integrated with cutting-edge digital imaging technology. Led by a team of engineers, technologists, colour specialists and creative operators, Cinelab focuses on supporting filmmakers, storytellers and image-makers across every scale of production. “From the … Read more

Push and pull processing

PUSHING IT Every film stock has a developing time recommended by the manufacturer, but by altering that time you can change the effective speed of the film with various interesting side effects. Central to the film processing lab is the developing bath. There the exposed silver halide crystals of the latent image transform into black metallic silver, … Read more

Training

A group of people stand around a professional film camera outdoors. One person adjusts the camera, whilst others observe or discuss, suggesting a collaborative filming or production setting.

THE REEL DEAL As digital dominates, a new generation of filmmakers is rediscovering the discipline, patience and pure craft of shooting on film. Long-established technologies quite often enjoy the support of long-experienced adherents, even after alternatives have arrived. Keeping succeeding generations interested, though, is often trickier – though current camera neophytes seem refreshingly keen to maintain tradition. Oliver Stapleton … Read more

Restoration and preservation

A person wearing white gloves examines photographic film negatives on a light table using a magnifying glass, carefully checking the illuminated strips for preservation. Their face is partially visible as they work to protect these historical images.

RESTORATIVE POWER The BFI, a global leader in film preservation and restoration, offers a rare look inside its National Archive, led by head of conservation Kieron Webb. Fresh off the back of the second instalment of the successful BFI Film on Film Festival, British Cinematographer made the trip to Berkhamsted to see where the magic happens. The … Read more

16mm

A person wearing a black hooded jacket operates a professional video camera outdoors in a snowy, forested area, with blurred trees and hills in the background.

SWEET 16 First introduced in 1923 and aimed at amateurs, the 16mm film gauge developed into a professional and popular format in TV, documentaries, music promos and independent film. In recent years it has had something of a renaissance. “I think 35mm can feel too clean sometimes,” remarks cinematographer Sheldon Chau. When prepping the Alaskan short film Two Old Women, he … Read more

Film stock

A person holds a clapperboard and colour card in a dimly lit film set with stone walls. Another person stands in the background near a table and covered items. Various equipment is scattered in the foreground.

TAKING STOCK Around 12 years ago it seemed that manufacturing of motion picture film stock might end forever, but thanks to Kodak’s rise and recent developments elsewhere, filmmakers today still have creative choice when it comes to stock. Shooting colour film today often means choosing from the four negative stocks in Kodak’s Vision3 range: 50D or 250D for a … Read more

Lens choice

A man in a dark jacket stands indoors on a dimly lit film set, looking at a large camera rig wrapped in plastic. Wooden walls, a window, and fabric-wrapped objects are visible in the background.

FOCUS GROUP As digital pushes cinematographers toward retro lens choices, film continues to offer unmatched depth, texture, and surprise — shifting how creatives see, shoot and select glass. Affordable digital cameras with Super 35mm-sized sensors have provoked the development of a bewildering variety of lenses. Many of them have been built to create effects reminiscent of classic … Read more

Cameras

A person stands smiling next to a large professional video camera mounted on a track in front of a weathered wall with faded yellow text. The individual wears a bucket hat, T-shirt, and shorts.

THE ROLE OF THE CAMERA Production of new motion picture film cameras ceased over a decade ago with the rise of digital acquisition, but fortunately there are plenty still around for contemporary DPs to use. Some of the last film cameras to be released were the Aaton Penelope and the 16mm Arriflex 416 in the late noughties. Other mainstays … Read more

Lighting

A close-up of a man's face with wet skin, wide blue eyes, and a slightly open mouth, looking upwards. The background is dark and out of focus, with a shadowy figure and some small lights visible.

SEEING THE LIGHT Do cinematographers light differently for film versus digital? “I tend to light film and digital in a very similar way, with film being more flattering, so I tend to diffuse the light less,” says DP Lorene Desportes. “I would also try to stick to tungsten if possible, to be extra-safe with skin tones, although … Read more

Virtual production

A film crew works on a set with a silver car surrounded by lighting equipment, stands, and people. Large diffusers and cables are visible, highlighting a controlled indoor filming environment that may incorporate virtual production techniques.

OFF THE WALL Filmmakers blend 16mm film with LED walls, overcoming colour, lighting and synchronisation challenges through testing, achieving a seamless fusion of traditional film texture and virtual production techniques. (Lead image credit: Kato Boels) Combining virtual production with film is a heady combination, merging the old and the new to add a welcome patina to a popular technique … Read more

Sustainability

Three crew members on a film set operate a camera; one in yellow gloves, another in a cap and glasses, and a third dressed in black watch closely—all working together amid wood panelling, emphasising sustainability behind the scenes.

FRAMING A GREENER FUTURE New eco-friendly film backing reduces waste and water use, helping cinematographers balance classic celluloid artistry with modern sustainability. Kodak recently changed the reflection-minimising backing on its motion picture film stocks, marking the first sustainability update in years. Yet the industry still worries about transport and manufacturing. Nic Knowland BSC is a … Read more

Working with a lab

Three people stand and talk in the middle of a dimly lit, empty lab corridor, light streaming in through high windows on the right. The scene is shadowy, and the figures are partially silhouetted, suggesting a quiet moment of lab collaboration.

WORKS OF ART Cinematographers balance artistry and precision, testing film stocks and working with labs to capture colour and mood. An old master might question painting an image only to discover the oils’ colour afterward. That exaggeratedly describes the cinematographer-lab relationship, but it remains partly true. Fewer labs and more workflows make life no simpler. Tim Sidell … Read more

Service and support across film formats

Two people stand behind a large Panavision 65 film camera on a film set, both looking at the equipment; one is wearing glasses, a beige cap, and dungarees. They appear focused on discussing film formats and camera support.

Panavision continues to build on its legacy of expertise supporting film acquisition. “Shooting film in general, it’s a very personal relationship,” says cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw ASC, whose recent projects The Last Showgirl and Sinners ran the gamut from Super 16mm to 5- and 15-perf 65mm. “Only I know what’s going to be exposed. That’s a big, important job, and I take it seriously.” “There is a mystery to film,” agrees … Read more