Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with film

Quality film scanning service in Europe

einarorn — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:10:42 -0800

Quality film scanning service in Europe I'm looking for a quality film scanning service in Europe (or at least that delivers to Europe). I'm in Iceland.

I want to scan around 30 APS films and around 25 35 mm film negatives at very high resolution. Most of the services I've tried in my home town deliver low quality scans.

I'm looking for a service that scans negatives at around 3.000 dpi.

There are six-- I mean, five replicants.

EatenByAGrue — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:03:06 -0800

I have a plot question concerning the movie The Dark Knight. If you haven't seen the movie, you won't be able to answer my question, so there are definitely spoilers inside. At the end of the movie, when Gordon and Batman are discussing how to cover-up Two-Face's crimes, Gordon mentions that five people were killed by Two-Face, including two cops. The problem for me is that I only count three people killed by Two-Face, one of which is a cop. The cop in the bar was killed, and the mob boss and his driver. That makes three. Ramirez, the other crooked cop, wasn't killed, as far as I can tell, because the flipped coin came up clean. So even if you count Harvey Dent as one of the killed (which doesn't seem right to me), that leaves one person unaccounted for; two if you don't include Dent. Can anyone help me figure out who the missing people are? Thanks.

I'm looking for free-standing letters

Cranialtorque — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:30:28 -0800

I'm looking for 3-dimensional letters that can stand freely and be photographed. I remember seeing some that were sold to aspiring film makers during the super-8 era for creating titles. Does anybody know anything about these, or where I can get something like them? I cannot remember the exact era when these were available, or a manufacturer, but I do think they were an American product. I remember them being a condensed sans-serif, similar to Univers condensed, in white. (But my memory is hazy.) eBay searches are unsuccessful, and I'm having no luck with Google either. (A Blondie album entitled Plastic Letters is throwing me off.)

My goal is to take text-based photographs, with the type standing freely in different environments. Think Jenny Holtzer meets Andy Goldsworthy. Small, say 1" - 3" tall, is ideal. Most plastic type I have found is designed to stick to one surface or another - these need enough depth to stand freely.

I'm hoping someone knows the exact product I'm thinking of, but any helpful ideas are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Getting out of character?

jrb223 — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:31:52 -0800

What are some famous/infamous examples of actors getting so into character that they either have trouble getting out of character or the experience does some long-term psychological damage? I'm actually posting this for a friend who is working on a project where answers to this question will be useful. I was stumped by it -- I could certainly imagine instances of physical damage from weight loss/gain for films, but psychological damage I was not so sure. Any ideas?

Men leaving Mars for the great unknown?

pammo — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:03:07 -0800

Looking for examples from film of men nurturing women. In typical "Men are from Mars" fashion, mr. pammo - who I love dearly - is pretty great at responding to my more practical needs. But he doesn't seem to understand how I'd like him to respond to my emotional needs. For example . . .

Let's say I wear myself out taking care of the kids, the house, the job, etc. and I feel a little tearful. Or, say I'm confronting some challenge I find truly frightening. Or some event sends me over the edge a bit - a just-missed car accident or equivocal/bad news from the doctor. In any of these situations, and others like them, I could use some serious empathy from my partner.

Instead, most of the time I get a sort of blankness. I think the deep emotional realm scares the shit out of him. He can offer practical advice but that's not what I need, especially at first. Often, before I can consider practical solutions, I need to feel some reassurance.

I know my partner would like to be there for me when I'm down. Maybe he just needs to be shown the way.

So I'm looking for film clips of men caring for women in a deeply empathic way. Maybe if we watch them together, it will help him to understand what I'm looking for.

Great, absorbing books and films showing life in different times and places

MetaMonkey — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:53:00 -0800

I'd like to broaden my horizons by getting a better understanding of life in different cultures and time periods. Please recommend great books or films (fiction or non-fiction) which paint a broad, immersive, reasonably accurate picture of a place and time. The question is inspired by recently seeing a fascinating film called Atanarjuat, which spends a lot of time showing Inuit life.

Sorts of things I'm looking for: family life, relationships, spirituality, arts, economics... the whole deal.

Other examples of times and places: medieval europe, pre-history anywhere, roman empire, modern rural India... but anywhere and anywhen, as long as the portrayl is good and vivid.

What are some great examples of slow motion in film and video?

serial_consign — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:30:32 -0800

What are some examples of great slow motion in narrative cinema and experimental video? I'm doing a video project later this summer and I'm planning on slowing down archival footage (not mine, I'm using existing footage since it would be impossible to shoot my content). In terms of inspiration, can the metacrowd suggest some great film & art slow motion pieces? While I am interested in stuff like Douglas Gordon's 24 Hour Psycho, this project IS NOT about recontextualizing a narrative film! I'd love to get some suggestions about stunning slow motion material that I could check out for inspiration.

Indie Film Distribution

rocco — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:30:26 -0800

How to get theatrical distribution for an indie? We made a feature film. It's screened at over 15 festivals so far this year in the U.S. and won six awards. We got picked up by a big indie agency in L.A. but so far they have not managed to secure any kind of theatrical distribution deal.

We're not really in it for the money, but we'd like to get SOME kind of theatrical play (where people pay to get in) no matter where. We do have the funds for a 35mm print ourselves if needed, but we're not opposed to screening in HD. In fact it looks great in HD.

Anyway, is it possible to approach theaters directly? Obviously not AMC, but small local art house theaters. Does anyone have any experience with self distribution before going the DVD route (we have a small deal in place already, but are waiting for theatrical just in case)

Any advice appreciated. THANKS

An English Manor in Michigan?

skammer — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:03:50 -0800

LocationScoutFilter: I'm looking for an historic home in Michigan that can stand in for a 19th Century English country manor (this is for a low-medium budget film.) Google has disappointed, but I thought there may be some MI historical-society types that could help out. The film is a period piece, so they should be places sitting on at least a couple acres.

See and/or Buy

cmh0150 — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:03:28 -0800

I want to see an independent film: The Polymath, Or The Life And Opinions Of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman. While I live in Washington DC metro area and would go if showing nearby, I really would like to purchase this as a DVD. Does anyone know if it is or will be available in DC area or on DVD?

Film/TV: Cheesy music for a haunting effect?

TSGlenn — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:45:01 -0800

Looking for examples in film/tv where music that might normally be considered "cheesy" or "corny" is used to create an incredibly dramatic, memorable, even haunting scene/atmosphere... I'm thinking mostly along the lines of 70's and 80's music, but anything cheesy qualifies. The examples that inspired the question are:

In Nip/Tuck, a there are many instances of this style. One is the use of Art Garfunkel's "All I know" in the season 2 finale (seen here, particularly the last minute and a half.) Another good one is the dream scene in Season 2 using Carly Simon's "You're so Vain." Some Billy Idol songs also fall in this category, as do many other of the tunes played during the surgery scenes. Finally, Todd Rundgren's "Can We Still Be Friends" (seen here nsfw) is a great example. This scene is almost plagiaristically similar to the one in which the same song is used in the movie Vanilla Sky, another excellent example of the type of scene I'm looking for.

In Donnie Darko, the use of several Tears for Fears songs fall into this category, although here I'm thinking not about a particular scene but about how the soundtrack affects the atmosphere of a movie as a whole. Echo and the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon" seen here also fits in this way. Last, the Sparkle Motion dance scene with Duran Duran's "Notorious," which is cut together with scenes of Donnie burning down the guy's house.

I don't want this to be confused with, for example, Tarantino's annoyingly exaggerated music choices.

So, I'm looking for more examples of this style - and, is there perhaps a term that describes it in any way?

How do you make your indie films?

seeminglee — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:13:50 -0800

What are the challenges that independent filmmakers + people working in the industry (actors, crew, etc) face today? What tools do you use currently for the different stages of your production? What do you like about them, what do you wish for? I am currently conducting research to understand the landscape of independent filmmaking, and where solutions / hacks exist for filmmakers in dealing with the problems.

Do film cameras have any unique benefits?

invitapriore — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:04:29 -0800

In terms of output, what are the benefits to using film cameras over digital? I want to get back into photography. For a long time back in high school, I had access to a friend's semi-DSLR (lens not removable, fully adjustable shutter speed and aperture but limited choices in terms of things like white balance) and now I want to get back into photography. I've always been drawn to the idea of film cameras, and a friend of mine has a dark room, but my concern is the result and not so much the process. Does the medium of film have any unique advantages in terms of the images you can create?

My budget isn't very high, so if I were to go with a DSLR it would have to be old and somewhat cheap. Given this, the initially low investment that a film camera represents is somewhat alluring. I understand that film is a repeated expenditure, but I don't think I'll be shooting so much that it'll be a strain on my income.

Help me remember this movie...

smoothvirus — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:45:54 -0800

I'm trying to remember what the title of this movie was. I think it was made in the 1960's or 1970's in the U.S. I remember watching it on TV on the Sunday Matinee show in the 1980's. The plot involved this millionaire who wanted to attack the Soviet Union, he had a small force which was to attack Russia by driving trucks across the polar ice cap. All I can remember was that in the end of the film his plan is thwarted by the Soviets, who send planes to bomb the ice, and the trucks sink to the bottom of the ocean. Any ideas?

gas explosion in apartmen short film - name?

dabitch — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:46:07 -0800

Trying to find a Japanese short film "Tension" that I saw at the Rotterdam Film Festival 1999 or 2000. I saw this film at the Pathé Schouwburgplein either 1999 or 2000. The director was there and ready to answer questions after the screening.

The story: in a grey apartment block, inside a cramped apartment someone leaves the gas on while cooking. Each family member is doing something that theoretically could spark the gas to explode - sister is blow drying her hair, little brother is playing with a toy that sparks, someone is lighting matches - etcetera and so on. Tension builds, the edits get faster, matches are lit (gas does not explode), toy guns are shot (gas does not explode) and all sorts of other things go on until finally, the whole apartment blows up in the most amazing slow-mo explosion you've ever seen (and as I recall set off by an item you didn't suspect would be the one to set it off). We even get a nice shot from outside the apartment building watching the whole floor go kabloom.

Now, I can't for the life of me find out what this film is called or who directed it. Ring any bells?

1980s preppy/punker short film

btmeacham — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:53:36 -0800

Trying to remember an early '80s (possibly Canadian) short film shown on HBO's Short Take (right after a video for the original "Don't Stand So Close to Me," which might place it around 1980/81, maybe later?) about a prep-school kid who spots a punk rock girl on a train and dreams that he's kissing her.

What questions should I ask the subjects of my documentary on the Philippines porn industry?

premiumpolar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:23:37 -0800

I'm going to be filming a documentary in the Philippines about families supported by the pornography industry, and I'd like to hear any interesting questions you might have for the subjects. All the families there are very impoverished, and the subjects range in age from 15 to 28, and are both male and female. I'd especially like to hear non-typical questions that might lead to poignant answers, not just, "why don't you just get another job?" (Although, if you have an interesting take on that question, let's hear it).

What would you like to know about them? What questions do you have that you'd like answered in the film?

In The Dark About Noir

Xurando — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:58:39 -0800

After reading this article on Weegee, I started thinking about the concept of Noir and wondered about this question. "Does Noir exist as a current idiom or appear in a culture in America in 2008, and if so where might it be found?" I know that Weegee's art is a classic example of Noir and was a reflection of the culture he photographed. If a photographer wanted to take similar pictures today where might he'/she go to catch a glimpse of Noir?

You have been weighed and found wanting. Really? Show me.

rubberfish — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:05:21 -0800

You have been weighed and found wanting. Really? Show me. I need an example in popular culture or film. I'm looking for an example in film of the concept of the whole of someone's life being weighed, and they are found insufficient. I'm not talking about a single bad act being exposed, but the whole of a life being exposed, and seen as "light" - or simply not enough.

I'd love to find something that can be illustrated in a single scene, not an entire film... any ideas?

Can you identify this font?

marxfriedrice — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:01:19 -0800

What is the name of the font from the title sequence of the Italian Job? (the good one, with Michael Caine, that is). Here is a link to the screengrab http://www.shillpages.com/movies/italianjob1969dvd.jpg It is from the 1969 film The Italian Job's title sequence. What is the name of this font? Is it available from somewhere? Is there anything out there remotely similar? Thanks for any help!

This question is not based on any real concern

daksya — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:18:40 -0800

I just saw The Bank Job and had a question about the disclaimer at the end It says,

"This motion picture is based upon actual events and people..[snip]..Similarity of any dramatized characters, incidents.. to any actual event.. is entirely coincidental and unintentional"

The disclaimer contradicts itself. I realize that this is probably something to with libel CYA, but having just admitted that the film is "based on actual events", how can the similarity be unintentional?

What's the legal status of these disclaimers? If someone is indeed depicted libelously, what protection does it offer (in US, UK)?

120 film processing in Montreal, Canada

exquisite_deluxe — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:36:02 -0800

Where can I develop 120mm colour film in Montreal, or by mail order to Canada? I'm thinking about purchasing a Holga camera, but I don't know anything about developing 120 film. My main concern is convenience, so I'm looking for a drop off location either downtown or easily accessible by metro. Popping an envelope in the mail would be even simpler, if there is a developing place that charges reasonable rates for Canada.

CBC FLV

pcameron — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:49:34 -0800

I want to download a (non-copyrighted) FLV film (called A Film For Schools) from the CBC Radio 3 site, so I can post it on YouTube. How do I download it? The film is not copyrighted because it is made of public domain educational films (this is stated in the end credits). I really love the film and would like to make it more available, but the CBC Radio 3 website is badly designed and the video player stops to re-buffer every 30 seconds so I want to put it up on YouTube.

How do I sell analog photography in a digital age?

Hollow — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:52:31 -0800

I'm looking for a way to sell darkroom prints of my travel/street photography online. I shoot black and white 35mm film and make prints myself in the darkroom. I don't want to use an automated printing selling/printing service, so what is my best bet? An Etsy store? Any advice on how to go about this? Dos and don'ts? I'm sort of hoping that people will like the idea of buying something unique, something that was made manually without computers, but my printing is rarely perfect. Some of my best pictures have scratches on the negatives. Should I sell those for less, or just offer it as part of the picture. Is there still a market for prints that haven't been doctored up with photoshop? Are there any tricks or gimmicks that work when selling darkroom photography, such as including test sheets or work prints along with the final? Am I an asshole for trying to make money instead of just putting my pictures up for everyone to enjoy on Flickr or something?

What is the smoothest teenage sex music?

Beardman — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:19:00 -0800

If you were doing the soundtrack for a teen comedy, what song would you play in this scene? A nervous 14 year-old girl finally gets her crush to sleep over at her place. Naturally, she wants it to get hot and heavy. However, when she quaveringly proposes that they go to bed, her crush shrugs and flops over diagonally in bed--clearly not inviting any action, and not giving our hero any space to sleep. As the oblivious crush slumbers away, our stymied hero has no choice but to curl up like a dog on the miniscule corner of the bed left to her, struggling to pull a bit of blanket over her...etc.

We originally wanted Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" for this scene, kicking in just as the viewer begins to detect some potential sexiness on the horizon. The gag (obviously) was to play some recognizable "sex music" during this disappointingly non-sexual encounter. However, we've come to think that (1) the song is too cliched, and (2) it's too removed from what the protagonist would actually listen to. While the music here is non-diagetic, we didn't want it to be too different from the other stuff she likes, such as the Ramones, Devo, and Eric's Trip.

So can you think of a song that's in the same ballpark of silky, yearning sexiness, but is (at least SLIGHTLY) less well known...which is possibly by an indie artist and not too much like 'adult' sex music?