It's been a lifelong dream to shoot on film, and now I finally have the chance to do it...
I'm happy to announce that I finally got my own super 16 cinema camera, in this post I'll share how.
I love film.
I have wanted to shoot film for about 5 years now. I love the characteristics of film photography and enjoy the workflow of working with celluloid. Because I envision much of my work being shot of film, I set out to see how I could work with a 16mm camera in Colorado. To my dismay, I discovered there's only one rental house that carries a super 16mm film camera, but it shares it between sister sites in LA and somewhere in Texas, meaning it's hardly in state (and really expensive).
I decided I would look to purchase a 16mm camera for myself and in the end, own a piece of cinema's history, as well as provide the filmmaking community of Colorado access to a 16mm workhorse.
The Search
I searched eBay like a hawk, and just about every other auction or production sell-off site you could think of. The professional 16mm cine cameras are no longer made and come few and far between. I saw my share of sketchy cameras and other times missed out due to insufficient funds, but as the Bible states, if you seek, you will find.
Find, I Did
I found the camera package on Sharegrid, a platform for independent filmmakers to rent out their own gear. The camera belonged to a guy in Texas named Michael (now a good friend). I sent Michael a message asking if he still used the camera and if not, if he'd be interested in selling it. He got back to me and let me know it was special to him, and he'd have to think about it. I thanked him and continued my search.
A couple months went by and he reached back out to me. He said that the Lord had put it on his heart to transition away from solely cinematography, and into directing. He asked if I was still interested in the camera and of course, I said yes.
Direction from the Lord is a blessing that provides clarity and peace in life. Not every direction is where we want to go, but joy can be found in knowing that we're going the right way because He is leading. Michael was encouraging to me in his willingness to follow the direction of God and a blessing in that he sold me a camera I had been looking for.
We hopped on a phone call to discuss details and before we hung up, Michael prayed over me, my family, and my career, that I would be blessed and prosper in my work (what a stellar guy). I look forward to telling stories in the way I envision them and shooting film as much as possible.
I've created a more comprehensive breakdown (with images) along with a video that you can find in the post, Arri SR2 Overview.