Filmmakers John Elfers and Ryan Harris shot their indie-horror ‘Moon Garden’ on expired 35mm short-tails film stock in order to get the grittiness of old school Art House and Grind House films of the 70’s and 80’s. John and Ryan talk about learning how to scan this challenging project using Blackmagic Cintel Scanner and DaVinci Resolve. The filmmakers share their experiences shooting old out of date film on a bunch of revitalised film cameras. “We are asked frequently, why shoot on film”. “To be honest, both Ryan and I have worked on digital productions, and we never felt the digital formats had the same magic as film. What you see on the monitor, is what you get, which is fine, but without fail, every time we’ve shot on film, we get the footage back and it looks exceptionally better than it did in reality. Film has a way of binding everything together, glossing over imperfections, and elevating the imagery. And personally, I love the grittiness of old school Art House and Grind House films of the 70’s and 80’s. That aesthetic lives in my blood.” “Film was always our target, and we were striving for that gritty, edgy feel you get not only on film, but when you push the emulsion by letting it expire and age. We knew that on an indie film, the challenge would always be money, so the solution to scan the film for editorial was a critical component. While we wanted the vintage quality of film, we also wanted to use modern tools to finish, including editorial and grading.” "We spent over a decade sharpening our teeth working on other people’s films. And meanwhile, I built up an arsenal of vintage lenses, 35mm cameras, grip and electric. I stockpiled one hundred thousand feet of expired film stock in my kitchen, stored in front of an air conditioner.” “What’s truly exceptional about the journey of ‘Moon Garden’ is that our scan on the Cintel became what used to be called a Digital Intermediate, that we then used to print back out to 35mm film for release in theaters. This has been our dream from the start, and the opening weekend of “Moon Garden” in Los Angeles sold out all three 35mm Memorial Day Weekend screenings! Watch the video and read the full story at https://lnkd.in/gHTy8Fg4
Looks beautiful. Not just the visuals, the story 🙌
Beautiful and inspiring. Love it. But there is a sentence mentioning a "fluid gate"? That can't be right. What did he actually mean to say there? TIA!
Look at those tones...sexy AF!!
This looks awesome! Congrats on the amazing work John Elfers and Ryan Harris
Beautiful!
Looks FANTASTIC
Interesting!
Fantastic!
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3moJohn Elfers and Ryan Harris's bold decision to shoot 'Moon Garden' on expired 35mm short-tails film stock paid off, achieving a unique, gritty aesthetic reminiscent of 70's and 80's Art House and Grind House films. Their choice of Blackmagic Cintel Scanner and DaVinci Resolve for scanning and post-production was crucial in maintaining the film's organic look while harnessing modern tools for editorial and grading. The fact that they were able to scan the film and print it back out to 35mm for theatrical release is a testament to their dedication and innovative approach. This project showcases the potential of combining vintage film techniques with modern technology to create a distinctive visual style. Kudos to the filmmakers for pushing the boundaries of indie filmmaking!