Filming on 16mm | Bolex H16
Filming on 16mm | Bolex H16
At the end of last year I purchased a used Bolex H16 REX 2 with a 25mm Kern-Paillard Switar lens. I worked with film extensively as a gaffer and grip, but I had never actually shot on it. It has always been a dream of mine to film on 16mm, so when the opportunity aligned, I took my chance and bought it. I can now proudly say I am a Bolex H16 owner!
The Bolex H16
The 25mm Kern-Paillard Switar
Okay, let’s talk about it. I wanted to start with something simple: a test roll. Shooting outside in my neighborhood was the most practical choice. There is plenty of light (film loves light), and I didn’t want anything overly controlled for my first roll.
I purchased two 100-foot rolls of Kodak Vision3 250D 16mm film. I chose 250D because I was shooting in daylight and wanted flexibility. Based on my experience as a gaffer, I knew DPs often shoot 250D, 500T, and 50D depending on conditions, and 250D felt like a good balance for my first experiment.
My first obstacle was learning how to load the film. I have loaded 35mm and 120mm film photography cameras before, so I wasn’t intimidated, but I knew it would be different. I watched multiple YouTube tutorials over the course of a week (having kids slows everything down). Once loaded, I secured the camera door with tape as an extra precaution to ensure it remained light-tight.
The NYC Marathon runs right by my apartment building, and I thought it would be a unique perspective to film from my balcony. I quickly grabbed my Bolex, composed the shot, and metered the light. I filmed a fairly long take, knowing the beginning of the roll might have minor leaks from loading. I went downstairs and captured a few more shots before it became too dark. The marathon continued long after the 250D roll was usable, so I packed up and saved the remainder for another day.
I finished the roll on two additional days in November during golden hour. I preferred golden hour because it offers warmer, more directional light and longer shadows compared to high-noon conditions. My three-year-old daughter even helped me shoot the final portion. We waited on the sidewalk for the train to pass, and she excitedly suggested filming the moon, her idea.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience. I had no idea what to expect when I sent the film out, which is part of the reason I love film! I sent it to Negativeland in Ridgewood, NY, and it came back in less than a week.
Technical Notes & Problems
From my research, I understood that shooting at a deeper f-stop improves focus forgiveness and reduces optical aberrations. The Bolex H16 REX 2 uses a reflex prism system, which slightly alters the optical path. RX lenses are corrected for that prism so focus remains accurate across the frame, particularly at wider apertures. Non-RX lenses can still be used successfully, but stopping down increases depth of field and minimizes potential focus shift or softness. Since my 25mm Switar is a non-RX lens, I kept that in mind and shot between f8 & above to ensure consistent sharpness.
I also had to omit two shots because the rotating lens turret handle crept into the frame and obstructed the image. My bad — lesson learned!
Branded Content for Pampers, Amazon and Pandora
Last year, I had the opportunity to work on more branded content projects than ever before — including projects for companies like Pampers, Amazon and Pandora Jewelry. I’ve always enjoyed creating documentaries as a hobby as well as a career — and being able to have these two things come together still feels very special. Any shoot, however big or small, is always a fun working experience I love being part of.
Pandora Jewelry project
For the Pandora Jewelry project, we shot a documentary-style video on a rooftop in Midtown Manhattan. PMC — the production company — provided all the lighting and camera equipment, but getting it to the location was a bit of a challenge. We transported the equipment via Uber as we often do — but getting it up to the rooftop studio ended up being the most difficult part of the job. My Rock N’ Roller cart came in handy that day for sure! The video we worked on that day celebrated a relationship between a mother and daughter who immigrated to the US from Mexico (this was shot near Mother’s Day) and obvs, Pandora Jewelry makes their mother-daughter bond ever so special. We shot with three cameras and captured some B-roll footage on the always-very-busy streets of Midtown Manhattan and in Bryant Park.
Amazon.com video shoot
The amazon.com shoot was in PMC’s studio. It was a two-camera shoot with different color backdrops, and it was for the back-to-school season in August and September. We had a bunch of children come into the studio and empty the contents of their backpacks onto a table in front of them, describing what was inside and explaining why they needed it. As you can imagine, the contents of their backpacks weren’t always school related! The production company provided all the lighting and cameras on-site, which made the shoot so much easier and I and the team were able to focus on filming. We used classic clamshell lighting and white V-flats on the sides to provide some nice bounce. The background was also lit by an Astera 1x1 on a C-stand on the ground with a junior-to-baby pin adapter.
Pampers branded video
For the Pampers shoot, we traveled to a small town in Connecticut to create a mini-documentary about Jacquelyn Stevens and her troubled pregnancy with her second child. After interviewing Jacquelyn and her husband, we shot some B-roll footage of them and their three children around their house. We used my camera, the Canon C300 Mark III, and two of PMC’s Canon C200 Mark IIs for the bulk of the video. We also used a few Aputure 300D lights, an Astera 1x1 Kit and various flags for the interview. On the way back to NYC, we drove through a thunderstorm, ending the day on an adventurous note for sure!
These are only some of the shoots I was able to be part of last year. I am always honored and humbled by every job, whether it’s for a corporate giant like amazon.com or a family-owned winery from Long Island.
Behind the Scenes Photos
PMC Studios
Vyvanse Shoot at PMC Studios
The Rock'N Roller
NYC Chinatown shoot with Chef Melissa King
VHS footage in a documentary
This past summer, I shot a documentary focusing on four stories told by women about domestic violence they experienced in their life. We interviewed the women in their homes in the New York City area. We only had limited time with each of them during the shoot. Usually, in a normal circumstance we would shoot for an additional day with each interviewee, but because of the sensitive nature of the subject we couldn’t rely on filming with them for an additional day. During our short period with each interviewee we captured their story and a few pieces of B-ROLL.
After the editor made a rough draft of the film, we wrote down missing visuals needed to tell the rest of the story. I thought it would be great to capture the visuals on a VHS camera because the stories told were from the past during the era of VHS. The director loved the idea! However, there was a problem with all the VHS cameras I found. The batteries seemed to be so old they wouldn’t hold a charge.
Now - back to the drawing board, right? Wrong! I had an idea to create a P-TAP from the AC power adapter that the VHS camera came with. I called my friend who had a sautering iron and voila - it worked! Now I had plenty of battery to last me the entire day without having to make a swap.
In the end - the VHS footage worked amazingly in the documentary. It gave the additional footage a realistic feel that I don’t think traditional camera footage would give.
Below are a few examples of the VHS footage used in the documentary.
Music by Rene Veron