Notes from June 2007

Empty Quarter rough cut

With a local grant deadline fast approaching, I continue working on a new rough cut for Empty Quarter. The grant application is due prior to our next (and last) production shoot (Aug 20-26), so unfortunately, whatever we record during that trip will not be included in the submitted rough. I'm doing mostly picture cutting as I await a new cable from Atomic Film Company which will permit me to use the KEM's bi-phase to slave a USD, for digital audio playback and sync, to the KEM's 24 frames picture. It's a means of avoiding mag transfers and keeping the audio digital until the final creation of the optical track. I have no real aversion to cutting mag, esp once I get the MTM recorders set up for transfers, it's more of means of cost cutting in the short term.

June 25, 2007  –  permalink

Flatbed technicians

Spoke to my pal Stan who resides up in BC. Stan was generous enough to gift me a few back-up PCBs for my Rapid. I purchased my Rapid from Stan several years ago. As the original owner, he purchased the machine in the early 1980s for something in the neighborhood of $28,000. Several years ago Stan came to Portland to assist me in overhauling a Steenbeck 928 (now in use at Sampo Films). He is an honest and good-natured technician and I was sad to hear the news that work has slowed to the point of no longer being viable. I hate to think that KEM service people are no longer of much use to anyone but a few archives, or the remaining productions that continue to use Rapids or K-800s for syncing dailies.

June 01, 2007  –  permalink