With productions labs and resources continuing to dwindle, the march towards a (mostly) digital film future continues, though there are a handful of notable filmmakers hanging on to the old way of doing things. Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson are just two of the big names who are sticking by traditional film stock as much as possible, and now, a veteran director is also embracing a big camera negative while he still can.
Production has started on Terence Davies‘ next effort, “Sunset Song,” with the first images arriving, but the news comes with an interesting tidbit: he’s shooting the movie on 65mm. As folks know, that’s the format PTA used on “The Master,” and Variety reports that Davies has selected 65mm to “ensure depth, clarity and emotional impact on the screen,” with the landscape to “feature as a character in its own right.” So yes, eyeballs will be melted.
Of course, the number of theatres equipped to project 65mm is another matter entirely, and folks may recall that even for all of PTA’s efforts, most folks saw “The Master” in cinemas digitally (still looked pretty gorgeous though).
As for “Sunset Song,” it’s an adapation of the classic Scottish novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, centering on Chris Guthrie, a farmer’s daughter who struggles to find love admist hardship and family dysfunction, with WWI looming in the background. Agyness Deyn, Peter Mullan and Kevin Guthrie feature in the film, and if it’s half as ravishing to look at and moving as Davies’ last effort, the underrated “The Deep Blue Sea,” we’ll be pleased.
A 'handful' of filmmakers my arse. Since I can't post the link I'll paste the whole page.
Recent/upcoming films shot on Kodak film.
Title Director DP
Star Trek Into Darkness J.J. Abrams Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC
Noah Darren Aronofsky Matthew Libatique
Grace of Monaco Olivier Dahan Eric Gautier
Batman vs. Superman Zack Snyder Larry Fong
Edge of Tomorrow Doug Liman Dion Beebe
Entourage Doug Ellin Steven Fierberg
The Wolf of Wall Street Martin Scorsese Rodrigo Prieto
Jurassic World Colin Trevorrow John Schwartzman
Interstellar Christopher Nolan Hoyte Van Hoytema
Cinderella Kenneth Branagh Haris Zambarloukos
Dracula Untold Gary Shore John Schwartzman
Transcendence Wally Pfister, ASC Jess Hall, BSC
The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson Robert Yeoman, ASC
Inside Llewyn Davis Joel and Ethan Coen Bruno Delbonnel, AFC, ASC
Twelve Years a Slave Steve McQueen Sean Bobbitt, BSC
Snowpiercer Joon-ho Bong Joon-ho Bong
Tammy Ben Falcone Russ Alsobrook, ASC
Ant-Man Edgar Wright Bill Pope
Love & Mercy Bill Pohlad Robert Yeoman, ASC
Olive Kitteridge (HBO) Lisa Cholodenko Fred Elmes
Saint Laurent Bertrand Bonello Josee Deshaies
Man of Steel Zack Snyder Amir Mokri
The Lone Ranger Gore Verbinski Bojan Bazelli, ASC
The Hunger Games Catching Fire Francis Lawrence Jo Willems, BSC
The Hangover Part III Todd Phillips Larry Sher