One of the things that kept getting put off when we moved from our previous location at MovieTech Studios to our current location in Lawndale is organizing the many, many boxes of documents and printed materials I have collected over the years. Many of these items are service and parts manuals for various cameras, but […]
Almost Finished with Organizing and Labeling Our Library Read More »
One of the things we never really did after we moved was organize and catalog our small library of camera manuals, advertising, research materials, and other assorted historical documentation. We have been busy the last few days going through the collection, organizing and categorizing what we have, and trying to make a catalog. Just thought
Organization Chaos – Library Edition Read More »
A few weeks ago, an old friend of mine, Bob Bailey, reconnected with me and asked if I could help him re-home a Mitchell NC camera that he has been holding on to. Bob shot plates and 2nd unit for several movies with this camera, which he acquired from my professor and mentor Peter Gibbons.
Mitchell NC 184: A Treasure Unearthed Read More »
Every once in a while, some of the most unique things come across my desk. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine in Australia sent me pictures of Mitchell Standard #27 which he has been lovingly restoring. If this wasn’t unique enough, he also had something I had never seen outside of publicity photos:
Mitchell Standard no. 27 and Amazing Original MGM Bungalow Blimp Read More »
One of the more surprising and interesting relics we found in the Lucky Brown MovieTech collection was this outwardly nondescript wooden case. We were first intrigued by the MGM decals on the top and front of the case, how heavy it was, and by the name Ray June inscribed on the lid. Inside this custom
Ray June’s Filter Cabinet of Curiosities Read More »
As a prelude to some work I will be doing in the next week or so evaluating the Mitchell 205, I was hoping to begin this week by taking a deep dive into some history of this camera. However, after many hours of searching, we are no more informed about the history of the 205
Mitchell 205 35mm Silent Studio Camera Read More »
A friend of mine pointed me toward an estate sale of a former USC professor last week and I found a couple of interesting relics that begged me to bring them home. This home in Westwood, CA had the most amazing and eclectic collection of just about anything you could think of, from a player
Estate Sale Finds! Read More »
I have shown you my recent work repairing the Fries Ultra 70 3×65 IMAX format camera. The owner of this camera doesn’t have lenses that were made specifically for it, but it occurred to me that the lenses that were built for the CP65 Showscan cameras “might” work in this situation. This week I experimented
A Lens Mount Experiment Read More »
The heart of all motion picture film cameras, like Mitchell Standard 46, is the movement (or film transport). When I hand-cranked this camera for the first time, I noticed a bump or hard spot as I was cranking the camera. As I reinstalled the shutter assembly, I made sure that it was free-wheeling and turned
Servicing the Movement in Mitchell 46 Read More »
To go along with our ongoing restoration of Mitchell Standard #46, we are currently in the process of researching the history of the camera’s first owner, the Christie Film Company. Brothers Al and Charles Christie founded the Christie Film Company in Hollywood in 1916 and produced short and feature-length comedies through 1933. The Great Depression
Some Help with a History of the Christie Film Co. Read More »
