I'm making a 3 minute narrative with the bolex. It is going to take place in 1968. It is part of my independent study at Ball State University. Since it is for credit I have to finish it. The goal is to make a film that looks like it took place in 1968. I'll keep you posted on how things go. I've already got a script and I'm starting to do pre-production and some fund raising to get some capital for film stock.

Thanks for reading!
-Andrew

I looked around the internet and there are only a handful of places to get film new. Most places charge between $12 and $20 for a 25ft double roll. The cool part is this film is new and unexpired.
Try this place.

I, however, decided to take the cheap route and bought some old off ebay. I got four rolls of Kodachrome II 25ft (double) for about $8 shipped. The thing is the newest of theses four rolls expired in 1971. I shot 1/2 roll so far, trying to shoot some sun set footage because there is a lot of it in the film I'm going to shoot with the bolex.




After I expose the other half I'm going to send the film to Dwayne's to be developed. (From what I gather they are among the best). I've got my fingers crossed that this film is going to be okay, cause I'll save a bunch of money this way.

-Andrew
P.s.
Thus far my 8mm total cost has been:
$5 - Camera (actually was a gift, I didn't pay the $5)
$8 - batteries
$8 - Film
Grand Total of... 21 BUCKS!.. not too bad

So as you probably know the Bolex P4 and many other 8mm cameras had what is known as the Auto Eye or Auto Iris. This device acts as a light meter and automatically changes the F-Stop on the camera. If your 8mm camera takes any type of battery this is probably what the battery powers. The P4 has a manual control if your auto eye isn't functioning. This was the case for me, I needed new batteries. 2 strange out dated 1.5 volts that look like stubby AAs. I had to go to a specialty battery store to get them and they had to order them.



$8.00 (more than the cost of the camera itself) later the auto eye is working great. When I point the camera at different lighting conditions I can see the F-Stop indicator turning away.

Now All I need is some film.
-Andrew

In terms similar to my Bolex user manual, I have just aqired a Bolex P4 8mm cine camera. In fact the camera was given to me as a gift. (My cousin got it at garage sale for only $5!) I've fell in love with the camera and spent a good part of 3 afternoons learning how it works.




From here on out I'm going to try and share my hardships and hopefully triumps that come with the camera as I try to make a short film with it. I've got a script that I feel would be best portarayed in 8mm and now I have a camera. I'm also going to try and make this blog into a resorce center for the Bolex so please take a look around and hopefully you can learn somthing from me or, even better, teach me somthing about the camera.

Thanks for reading!
-Andrew