Fletcher Camera, the Midwest’s leading camera equipment sales and rental house, announces the addition of 3-Perforation film cameras to their extensive film and digital camera inventory. This acquisition makes Fletcher the first facility in the Midwest to carry 3-Perforation cameras and was originated to help commercial production companies navigate the budget and technology issues of 16×9 productions.
3-Perforation cameras are standard ARRI 35mm film cameras that use an alternative advancement system – three perforation movement per image frame versus the traditional four perforation. This type of camera has been widely used on the coast for years, primarily by the large studios for television and feature production. With the emergence of 16×9 HDTV and Digital Intermediate, 3-Perforation’s mainstream popularity is increasing.
“The technology is simple,” says Tom Fletcher, VP of Marketing at Fletcher Camera. “Instead of the camera advancing the film every four sprockets, it advances every three. This eliminates the unused space between frames when composing for 16×9. Since a majority of today’s commercials are shot for widescreen, 3-Perforation’s efficient use of the film is a great option. You’re able to shoot more frames, the magazine lasts 33% longer (which means fewer reloads and shortends) and you save about 25% on both film stock and lab costs. The best part is that all of this comes without any compromise in image quality. In a world of shrinking budgets this is good news.”
The statistics are indeed impressive when comparing a 3-Perforation vs. a 4-Perforation project. A commercial that needs 10,000 ft. of 35mm film shooting 4-Perforation would only require 7,500 ft. of the same stock shooting in 3-Perforation and would benefit with more shooting time per reel. This type of efficiency is causing commercial production companies to take note. STORY just completed their first 3-Perforation shoot on new spots for Union Bank. Shot on location in Chicago, the campaign began airing last week. “We are very pleased with the results,” says STORY’s Executive Producer Mark Androw. “The look is indistinguishable and shooting 3-Perforation allowed us to give the client a 35mm shoot for a 16mm price.” According to DP David Kessler who has shot 3-Perforation for features as well as commercials, “It’s great that Fletcher is bringing 3-Perf to the Midwest to educate and provide options to the production community. Agencies in particular appreciate that they can still use film in their 16×9 jobs with no change in shooting, turn-around or processing.”
The 3-Perforation postproduction process also shows no difference. “In working with 3-Perf our side is seamless,” says colorist Mike Matusek of NoloDigitalFilm, the shop that transferred and color corrected the Union Bank campaign. “Our workflow is unchanged. The difference is that we scan a 16×9 image and not a 4:3 image. The color correction portion is no different than any other job. The quality of the film transfer is identical to 4 perf transfers; it just makes more sense for digital intermediates and HD finishing. Resolution-wise we can still transfer at 4K, 2K, HD, or SD – whatever the client and workflow requires.”
Fletcher’s new 3-Perforation cameras complement their existing full range of standard 35mm, 16mm and digital cameras from Arriflex, Sony, Panasonic and Red One. For rental information contact the Fletcher Rental Team at 312.932.2700.
Fletcher Camera is a full-service film, HD, and video sales and rental facility specializing in quality equipment for the feature, indie, commercial, broadcast and new media production industries. For more information visit www.fletch.com.
