New member with A GC camera

~
Feel free to discuss any topic related to the Mitchell Camera. Both 35 mm and 16 mm models are welcomed here. Also consider posting topics of other major motion picture cameras that you feel are important to the development of the Mitchell Camera. Feel free to upload a photo from the option on each new post.
~
Scene1
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:31 am

New member with A GC camera

Post by Scene1 » Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:04 am

Hello! I am new to this site, but not to Mitchell cameras. I am the current owner of GC #444. I have worked at a company with a BNCR long ago, and I took frequent visits to Martin Hill's place in the 1990s. I have used this GC with Milford Thomas and Jonathan Mellinger (and I helped them pick it out) We have made handcranked 35mm films with it. I assisted Milford and Jon with their in camera effects shots on Claire, and I produced and DPed "Octavia SIngs" with Milford. As we have set this up to use for handcranked films, I am now starting to look for some working motors to shoot under other circumstances. The BNCR I operated was a pellicle one from Desilu studios and we set it up with a 36v dc crystal motor. I'll post photos of my GC sometime soon. Here's a link to the most recent project I did with this camera and lenses (Baltars)

https://vimeo.com/100231366
Octavia Sings.jpeg
Click the link for video
Octavia Sings.jpeg (60.06 KiB) Viewed 29545 times

marop
Posts: 129
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:45 pm

Re: New member with A GC camera

Post by marop » Mon Oct 12, 2020 11:16 am

Welcome Scene1,

Interesting background, we’re glad to have you in our forum. Not a lot of people out there with experience on a BNCR. I knew Martin Hill as well. I remember he told me a story about some people who bought a camera from him (don’t recall which camera, probably a GC) as they wanted to use it to make hand cranked films. After their first film they came back to him very disappointed that it “didn’t look hand cranked”. Kinda funny actually. Martin helped them out with removing the flywheel. The results made the buyers happy!

Regarding the BNCR that you used, do you remember the serial number? Any photos or stories of its use would be greatly appreciated!

Mark
Director, Mitchellcamera.com

mediaed
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2016 3:53 pm

Re: New member with A GC camera

Post by mediaed » Thu Oct 15, 2020 1:59 pm

Please consider registering your camera here.

Scene1
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:31 am

Re: New member with A GC camera

Post by Scene1 » Thu Oct 15, 2020 4:39 pm

I am considering it, But I already know a lot about the history of this camera. For example, the Navy used it until at least 1967 (I have a maintenance tag on the body case that matches this body #), And Martin bought it as surplus in the 1980s and sold to my friends in the 1990s. I know hwat we used it to film since then. I may still register it, though.. to at least have a cert for it.

mediaed
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2016 3:53 pm

Re: New member with A GC camera

Post by mediaed » Fri Oct 16, 2020 6:16 am

Thanks for your consideration.

This effort is not as much about learning more about your Mitchell as it is about keeping these precision clockwork survivors preserved and acknowledged.
Registration gives you at least one factual document that validates the province of a camera other than hearsay which is important for its continued survival into a future.
There is no other such resource available from the actual original records.
A few "researchers" claim to do this but base their assessments from word of mouth and such things as labels on boxes found with the camera which after many years in highly circumstantial. They also have a much higher price tag on their product. Ours goes to provide a modicum of support to keeping the website operational.
It is nice you have as much information as you do and we applaud your efforts to use the camera as it was intended as a useful object.

Best,

Ed Johnson-Director,MitchellCamera.com

Post Reply