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Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 10:00 pm
by brucermorgan
Hello Folks
I am Bruce R Morgan a producer director of the as yet unreleased Project Lodestar Sagas a science fiction movie series.

In 1989 I bought a Mitchell BNC 356 from a Mitchell Company factory worker. For the next many years I spent time shooting with this and other Mitchell Cameras such as the Mitchell SS model. After raw stock became costly and long after digital cameras proved adequate (but not better) I decided to put my main Mitchell up for auction. Just recently, I sold the BNC 356 to Todd Fisher.
Bruce Morgan BNC 356.JPG
Bruce Morgan BNC auction.JPG
In 2001 I spoke to Tracey Langdon at Panavision - Woodland Hills. He informed me that had he known of my camera only by Jan 2001, it could have been rented through Panavision to a TV cable series wherein the desired look was that of the famous series "Outer Limits ".

The key to that look was the Baltar lenses not the camera and we discussed the deep focus formula of the old lenses.

In future discussions and posts here on this site, I will share some experiences I have had with the Mitchell BNC.
Such topics will be:

1) Shooting with black and white film.
2) Technical specs of the BNC as concerns lens adaptation.
3) Tech tricks with the BNC for close up photography.
4) The construction details of a BNC. I pulled deconstructed many of these cameras during sale of BNC movements to Japan in the early 1990's and saw ground wires and rubber sound dampening features of a very unique nature.
5) My observations on shooting with the BNC on location and in interior locations.
6) Historical notes on the BNC from camera department supervisors at MGM Studios.
7) And much much more ....

In any case
Hello to everyone who visits this site.
Best Regards
Bruce R Morgan

Re: Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:21 am
by oldprodp
Greetings and a warm welcome to you Bruce! I am looking forward to your list of topics that you will be posting here at the forum. I remember seeing your BNC on eBay a few months back (356). At the time, I was heartbroken that I didn't have available funds to bid on your wonderful camera.

For the last 5 years or so I have been searching for an affordable, intact, Mitchell BNC. Your camera was the first unmodified BNC that I have personally seen for sale since 2009. And the two that were up for auction during that time were not even close to the great condition that yours was in. Documented screen used Mitchells are a rare bird indeed. Do you have any more pictures to share of that BNC?

Thank you for being here. Save our film history!

Wilson, the oldprodp

Re: Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:47 am
by mitchellbnc
Hello members. I have been talking with Mr. Morgan on the phone and via emails. We are privileged to have him here and I am thrilled that he is willing to share his in depth knowledge regarding to working with the Camera That Filmed Hollywood! I can't give away all the details, I will let him do that - but what he has in mind for us here and also his linkage to Hollywood history is of monumental proportions. Bruce - I hope I haven't said too much. Greatest respect to you sir!

Theodore Wilhelm
MitchellCamera.com administrator

Re: Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:01 am
by 35mmKing
I second that vote. Hurray and welcome to Mr. Mogran. Excited about the upcoming topics!

~ King

Re: Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:12 am
by action_camera
Team: Just did a Google search for Lodestar Saga and found the Facebook page, how cool that we have Bruce here at the forum. Check the link out below.

And welcome here Bruce, looking forward to everything you have planned for us and best of luck with the Lodestar Sagas!

https://www.facebook.com/ProjectLodesta ... fref=photo

Now back to posting more pictures of the Mitchell in action.

actioncamera!

Re: Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:18 am
by followthefocus1
er um, nice King but you forgot the link to the myspace page. If you are going to include social media links, please respect myspace as well. Thank you.

https://myspace.com/project_lodestar_sagas

Respectfully,
followthefocus1

Re: Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 1:33 pm
by yoyo29_monica
Welcome Mr. Morgan! We are so happy that you have joined us and I'm excited about hearing more about the Baltar lenses in detail. Also an interest of mine is the construction and deconstruction topic you spoke of. The rest of you guys going off about social media this and that, just settle down, ya hear? Egads, men!

Tee-hee,
Monica of Tarzana

Re: Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 2:19 am
by brucermorgan
Hello !
I wish to thank you all for the friendly responses to my introductory posts .
I will now start a new topic on Mitchell BNC construction .
Cheers
Bruce

Re: Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 4:06 am
by brucermorgan
Hello Wilson !
I hope my reply is in the proper placement .
You have made an interesting point about the unmodified BNC 356 .
The Key speculations as to why it was unmodified are
1-The era of auto internal slates was over .So no modification was done
2 Fox studio probably ordered the camera in 1967
it was delivered between dec 1967-jan 1968
3 The camera may have had a special use .It was fitted with a 144 degree shutter
to eliminate roll bar on TV sets filmed in any given scene .
4 There was one other special reason which will be a suprise .
Here are some extra shots you requested .
CHEERS
BRUCE

Re: Hello from Bruce R Morgan 30 Mitchell Cameraman

Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 8:12 am
by followthefocus1
Excellent points as to why anyone, anywhere - could find an unmodified BNC during this day and age. If you had asked me to speculate as to why that you had been so lucky, I'm not sure if I could of even come up with any plausible scenarios.

But there you are, with 3 perfectly intelligent reasons and they all make perfect sense to me. So this gives me hope that I too will find one. Again, you are a very lucky man!

What could be the mystery reason number four! I await your next post sir.

Respectfully,
followthefocus1