On Apr 19, 2008, at 11:06 PM, m6 wrote:
>
> have you films on youtube, please?

Just say no, Bill!

>
> been marvelling and scratching my head at optical prints for
> several years. Then someone pointed me in the direction of a ciné
> book by Denys Davis (1960), which shows how to transform a projector
> into an optical printer
>
> then you basically double thread the projector with processed and un-
> or part-processed film, to effect the optical print?

Sounds to me like he's making a contact printer out of a projector.
Lenny Lipton's book shows how Robert Nelson made an optical printer
(which uses a camera and a projector movement) to rephotograph the
image -- which is much more versatile and doesn't require lightproofing.

Since you have this newfangled interweb, google "optical printer" and
you'll get a lot of information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_printer is one of them.


>
> looks like the heck of a job - light-proofing an entire projector -

No need.
> and *Standard 8* is presumably the best gauge to use (=open spools) -

Actually that would be difficult because standard 8 is slit in 1/2
after shooting. 16mm or 35mm makes more sense, even when working
from small gauge originals.

> but i'd quite like to have a go at it?

You can find coops that have optical printers (JKs usually) available
for very expense.

Good luck!