Dear All,

Your assistance and advice would be immensely valuable, I have 4 queries:

I shall be shooting a feature film in Goa, India in October this year; the weather will be dismal with sporadic showers and bouts of sunshine. A very small crew (4 people) and cast (8 including a goat and a buffalo) is involved and the budget is reasonable yet tight. The story is set in the 70's. I am based in London.

My 4 queries:

A

Super 16 Camera---I have narrowed the choice to the Aaton Xtera OR the Aaton A-Minima. Since this is my first feature, I wish to keep things as simple as possible in order to wrap things up in 3 weeks, the gear should be minimum, a lot of coverage also involves capturing the exploits of the protagonist on his bicycle. I have used handycams and Bolex 16mm cameras (but not with sound) before. If I need to spend a day or two with a professional and practically learn as much as possible on how to operate the Aaton Xtera OR the Aaton A-Minima, who should I approach? Do you recommend approaching a cinematographer or film rental agents? If you know of anyone in London or the UK who could help, fire away.

B

What is the simplest way of recording sound using the Aaton Xtera OR the Aaton A-Minima? I know that Aaton's latest offering in sound equipment is the Cantar but it's quite expensive to rent out. Please bear in mind that mobility during the shoot is critical, some coverage would have to be done with the camera hoisted on a heavy motorcycle like the Royal Enfield.

C

What is the general difference in the final output between the Aaton Xtera OR the Aaton A-Minima? Why would you use the A-Minima and not the Xtera and vice versa?

D

If you have seen the film ?Sideways? by Alexander Payne, how did they achieve the 70?s look? Any suggestions of achieving a similar look as the film is based in the 70?s.

Thank you.
Wishes-Savio Noronha