Finally Film!
- jackieread0
- Mar 3
- 9 min read
Over the past several years, I’ve taken part in a handful of film loading workshops and spent many afternoons at Panavision or Arri with other 2nd ACs and Camera Trainees practicing loading magazines. However, the opportunities to actually get on set with film were hard to come by. It makes sense—people with prior film experience tend to get picked first for film jobs because it’s an expensive and tricky medium requiring a lot of precision and diligence.
Unfortunately, this creates a challenge: how do you get better at something you rarely have the chance to practice?
Luckily, I finally had the opportunity to get on set last year with 35mm film on handful of high-end commercials. While I've been "stepped-up" from trainee work for 2 years now, I jumped at the chance to work with film and observe the process without the overwhelming responsibility of loading.
The experience I gained from training on those larger jobs gave me the confidence to take on some smaller ones as a loader. I’ve now had the opportunity to load on a handful of short-form projects—music videos, short films, and experimental pieces—and am proud to say I'm officially a loader who loads film! (Well ... at least 16mm anyway! But while 16mm is easier to handle physically due to its size, the magazines themselves can sometimes be more complicated than their 35mm counterparts, depending on the camera.)
I wanted to share some insights I’ve gained while working on these projects. This is by no means a comprehensive guide—there is a lot to learn when working with film, especially on larger, long-form jobs. However, if you’re just starting out like I was, these tips might be interesting or useful!
Top Tips for Film Loading
1. Know Your Stock
Before loading, familiarize yourself with the film stock you’re using. Different stocks have varying sensitivities and handling requirements. The most common stocks tend to be Kodak and they include:
500T, 250D, 200T, 50D and Double X
T (Tungsten) is generally used for indoor/tungsten lighting.
D (Daylight) is typically used for outdoor shoots.
Double X is Black & White
Note: DPs may choose to use a D stock indoors for artistic reasons, and filters can convert T to D or vice versa.
Kodak film stock is the industry standard, and you’ll quickly learn its stock codes:
35mm film codes start with 5 (e.g., 5219 for 500T).
16mm film codes start with 7 (e.g., 7219 for 500T).
Knowing your stocks allows you to pre-make labels and bring the correct color-coded tapes (which should follow industry standards for consistency). For instance:
500T = RED
250D = BLUE
200T = YELLOW
50D = WHITE
XX = FLORESCENT GREEN
It's also good to know that BLACK TAPE is used to denote EXPOSED FILM (ie. the film that's been shot and you need to send off to the lab for development)
Working with the stock is also a great opportunity to talk to the DP before and during the shoot. You need to check with them which film stock they will be using so that you can preload the mags and have them ready to go for each scene. You’ll also want to check with the DP in case they have any special instructions for the film lab about how the film should be processed. For instance, they might want to "push" or "pull" the film for that particular scene (This means to adjust the effective ISO of a roll of film by altering its development time. This can help compensate for incorrect exposure or achieve a particular artistic effect). If this is the case, its essential that you make note of this for the lab and include it in your camera reports. You’ll make a new report for every roll of film that might require a special type of processing and keep these rolls separate from other rolls of the same stock that are being processed normally.
2. Prepare Your Workspace
A well-organized workspace ensures efficiency and cleanliness! It will be SO important when you're working in stressful, fast-paced environments. On short jobs, you'll also likely be in cramped studios or on location somewhere and it's important you find a safe place for yourself to do the loading. Keep in mind:
Ensure the area is clean and free of dust/debris.
Use a changing tent (or a darkroom if available on bigger jobs).
Make sure it’s clean and there are no holes/light leaks in the tent!
Have tapes (camera tape, label tape) ready.
Keep film tins labeled and sealed. Have a designated area for:
Fresh stock
Exposed stock
Spare tins (in case you need to make short-ends)
Have a garbage bag nearby for disposing of waste like offcuts and tape.
Work in a quiet space, away from distractions.
3. Inside the Tent
Consistency is key. Establish a routine to minimize errors and work methodically! For instance, many loaders place exposed film on the right and unexposed film on the left.
Some standard tent practices:
Place the tin base upside-down with the lid on top and the black bag in between.
Stick the tape from the celluloid roll onto the tin lid to avoid it getting stuck in the magazine.
You should also keep all your tools in the tent in the same place! For instance, scissors always at the bottom, close to the tent opening.
Practice! If you haven’t loaded in a while, rehearse with gash film before the shoot.
4. Labels! Keep It Clear and Consistent
Pre-made labels save time. Film labels follow a standard format:
LENGTH | TYPE OF ROLL | TYPE OF FILM | STOCK CODE | EMULSION ROLL, BATCH & CUT # | MAG # | CAMERA ROLL # |
Example: 400’ NR 500Y 5219 044018.01(3.9) M:4 R#A1 X: 360’
NR is New Role. There are also SE (Short Ends - film that was saved and left over from a roll that was shot on previously) and RC (Re-Can's - film that was loaded into a magazine but never shot on, so it needed to be re-canned).
The emulsion information is found on the film tin lid and should be recorded in a notebook and camera report.
Once the film has been shot and the mag comes off the camera, the loader also writes on the label the amount of footage exposed, indicated with an X or circled X.
5. Quick Maths
This is such a hard one for me and definitely not my strong suit. There's a lot of quick math to do on set keeping track of how much footage is being used, saved and wasted. Knowing how much film remains is crucial. Be proactive by:
Checking the counter on the mag and camera after every take.
Time the first take to estimate how much film/time is needed for another.
Informing the AD when the roll is running low.
Avoiding rollouts (running out of film mid-shot) unless the DP is okay with it. On short projects like music videos, I've found that DP's are quite happy to let the film roll out (sometimes they even like the look of it when there's a bright flash on camera at the end of the roll).
6. It’s Okay to Cheat!
This isn’t a test, you're allowed to cheat! Any quick-reference material you can give yourself will help you on the floor, especially when you’re starting out! Print out charts and diagrams for your notebook or to keep near your loading station that you can access quickly when it’s getting hectic!
Print out a diagram of the type of magazine you are loading and stick it outside the tent.
Make a layout diagram for the inside of your tent so you remember where tools are when feeling around in the dark.
Use a timing chart for different film types and frame rates (e.g., 24fps vs. 48fps) and keep it in your notebook. If you DP asks how long you have left on the roll, it’s better to say you’ve got about 1 and a half minutes than you’ve got 200 feet left.
Stock & label guide: Keep a printed chart of stock codes and corresponding color labels.
7. Taking Notes
Keeping detailed notes is essential for tracking footage and aiding post-production. Your notes should always include:
Lens, T-stop, and filtration used for each shot (as usual)
Film stock information (including stock number and batch details) - you can use the tear-off labels that come on the Kodak film cans and keep this in your notes for each new roll you load.
The length of each take for accurate film counting. Just write down the counter reading, you can write the take lengths later when doing your official reports.
I never "head up" my camera reports until the page is finished. This means all the information you need to write in at the top like the name of the production, director and DP. If you make any mistakes on the page, you have to start over (because you're working on transfer paper so you can give copies to various departments). You also don't want to scratch things out anyway because the notes should be as clear as possible for the lab. So, to save time, I wait to do the headings until the page is finished so I don't have to bother re-doing the heading info if I make a mistake.
When tracking film usage, always round up for your notes. If the counter reads 247’, round up to 250’ for simplicity. On bigger productions, round up to the nearest 10 feet and on smaller productions with limited stock, round up to the nearest 5 feet. When offloading, you might also round the final amount of exposed film up a little so that it looks like you’ve wasted less film to production. This might seem sneaky, but it’s a standard practice.
8. Tools That Can Help
A few key tools can make your job easier:
Apps like Kodak Cinema Tools can help you calculate film count and timings as well as bunches of other great info at your fingertips!
Air blower (Ken Air): Keeps dust off the film and can be used to clean the inside of the mags before and after loading. Quick Tip: can also use this to cool your hands in humid conditions!! I needed this the first time I loaded, it was a hot day and my hands were so sweaty I was nervous it would affect the celluloid!
Perf-Scissors - when the film hasn’t been cut through a perf, it can be really hard to feed it into the gauge. Trying to force it through can tear the ends or create new perfs and you’ll need to cut the end (through a perf) to continue loading. It’s extremely hard to cut through the perf when you can’t see where your scissors are, so there are specialty perf-scissors you can get for just this purpose! Alternatively, my focus puller showed me that it’s not so hard to tear through a perf with your hands if your just feel for the holes with your fingers. This worked a treat!
Monocular/binoculars (or I’m using an old iPhone telephoto lens!! hehe): My favorite! Helps read the camera counter and T-stop when the camera is on a crane or ladder pod or even just when the DP and focus puller are blocking access to the camera.
Final Thoughts
Loading 16mm film is a skill that improves with time and practice. These foundational tips are just the beginning. As you gain more experience, you’ll develop your own methods and preferences.
Working with film is a craft that requires respect and discipline, but once mastered, it becomes second nature. If you’re new to film, embrace the learning curve and enjoy the rewarding process! The more you practice, the more intuitive it will become. At least I sure hope so!! haha
Happy loading!
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