One of the parts of the SPECTRAL project is that each of the partners will start a research trajectory to re-engineer (or upcycle, or re-invent) mechanical devices, needed in a contemporary analogue (and expanded) film art practice. For this we will combine old and new technology to form ‘innovative’ photochemical cinema -projection and production- tools.

Prototype goals:

• small, portable
• electrical/battery driven or hand cranked
• RGB light / light control
• LED light, intensity control
• programmable and cue reading
• constancy and stability
• take-up system
• various gate options (composite, picture, sound)

Research on Contact Printing
Filmwerkplaats, Rotterdam, 17th February - 25th February 2024
Hrvoje Spudic, Matthew McWilliams and Nan Wang

For our SPECTRAL Device Research on Contact Printing (part 2 - prototype), we have organised a short residency where we invited Matthew McWilliams (USA) and Hrvoje Spudic (HR) to collaborate with our member Nan Wang to create a prototype and DIY building manual for a portable contact printer and an optical sound recording device.

More about the residents of our Device Research Residency on Contact Printing:

This device research focuses on building a version of a DIY 16mm contact printer that only uses humble materials and accessible modern components, making them affordable and accessible to artists and communities without access to professional equipment. By using laser-cutting fabrication techniques, these designs are simple and cost-effective to build. Provided with schematics and instructions, others can easily construct their versions or adapt the design to suit their needs.

As a finished product, I have designed two versions of a DIY 16mm contact printer:

• SimplePrint Mini — a compact, portable version designed for smaller-scale projects.

• SimplePrint Extend — a larger version capable of handling longer film rolls.

For more detailed documentation, please visit the link below:

about

Nan Wang is a multi-disciplinary media artist and experimental filmmaker. Her artworks incorporate both new and old technologies in the form of interactive projection installations, optical devices, live audiovisual performances, and experimental films.

https://nanwang.org

Matt McWilliams is an artist and inventor who focuses on building free, open source and open hardware tools for analog cinema. He is based in the Boston-area and works as a software developer. His residency is focused on the continued development of a desktop contact printer for 16mm film. The machine has a very small footprint (400mm x 260mm), is portable and can handle loads of 30 to 120 meters of film and make workprints. During his time at the lab he will explore various running speeds, exposures and print stocks (color and black and white) working towards a standardized process for multiple media.

Hrvoje Spudic is an explorer of techniques and technologies of film, photography, print and sound. His work ranges from sound-on-film works, rotating camera/projector experiments, camera obscura installations and light performance/installation pieces. He is a member of Klubvizija filmlab and currently works as an assistant at Zagreb Architecture school. The idea of his project for the residency is to simplify and democratize 16mm optical sound printing in a film lab environment. It uses an easy to build device that turns an Eiki 16mm projector into an optical sound recording machine. The device itself consists of a sound amplifier that modulates an LED which sits atop the sound lens and exposes the soundtrack of an unexposed film as it runs through the projector.

SPECTRAL is co-funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Commission.