16 Millimeters (Excerpt) by Philip Swaray
It can be argued that since its’ inception, 16mm has been a viable method or standard of filmmaking and, through the years, has gotten the recognition and use that it truly deserves. Initially used for amateur videography in the pre and postwar era, this slightly slimmer format was used for numerous amateur and professional productions just years after its’ introduction to the market and is considered a catalyst for the implementation of television programs to the mainstream. Although 16mm film enjoyed its’ place and moment in the mainstream, it’s journey to popularity was long and arduous and included many shortcomings and errors before it could be taken seriously as a film format. Even though it always was a film format. The film strip was 19mm thinner than 35mm, clocking in at (you guessed it) 16mm wide.
Features that the format exclusively included caught the attention of professionals and were even used by some on their smaller projects but weren’t enough to overtake 35mm as the supreme medium. The fact that it was aimed to sell to the amateur/hobbyist likely played a factor in this lack of true enthusiasm by professionals. Still, 16mm did enjoy a time where good business was given to it and important moments captured with it. The question remains, especially now in the “digital age”: is 16mm worth all the hype? An in-depth look at the format, its advantages, its’ shortcomings, and whether it belongs in the upper echelon of film equipment (it does) will exhibit exactly why it has been somewhat of a successful enigma for so long.
Images from THE TUNNEL (2022)
Early adoption of the 16mm format began in 1923, when Kodak launched the Cine-Kodak, a camera aimed to amateur filmmakers and hobbyists. The Cine-Kodak launched the 16mm industry we know today after numerous cameras and projectors were put into the mainstream market after it. Relatively quickly, 16mm became a viable option for filmmaking among amateurs and hobbyists and had a sustainable industry backing it. Eventually, it began to see potential as a professional format of cinema, after it was used to document ground battles and base camp outtakes in World War II. It was used for its economical purposes, as it was cheaper to buy than 35mm, as well as for its ease of use, marked by its ability to be loaded in daylight. After World War II, professional filmmakers began to pay the format more attention. It’s ease of use, price, and portability was enticing, but professionals needed more film stock options to handle the versatility that the medium required. This somewhat stifled the growth of 16mm into the mainstream market, but the Eastman Kodak company had more than a few tricks up their sleeve to help propel it into around the same attention that 35mm received.