Author Archives: Jacob Dodd

About Jacob Dodd

Jacob A. Dodd is an independent filmmaker and educator who creates short films in 35mm, 16mm, and Super 8mm motion picture formats. He specializes in personal memoir documentary and fiction filmmaking and combines traditional production techniques with experimental practices. Dodd has an MFA in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BFA in Film, Photography, and Visual Arts from Ithaca College. Dodd's fascination lies in the linkage of time periods to examine private histories. He uses traditional film techniques to bring forth a feeling of nostalgia, a transcendence of time, and a sense of the familiar. Dodd is an Assistant Professor of Cinema and Screen Studies at Oswego State University of New York. Dodd's films have been screened nationally and internationally, and have garnered several awards. Some notable film festivals include the Sharjah International Children's Film Festival in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Lahore International Children's Film Festival in Lahore, Pakistan, the Children's Film Festival of Bangladesh, Portobello Film Festival in London, UK, Virginia Film Festival, Athens International Film + Video Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Rosebud Film & Video Festival, James River Film Festival, Johnstown Film Festival, Jacksonville Film Festival, and the DC Independent Film Festival.

Joining Celluloid: The Art of Film Editing

Posted on at by Jacob Dodd

FILM IS THRIVING….BUT WHAT ABOUT FILM SPLICING With the recent critical releases of La La Land, Denzel Washington’s adaptation of August Wilson’s Fences, and Hidden Figures, audiences are witnessing the beauty of film at the cinema. Add in Kodak’s new Super 8 Camera (image below) and the return … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, film studies, Filmmaking, James River Film Society, Uncategorized | Tagged 16mm, 16mm Editing, Christopher Nolan, Cinema and Screen Studies, D.W. Griffith, Daniel Blake, Dunkirk, Dziga Vertov, Film, Film Splicer, Getty Museum, Guardian, Hidden Figures, I, IMAX 70mm, Jacob Dodd, Jimmy's Hall, Ken Loach, Kino Eye, Kodak Motion Picture Film, La La Land, Loving, Michael Kahn, Montage, Moviola, Panavision 70mm, Pixar, Quentin Tarantino, Sergei Eisenstein, Splicing, Steven Spielberg, SUNY Oswego, Super 8mm Camera, Tacita Dean, Tate Modern Museum, The Hateful Eight, Thelma Schoonmaker | 1 Comment

The True Cost of Filmmaking in the 21st Century

Posted on at by Jacob Dodd

Myth As a college professor teaching filmmaking students in the “digital age,” I often encounter many misconceptions as to the true cost of shooting and finishing a film on celluloid. Students mistakenly believe that if it was not for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Filmmaking, Uncategorized | Tagged 16mm, 35mm, 70DR, Adobe Premiere, Afterlife is Expensive for Digital Movies, Alpha Cine, Archiving, ARRI 2C, ARRI Alexa, B& H Photo/Video, Bell and Howell, Black Magic Cinema, Bolex, Canon 5D MK11, Canon 5D MKIII, canyon cinema, Celluloid, Chaplin, Christopher Nolan, Cinelab, Cinelicous, Colorlab, Cost of Film, Digital Bolex, Duall Camera, Film preservation, Jacob Dodd, Janusz Kaminski, Keaton, Kodak, Kodak K100, Moonrise Kingdom, Motion Picture Film, Movie Cameras, Movie Film, Murnau, New York Times, Preservation, Process Blue, RED Epic, Steven Spielberg, Super 16 Inc., Super 8, Vision 3, Wally Pfister, Wes Anderson | 94 Comments

The Art of Practical Effects

Posted on at by Jacob Dodd

As noted by my other entries, I am biased towards natural cinematography shot on motion picture film. If it’s shot through a lens onto celluloid, count me in! Recently, I have been thinking about a list of films with flawless … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Film | Tagged 35mm Film, A Trip to the Moon, Alien, Frank Oz, Georges Méliès, House on Haunted Hill, Jacob Dodd, Jim Henson, John Carpenter, Practical Effects, Ridley Scott, Special Effects, The Dark Crystal, The Phantom Carriage, The Thing, Vincent Price, William Castle | 2 Comments

Five Film Favorites: James River Film Festival 2011

Posted on at by Jacob Dodd

I am always surprised at the films the festival brings to our wonderful city. Each year I am amazed and this time is no exception. Last night I watched an incredible 35mm restored print of Taxi Driver and was blown … Continue reading →

Posted in James River Film Festival, Lists | 1 Comment

David Williams’ “Thirteen” and “Dreams in the Night”

Posted on at by Jacob Dodd

This past Friday evening, I had the privilege to see two works by Richmond Filmmaker and VCU Photography and Film alum, David Williams. This was an experience that I had waited six years for! I have known David since enrolling in VCUarts … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Film, James River Film Festival | Tagged David Williams, docudrama, Dreams in the Night, Jacob Dodd, JRFF, Maya Deren, Nunna Mia e la Barca, Richmond, Thirteen, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, VMFA | 2 Comments

Five Film Favorites: Natural Color Cinematography

Posted on at by Jacob Dodd

Computer generated imagery unfortunately continues to gain more prominence in mainstream films. From the latest animated “cash ins” to big epics like Avatar and 300, it seems that the art and brilliance of photographic cinematography is being pushed away. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Lists | Tagged 35mm, 65mm, Allen Daviau, anamorphic, atmosphere, Baraka, Cinematography, Color, David Lean, Days of Heaven, Empire of the Sun, Freddie Young, Inception, Jacob A. Dodd, Lawrence of Arabia, light, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Natural, Nestor Almendros, Robert Altman, Ron Fricke, shadow, Steven Spielberg, Terrance Malick, Todd-AO, Wally Pfister | 2 Comments

Warm and Smooth: The Sound of Analog Audio Recordings

Posted on at by Jacob Dodd

Analog When most people think of analog audio they might think of the compact cassette tape. A modest technology that pushed the realm of portable sound and forever changed the landscape of human interaction with recorded music. The Sony Walkman … Continue reading →

Posted in Documentary, Film, film studies, Filmmaking, History, Lists | Tagged 1/4 inch, 16mm, 35mm, Aaton LTR, analog, audio, cassette, Chrome, CP-16, Eclair NPR, Edison, Film, Frequency Response, Fuji, Jacob A. Dodd, Jazz Singer, LP, Marantz, Maxell, Metal, Nagra, Optical Track, PMD-222, PMD-430, portable deck, Pro Camera, record, recorder, Sony Walkman, sound, tape, TC-D5 Pro II, TC-D5M, TDK, Type II, Type IV, vinyl, WM-D6C | 7 Comments

The Revelation of Ultra 16mm

Posted on at by Jacob Dodd

Introduction 16mm has gone through many wonderful changes over the years. It was originally created in 1923 by Kodak as an amateur format, but today it holds its own as a professional gauge right along side 35mm and 65mm. No longer restrained to industrial, … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Film, film studies, Filmmaking, James River Film Society, Local | Tagged 16mm, AlphaCine, Arri 16 S, Beaulieu, Bernie O'Doherty, Black Swan, Bolex, Canon Scoopic, Cinelab, Cinelicious, CP-16, Eclair ACL, Eclair NPR, Film, Fotokem, Gate, Kinor, Kodak, Konvas, Krasnagorsk K3, Lawrence of Arabia, Lenses, Photography and Film, rune ericson, Super 16 Inc., super 16mm, The Hurt Locker, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, Touch of Evil, ultra 16mm, Vision 3 | 19 Comments

The Honest Reality of 35mm

Posted on at by Jacob Dodd

Introduction 35mm motion picture film has reliably been there to capture and preserve the art of moving images since the very beginning! Without it we would not be able to witness the early experiments and milestones in cinema like Edwin … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Filmmaking, James River Film Society, Local | Tagged 2 perf, 35mm, A Trip to the Moon, anamorphic, Apple ProRes, Arri2C, Avid Media Composer, Barry Lyndon, Bell & Howell, BFA film program, Canon 5D Mark II, Carlo Piaget, Charlie Chaplin, Darkness There, Duall Camera, Edwin S. Porter, Eugène Chaplin, Film, Final Cut Pro, Fuji, Gearhead Camera, Georges Méliès, Great Train Robbery, Independent, Jacob Dodd, Kenneth Anger, Kodak, Konvas, Lab, Light-meter, Mount, OCT-19, PL, Pro Camera, Production, Rabbit's Moon, Recans, Red Balloon, RED ONE, Short ends, Stanley Kubrick, Super 16 Inc., Super 35, Telephoto, Tripod, Turret, VCU, Visual Products | 7 Comments