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Adam Savage’s Tested
Adam Savage's One Day Build Shot on 35MM Film!
⏱ 21 min video · 3 min read3 Jun 2026Worth watching
TL;DR
Adam Savage's Tested team shot a one-day build video on 35mm film using a vintage ARRI 2C camera, sponsored by Kodak. Cinematographer Joey Fameli walks through the entire process: camera repair, film loading, exposure challenges, post-production via Kodak Atlanta, and custom sound design by Nathan Moody.
Key points
1
The build was shot on Kodak Vision3 200T (5213) 35mm film stock using a vintage ARRI 2C camera, with the footage processed at Kodak Atlanta and delivered as ProRes 444 4K files
2
The ARRI 2C required full mechanical restoration by Sean Charlesworth (ultrasonic cleaning and re-lubrication) before it could reliably run film without shredding it
3
The camera shoots at a 4:3 aspect ratio (4-perf 35mm gate) and has no crystal sync, making consistent 24fps and synced dialogue recording impractical without a blimp
4
Sound designer Nathan Moody was brought in to create an experimental sound design since on-set audio capture was impossible due to the camera's loud motor
5
Future plans include shooting more 35mm on a modern ARRI 435 camera owned by MythBusters DP Scott Sorensen, which has PL mounts for a wider range of lenses
Key takeaways
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Vintage film cameras stored for years will likely have hardened lubricant ('gloob') that requires ultrasonic cleaning and re-lubrication before use — do not assume a good-looking exterior means a working camera
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Film stocks like Kodak Vision3 200T must be exposed correctly at their rated ASA; underexposure adds visible grain, so match your lighting (tungsten balanced in this case) to the stock rather than relying on sensor flexibility
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When synced sound is impossible (loud camera, no blimp, no crystal sync), hiring a professional sound designer to craft an intentional experimental soundscape is a viable and creatively rewarding alternative to generic music tracks
Notable quotes
“These burn transitions are things you'd pay for on Premiere, but I was able to get that in camera.”
“I was silly to think that I can just run film through it to test it out. But that's exactly what I did.”
“200T is a very clean stock with nice fine grain, but that's if you are exposing it very correctly.”
Worth watching?
✅
Worth watching the full video?
Worth watching if you want to see the actual 35mm footage and feel the texture of the experiment — the key technical details are all captured here, but the visual quality of the film itself is the real payoff of the full video.
Saved you some time? The creator still deserves a like.
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