How I Shot a 16mm Anamorphic Short Film on Motion Picture Film (The Lonely Photographer)

MY LOVE - The 16mm

So… you want to shoot motion picture film.

You want that lush 16mm film stock purring through a camera at 24fps. You want to transport your viewer to another world. Make them feel something for once in their entire life. Create—dare I say it—cinema.

On the Bad Flashes channel, I’ve shared several short films I’ve written and directed over the years (I’ll link them here). Over time, I’ve built up a pretty solid understanding of what it actually takes to bring a story to life on film.

Today, I want to break down my latest short film, The Lonely Photographer, and walk you through the entire filmmaking process—from page to phone screen. Start to finish. Prep to post.

If you haven’t watched the short yet, I highly recommend doing that first. It’s quick. Then come back here.

And I know what you’re thinking: damn, this sounds hard. Don’t worry, boo. I’m breaking everything down into actionable steps. Everyone loves a good list.

Throughout this post, I’ll also sprinkle in all my little secrets—especially as they relate to shooting on film, 16mm filmmaking, and making creative choices when you don’t have a massive crew or budget.

The Hardest Part of Filmmaking (It’s Not What You Think)

If you’re not familiar, the filmmaking process usually looks like this:

• Write

• Prep (Pre-production)

• Production

• Post-production

• Distribution

Most people assume production is the hardest part. And sure—it’s stressful. But in my experience, writing is the hardest part of filmmaking.

Coming up with a story that’s engaging, emotional, or even just fun takes time. Refining that idea into the best possible version of itself takes even more time. I’ve been on plenty of film sets—big ones included—and trust me, even expensive productions get this step wrong.

I’m not here to teach you how to write a screenplay. If I were that good, I’d be a full-time screenwriter. What I am saying is this:

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The first step is getting the idea out of your head and onto something tangible.

That could be:

• A written script

• A shot list

• Doodles

• Visual references

A script is just a blueprint. It’s a way to communicate your idea to the departments you’re working with—even if those departments are just… you.

For this short film, the script was pretty short. I used Final Draft, which is standard screenwriting software that formats everything correctly. It’s not free, but there are cheaper alternatives if you’re just starting out.

Pre-Production: Where the Film Is Actually Made

Some people say movies are made in prep, and honestly, they’re not wrong. Pre-production is where you make hundreds of decisions that save—or destroy—you later.

The better you prep, the more freedom you’ll have on set. You should also prepare for the moment when the plan completely falls apart… because filmmaking is decision-making, and things always go wrong.

Here’s what I focus on during pre-production:

Pre-Production Checklist

1. Shot list and storyboard

2. Script breakdown

3. Assembling the crew

4. Location scouting

5. Scheduling (yeah, boring—but necessary)

You can tackle these in any order, but by the end of the day, they all need to exist in some form.

Shot Lists, Storyboards, and Visual Planning

I’m a very visual person, so I like to see everything laid out before I ever get on set. For this project, I used Milanote(today’s sponsor) to organize my entire pre-production workflow in one place.

I imported:

• My script

• Shot lists

• Reference images

• Storyboards

• Location photos

My iPad is a critical tool in this phase.

Storyboarding for Film Shoots

I storyboarded most of the film using the Paper app, but honestly, pen and paper works just fine. The goal isn’t pretty drawings—it’s clarity.

Sometimes I draw frames. Sometimes I proto-board using photos taken on location. Anything that helps communicate intent to your crew is a win.

I even noted lens choices during storyboarding. Will they change? Probably. But it helps later.

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Script Breakdown: Don’t Skip This Step

Breaking down your script means dissecting every element needed to shoot the film:

• Cast

• Extras

• Props

• Wardrobe

• Gear

• VFX

Traditionally, this was done with printed scripts and colored pencils. Today, software like Filmustage can automate a lot of that process.

Nothing is truly free, but for small projects, screenshots and organization go a long way. Once I had everything broken down, I added it all into Milanote—props, wardrobe inspiration, cameras, lenses, and film stocks.

This step ensures you don’t show up to set missing something crucial (like, say… film cores 👀).

Location Scouting for Film Photography and 16mm

For The Lonely Photographer, I wrote the script around locations I already had in mind. When scouting, my main questions were:

• What does this location look like at the time of day I want to shoot?

• Where is the sun?

I scouted with:

• A light meter

• My phone for stills

• An iPad

Film Stocks Used in the Short

A massive creative decision was choosing the film stocks:

• Kodak Ektachrome for day scenes

• Kodak Vision3 500T for dusk and night

• Kodak Double-X (BwXX) for dream sequences

I even planned meter readings for each stock at each location. I also used Lumos, a sun-tracking app, to visualize the sun’s path and plan shots accordingly.

Scheduling a Film Shoot (Good Luck)

Scheduling is hard. Coordinating friends in their 30s is harder. Coordinating friends to make a short film? Nearly impossible.

I grouped scenes by location proximity and prayed everyone showed up. That’s filmmaking.

Production: Shooting 16mm Motion Picture Film

Once prep was done, it was time to actually make a movie.

We shot:

• Interior motel scenes

• Car scenes

• Exterior food spots

Of course, plans changed. Locations fell through. Film cores were forgotten. I had to pivot and adapt—because that’s filmmaking.

Shooting Anamorphic on 16mm

I always imagined this film in widescreen. To do that on 16mm, I needed anamorphic lenses. Enter Laowa Nanomorph lenses.

These lenses were perfect for my setup and allowed me to get a wider field of view than most affordable anamorphic options—especially important with 16mm’s crop factor.

Shooting anamorphic wasn’t easy. My viewfinder doesn’t de-squeeze. Focusing was tough. But we made it work.

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Post-Production: Where It All Comes Together

Post-production is where the movie is truly made:

1. Editing

2. Sound design and music

3. VFX

4. Color

I edited in Adobe Premiere, layered sound design using Epidemic Sound and Track Club, and kept VFX minimal—except for one necessary sequence.

Color was simple. Ektachrome looks incredible with minimal tweaking. Black and white? Add contrast and go.

Even the credits were shot on leftover BwXX film—because why not?

Final Thoughts on Shooting Film

This process reminded me why I love filmmaking—and why I love shooting on film.

If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: limitations are your friend. Embrace them. Write around them. Use them to your advantage.

Ektachrome is still undefeated. And storytelling—whether with a cinema camera or an unknown rangefinder—is always worth the effort.

If this helped demystify the filmmaking process (or at least my process), let me know. And if you’ve got questions, drop them below.

Until next time—

Go shoot something.

Check out my BTS and Final film below:

Finished Short Film: