"Pulse" by Spektrem Effects films brings a pop to fall colors
Brandon Aguilar, who runs Spektrem Effects, talks to ALTER/ANALOG about creating specialty films, his love of analog and where you can buy his film.
See Brandon's work on instagram at @brandonaguilarrr
ALTER/ANALOG: What got you interested in making specialty films?
SE: There are two major reasons as to why I wanted to dive into the world of tampered/pre-exposed film. One comes mostly from ego and the other is for the greater good. First, I just wanted to see if I could even do it. I have always been curious by the number of outcomes that film has to certain types of light. I wanted to see if there was a way to harness these outcomes into a way where other people can enjoy them without going through the hassle of doing it themselves.
The second reason is that I wanted to provide people with an affordable line of creative film that is also easily accessible here in the United States. The number of creative films on the market has been increasing in the last few years. This is an amazing occurrence but disheartening for shooters who are unable to spend a small premium because of shipping costs and other variables.
ALTER/ANALOG: Besides "Pulse" are you making any other films?
SE: Yes! I have been experimenting with various techniques and can safely say that other film types are on the horizon. The hardest part is that I would like to stay clear of methods that decrease clarity in your shots. With pre-exposure, you are taking a layer of light and putting it onto the film. Optically speaking, without anything to shape this light, it will only add softness to the next layer that you shoot over it. This might be preferred for some but I believe that the effects in creative film should be subtle, so that each frame is salvageable.
ALTER/ANALOG: Can you give us any information on how the film is made or is that a secret? ;)
SE: Of course! In Pulse, I constrain light into very small, tightly bound tubes. With these tubes, I run it through the film in a pulse-like pattern. Ta-Da!
ALTER/ANALOG: How did you get interested in film versus digital?
SE: I guess you could say that my love for film triumphed over digital by a complete accident. I used to shoot digital photographs relentlessly. Then one day, I stumbled upon an analog camera at my local antique store and purchased it for the aesthetics alone. After tinkering around and learning its mechanics, I grew very fond of the experience it provided. Once I actually put a roll of film through it and saw the results, I was bewildered all over again. The rest is history.
ALTER/ANALOG: How can we buy your product?
SE: My brand is called Spektrem Effects and we have any Etsy shop that carries Pulse as well as other products to boost creativity when shooting.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SpektremEffects
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to talk about what I have been up to! Alter/Analog has provided me with so much insight from great artists around the world. I am honored to be a part of it.