Logmar Magellan, Large-Format Film, and the Salford Celluloid Centre of Excellence

Two days ago, I attended the launch of the Salford Celluloid Centre of Excellence (SCCE) — an initiative that represents something genuinely important for the future of film production in the UK.

My reason for being there was a direct result of my long-standing connection with Logmar and their Magellan 65mm motion-picture film camera, a camera I first encountered and tested in prototype form several years ago and have continued to follow closely as it evolved into a fully realised production system.

The Logmar Magellan

Logmar is a small Danish company founded by Tommy Lau Madsen and Lasse Røedtnes — a father-and-son team of mechanical and electronics engineers who began building the Magellan as a passion project in a kitchen. What followed was seven years of development, testing, and refinement.

The Logmar Magellan 65mm motion picture film camera.

The Magellan prototype eventually found its way to an American trade show, where it caught the attention of Hoyte van Hoytema, leading to its use on Tenet. That moment cemented the camera’s credibility, but what impressed me most when revisiting the finished production version recently was just how far it has come. This is no longer an experimental curiosity — it is a serious, usable, robust large-format film camera.

A specialist drone company has even developed a drone specifically capable of flying the Magellan, which says a lot about how far this platform has come.

The prototype of the Logmar Magellan 65mm camera during tests we undertook a couple of years ago. Tommy Lau Madsen, one of the inventors of the camera, is on the left.

The Salford Celluloid Centre of Excellence

The Salford Centre for Celluloid Excellence is the brain child of cinematographers Steven Wyatt and Laura Hilliard and exists to address a growing problem in the industry: access to practical, hands-on experience with film.

The Centre’s aim is refreshingly straightforward and ambitious at the same time — to give filmmakers access to every film format, from 8mm through 16mm, 35mm and all the way up to 65mm. Crucially, SCCE is now home to two Logmar Magellan 65mm cameras, making it one of the very few places in the world where students and professionals can access that format outside of major studio productions.

The Centre features:

• Two sound stages with nine permanent sets

• A partnership with Sunbelt Rentals to supply camera and production equipment

• Kodak’s direct support, including free film stock and processing

• Plans to build an on-site film laboratory

• Short, targeted training courses for camera department crew at all levels who want to gain real experience working with celluloid

At the launch, Antonio Rasuro of Kodak was present, underscoring Kodak’s commitment not just to selling film, but to ensuring the knowledge required to use it properly doesn’t disappear.

Why This Matters

One of the recurring issues I encounter when shooting on film is that the pool of crew with genuine film experience — particularly in the camera department — is shrinking. Many assistants have never worked with film and, increasingly, have no opportunity to learn.

The SCCE directly addresses that problem. It’s not about nostalgia; it’s about craft continuity. If productions continue to shoot on film — and the resurgence of 35mm, VistaVision, 65mm and IMAX clearly shows they are — then the industry needs trained crew who can support those productions competently.

What’s encouraging is how joined-up all of this feels:

manufacturers, film stock providers, rental houses, educational institutions, and working cinematographers all pulling in the same direction.

The Salford Celluloid Centre of Excellence isn’t about preserving the past — it’s about ensuring the future of film is accessible, practical, and alive. Having cameras like the Logmar Magellan permanently housed there sends a clear message: large-format film isn’t an unreachable luxury. With the right infrastructure and training, it can be part of a sustainable production ecosystem.

For anyone serious about shooting on film — at any level — SCCE is something to watch very closely.

Mark