Why Use Super 8 Film? |
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"To this day, Super 8 is a true marvel of ingenuity and despite the lack of major corporations involved has great potential beyond the perceived view of an out-dated medium" Why use film when you can use video? This is one of the frequent questions I get from people. My answers vary, and I just really love the whole process of film making but here are a few: |
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Low initial outlay - |
Cameras can cost from just a few pounds as can editor/viewers. A good projector will still set you back £50 to £100 maybe but for a couple of hundred quid you can be set-up to shoot, edit and show "big screen" films For the price of a few days hire of a basic video projector, you can buy a superb second-hand 8mm projector and still have money left over to buy a used anamorphic or 'Scope lens! |
Compact |
Cine cameras reached a high state of excellence in terms of engineering and many fit in the palm of you hand. Ideal for "guerilla" style shooting |
Quality |
Many people associate cine with shakey out of focus home movies and this is further engrained by TV's use of post production effects to "simulate" scratchy film! With a little care, good technique and equipment, extremely high quality results can be obtained that give modern digital video a serious run for its money. Many well known pop videos have been originated on 8mm and a quick peek at Pro-8mm's website is testimony to the medium. |
Production Values |
By its very nature of being available in 50 foot cartridges, the film maker is focused on distilling the shots right from the start. One of videos pitfalls is that it's too easy to just roll and roll with little or no thought to content! How many can bear to sit through whole tapes of holiday or wedding videos? Many 8mm films are basically edited "in-camera" just by the careful choice of shot. |
The look |
Film has a look and feel all of its own. It can be moody, evocative, romantic and exciting in ways that I don't find affordable (or even high-end) video to be. All this can be achieved without hugely costly equipment too. Large-screen presentations are simple and cheap too! |
