Super 8 Film Guide

The advent of digital video has opened up movie making to more people than ever. DV is relatively inexpensive, and the image quality is excellent. Still, digital video looks like video- not necessarily a bad thing, but film has an organic quality that is almost impossible to replicate.

As a result, digital video has had the unanticipated effect of helping to resurrect a technology that a lot of people thought had gone extinct. These days, amateur and indie filmmakers are giving Super 8 another look.

Super 8 has a lot of advantages. After having discontinued their most popular Super 8 stock a few years ago, Kodak has since begun offering a whole range of negative and reversal film in Super 8 format. Now you can shoot on film stocks that a few years ago were only available to Hollywood filmmakers. The cameras are easy to find and inexpensive, and processing is fairly cheap too. And best of all- you get that great "film look."

Super 8 has its disadvantages too. You can't drive to WalMart and get film cartridges or processing, and while lower-end cameras are cheap and plentiful, high-quality cameras are rare and expensive- even more so, now that Super 8 is making a comeback. Super 8 also tends to have a more noticeable grain, and takes some effort to get optimum results.

Film Comparison


Nevertheless, Super 8 is the best way to shoot movies on film when you're on a budget.

GETTING STARTED (with excerpts from Film Secrets)
If you're interested in shooting on Super 8, or learning more about how to start, then you've come to the right place. It's not very expensive to get going. All you really need is a camera, film and projector.

CAMERA
Expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $50 for a decent camera on eBay. Try to find one with a zoom lens and a built in light meter. A built in meter will save you from buying a handheld one. (Handheld meters start at around $150 dollars, new.)

Super 8 cameras can only be found used, because they aren't made anymore. In addition to eBay, you can often find cameras at garage sales & flea markets, but be wary of paying more than about $20. There are a LOT of different makes & models floating around out there with varying degrees of quality, and many garage sale cameras are of the cheaply made variety. Most of the time you can tell by just looking, but occasionally you'll find a rare gem.

Some things to look for in a better quality camera include a power zoom lense, manual & automatic controls, and variable film speeds. A metal camera body and sound capability are good signs too. (Even though sound film isn't made anymore, cameras with sound recording capability tend to be a little better quality. See more on sound recording below.) Also, if you can, open the film door and make sure the foam light seal hasn't turned to black goo, and be sure the lense is clear. Dirty looking spots on the inside of the lense are usually fungus, which can ruin an otherwise good camera.

Some brands to look for include Nizo/Braun, Canon, Bolex, and Beaulieu. For the most part, these companies didn't mess with cheap plastic throwaway cameras, so if you find one at a garage sale, it's probably worth buying. There are certainly other brands worth buying too, but it really pays to do your homework. (For detailed information on shooting Super 8, click HERE.)

PROJECTOR
Decent Super 8 projectors aren't quite as plentiful as cameras. Check eBay, garage sales, etc.- and again, it pays to do your homework. If you can, try the projector out before you buy it. Make sure both the light and motor work. Check the projector lens and make sure there's no scratches. Also, make sure you're getting the kind of projector you want. Some older models only work with regular "old fashioned" 8mm, not Super 8- some work with both.

If you're looking at a projector on eBay, make sure that replacement bulbs are still available and that they're not overly expensive. Good Super 8 projectors on eBay often run over $100. Also, don't forget shipping- projectors can be heavy, so be sure you know the shipping costs up front.

FILM STOCK
Depending on the stock, Super 8mm film currently runs about $18 for a fifty foot roll (3.5 minutes.) If you were shooting Super 8 a few years ago, then you may remember that the cost of film often included processing. That's usually not the case anymore. Processing is a separate fee and costs vary depending on the company and whether the processing includes telecine, etc. There are at least one or two companies that have "package deals" that include rolls of film, processing, and telecine all for one price. See our LINKS page for more info.

EDITING
When it comes to editing, you've got a choice to make. You can edit your film print, or you can telecine your film and edit digitally. The former method has value in that it requires a certain amount of preplanning and discipline, plus it can be fun to edit your film "by hand." The latter method gives you more post production options. You can color correct and experiment and move clips around easily.

Of course both options require an investment in equipment. Again, eBay is a good source. You can find Super 8 film editors on there for $10-50, depending on features, etc. You'll also need to buy some inexpensive supplies, like film leader and splicing tape.

If you want to edit digitally, you'll need to have your film telecined, which is the process of transferring the film image to digital video. There are different methods for doing this which give varying results in terms of quality. I would generally advise against buying one of the cheap transfer boxes on eBay. Good transfer equipment is expensive but makes a big difference in image quality. Unless you're going to be shooting a lot of film, it's more cost effective to find a reputable company to do the transfer for you. For the actual editing you'll need a computer and editing software.

SOUND
Sound film is no longer available in Super 8 which means you'll need to record sound on a separate device. Again there are several options for achieving good quality audio, including DAT, digital mini disc, or even an iPod. Another possibility is to record to a mini DV camcorder. No matter what you do, you'll need some way to sync the sound in post production. Now you've got an excuse to buy one of those clapper slates you've always wanted- or you can just have somebody clap their hands at the beginning of each shot.

Below are brief explanations of each of the above sound recording methods:

DAT (Digital Audio Tape) provides great sound quality. The downside of DAT is that portable recorders are expensive- typically $200-300+ on eBay. DAT is used by professional musicians and radio stations, so if you've got a friend in one of those professions, you can always try to borrow one.

Digital Mini Disc also provides good sound quality and portable units are smaller and less expensive than DAT. The downside of DMD is that it's pretty much a defunct technology. DMD never quite caught on, and most companies have discontinued production. Recorders are hard to come by, and ones that can accomodate an external mic are even more rare.

iPods made since 2005 have much improved sound recording capability and they're easy to find. The downside is that you'll have to buy a third party add-on to record, and you'll need to make sure the device supports an external mic. You'll also need an iPod with a big harddrive and a good battery. iPods record in WAV format which creates really big files and eat up battery life like crazy. (Other brands of MP3 players also have sound recording capability too, so be sure to do some research before you buy.)

Mini DV Camcorders offer good sound quality, they're easy to find, and it's easy to get the sound onto your computer. Plus, if you're into making movies, chances are you've already got one. The downside is that only higher end camcorders support an external mic. A DV camcorder is actually my preferred sound recording method because I can record video simultaneously while shooting Super 8 and use it as a monitor or as a way to see 'dailies.'

Regardless of which method you use, probably the most important feature to look for is the ability to use an external microphone- something you can put on a boom. The reason is you'll get better sound quality, but also because Super 8 cameras tend to be a little noisy so you want to get the mic away from the camera..