This blog post is going to be unique from my other ones. Normally my blog posts are just an extended description with maybe some added behind the scenes on the project. This blog post will instead be a more simplified guide to my process with filming on actual film, more specifically Super 8. Cost) Quickly I just want to get the cost out of the way. Filming on Super 8 is expensive. As much as it was a fun and educational experience the total cost is a definite deterrent. The total cost for the processing and scanning was around $40 without shipping. The total cost for the film was also around $40. The camera would be another additional cost if you don't have one already. This why I would only recommend filming on Super 8 when the final outcome benefits from being shot on Super 8. Step 1) Finding a Camera and Film For me, I asked family members if they had a super 8 camera. Many people had super 8 cameras in the 60s through early 70s to record friends and family. Chances of an older relative having one is a lot higher than you may think so ask around. If no one has a Super 8 camera, Ebay and other shops like Esty are always a good alternative. Make sure that the camera is tested and working. Buying older technology is always a gamble but if it was tested and working the chances of it failing on you are slim. The camera I ended up using was a Minolta XL 401. As for finding the correct film to use make sure that it is Super 8 film. There is other film that sounds similar like 8mm and while 8mm and super 8 are visually pretty much the same, you can't use 8mm on a super 8 camera and vice-versa. Film can get expired so make sure you buy it fresh. The best place to guarantee this to buy it from B&H. Amazon also sells Super 8 film, in fact that's where I got mine. The only thing with Amazon is that you don't get that 100% certainty but it's worked for me so far. Kodak is last main manufacturer of Super 8 film and they make 5 different types. Here is a quick brake down so that you can choose the film that works best for you: Kodak 50D) Good for bright sunny days (Color) Kodak 500T) Good for night time filming (Color) Kodak 200T) Good intermediate (Color) Kodak 7266) Black/White filming indoors and outdoors (B/W) Kodak Ektachrome 100D) Good for if you want to project your film into a projector (Color) I went with 50D as the choice for my first roll which for me turned out looking great for both the indoor and outdoor footage. With that being said go with the film that best suits your recording conditions or if you like the look of a certain film just go for it and experiment! Step 2) Recording Once the camera is turned on make sure to focus your camera by zooming all the way in and focus the lens. Some cameras also have an adjustable viewfinder so make sure that your viewfinder is in focus too. All of this can be difficult to do because Super 8 cameras tend to have a pretty small viewfinder but try your best and take your time. That leads me to my next point which is to take your time. Each reel gives you roughly 3½ minutes of footage so you have to make every shot count. Even though you must make every shot count, don't be too attached to your first roll because it might not turn out the way you want it too and that's ok, it's all part of the process. Step 3) Processing Once you finished recording take out your film and it should say exposed on the film seen in the side of the cartridge. Most cameras also have an indicator on the side that will reveal when the film reel is done. Now you send your film to a place to get processed. The option I went with was a company titled Spectra Film & Video. Spectra is going to ask you to fill out the order instructions which can be a bit confusing when trying to figure out what to include. Below is what I filled out on my Spectra order instructions so feel free to use it as a template of sorts: Super 8 Film Processing - ECN-2 Color Negative - Normal - 1 roll - Total: $19.50 I had Spectra ship the film and made sure to put Nicholas Coyle's address into the shipping address instead of my own. (We'll get to Nicholas in just a second) Step 4) Scanning You might be wondering to yourself why I put some random guy's house into the return address instead of my own. The reason for that is because this "random guy" just so happens to be one of the best film scanners in the country while also being one of the cheapest! He has scanned films for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Universal Studios, and MOMA just to name a few. To view your film on a computer you have to get it scanned. Nicholas Coyle will scan your film in 4K for only $20, including shipping the reel back to you. For reference most other scanning facilities cost well over $100 for a 4k scan. With that out of the way you will want to fill in Nicholas' information into the shipping address, city, state, and postal code when filling out the Spectra order form. Next make sure that you fill out an order from from Nicholas Coyle's website and a new client form if you are new. I can say from experience that Nicholas is one of the best people to email with any Super 8 or film questions. He responds back promptly and extremely quickly. He scanned my film the day it arrived and that night I got an invoice back with the footage. If you go with his 4k ProRes scan it will a roughly 43 gb dropbox file. The file was having a hard time loading for me so I asked if he could send me a compressed file or possibly another link for the ProRes scan. He did both and responded back very promptly so know that he is just an email away! If the dropbox file is not working for you ask for a link via frame.io which is what he sent me that worked. End Thoughts: Was the experience long and nerve wracking, yes. Was the experience worth it, also yes! In total the whole process took me around 2-3 weeks if you include filming. This meant that for a good chuck of time I was waiting and anxiously awaiting emails/notifications to see if the film was shipped safely. I was worried that the film wouldn't turn out at all and would just be a dark, out of focus mess. The fact that everything for the most part worked is honestly a miracle. With that being said, go into your first film roll acting like its going to turn out not the way you expect it to. I had low expectations for the final outcome which made the final outcome that much more special. This was a really fun experience that has definitely motivated me to try the format out again sometime soon.
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AuthorMy name is Mate Daus. I am a filmmaker, editor, Musician, and artist. Archives
April 2023
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