🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 30 May 1995, Manoel A. Felciano wrote:

> What's the scoop with Super-8? I thought the picture wasn't that great.
> How bad is it? Is it like home movies from the sixties? What are people
> using it for? Is it hard to edit? Thinking of getting into it as a cheap
> newbie way to get into film. Am getting a Lenny Lipton book on the advice
> of many.
> 
> Thanks to anyone who could share some experiences.
> 
> 
Well, you will find many ex Super 8 film buffs in the pro video world.  I 
used it myself for many years until I felt video got good enough.  There 
are good and bad points:

It is not so 'cheap' as you think.  Film costs have skyrocketed.  You 
must wait for development before viewing, the HUGE difference between 
film and video.  There is a certain grain to Super 8, but that does not 
make it 'home movies.'  Watch commercials and see how this is used to 
good effect.  At the end of Super8s popularity, several companies like 
Canon, Beaulieu, Yashica, Sanyo and others were making killer pro Super 8 
cameras.  They can be found today at shockingly cheap prices.  They 
included on board dissolves, time lapse and more.

Another good point is that though Super 8 can not compare to 16mm or 35 
mm when projected in a theatre, when shown on a TV screen, the image is 
so small Super 8 does very well.  When translated into video terms it has 
powerful resolution (800 lines compared to 400 for SVHS).

The best bet is to use Super 8 film, but have it immediately transferred 
to video for editing and final product.  This means that the Super 8 
should be bought along with video stuff, not instead of it.  If you are 
looking at Super 8 as just a cheap way to make an image and get used to 
shooting, its a bad idea.  A cheap old VHS camcorder will do you better.  
But if you want the quality of film, (and it is considered better quality 
than video) Super 8 has potential.  Super8 Sound is a pro company still 
dedicated to Super 8 today, and they have amazing products.  contact them 
for a demo tape.  They are (I think) both in Cambridge Mass and 
Hllywood.  Or look for them in film magazine ads.

good luck