While it is probably true that more people attempt making low budget feature films in dv instead of film because videotape is less expensive than film, it is also probably true that the percentage of overall success may be significantly higher if you shoot on film. In the world of low budget guerilla filmmaking, creating a low budget feature film by shooting with Super-8 film might give you a higher chance of selling your finished project than if you shoot on mini-dv, as long as you follow certain basic rules as outlined below.
In the world of DV, many attempts are made to make digital video look like film and sometimes it is just hit or miss whether the final "film look" will be accepted. The biggest advantage shooting Super-8 film has over dv video is that since Super-8 is film, it already looks like film. Super-8 filmmaking and DV productions both offer rapid mobility when one is moving from location to location. Super-8 filmmaking also offers ease of loading film and minimal camera power requirements. But most importantly, film looks like film even when transferred to video, and that gives Super-8 guerilla filmmaking an interesting advantage. The remaining nine pages of this website detail various ways one can get the most out of their super-8 filmmaking endeavor.
Decoy For Terror
Film and Video Differences
Watching a movie that has been shot on film is like watching a story unfold before our eyes. When watching video the look mght feel more like it is a live event, such as reality TV. 24P has been developed to make video have more of a film like quality. Super-8 film belongs in the "classic" method of film story telling along with it's big brother and big sister, 16mm and 35mm. If you can successfully finish your super-8 feature film and add a quality soundtrack and a decent story with good acting, people will assume you shot on film even though they may not know which film format you actually shot with.
Spectra Film & Video Sells Velvia Super-8 Film
Wikipedia Super-8 Links
Somebody with too much time on their hands deleted many Wikipedia Super-8 Links, so I've posted them below. I am offering this as a service but I cannot vouch for any of the links listed below. Super-8 Information is periodically being added to this website so you may want to bookmark this site and check back now and then. Thanks for visiting and I hope you find the information on the remaining nine pages useful.
Super-8mm.net Super-8 Filmmaking in the Digital Age.
Kodak Super-8mm Resources. Kodak Super-8 Film Stocks Plus Ordering Information.
Small Format Magazine International coverage of the Super 8 and 16 mm scene*.
Super 8 Today Magazine U.S. Based Super 8 Magazine with International Appeal.
onsuper8.org Impartial and comprehensive resources for today's Super 8 mm and small gauge film makers.
United States Super 8 Film & Digital Film Festival. The United States Super-8 Film + Digital Video Festival receives over 75 Super-8 entries every year.
Their website is www.thetransferstation.com but they are called Film and Video Transfers and they offer all format Rank Cintel Transfer Services, PAL & NTSC Duplication Services, WetGate Super-8, 16mm & 35mm and all kinds of video conversions and duplications.
Spectra Film and Video is a Full Service Super-8 Facility including Film Lab Services, Camera rental and camera repairs and all formats of Rank Cintel Transfer Services. Spectra is also Open Saturdays 11:00am - 5:00pm. Support your Super-8 Labs! Yale Film & Video is a full service Super-8 Facility. Yale Offers Film Reversal Film Lab Services, Film Camera rentals and Rank Cintel Transfer Services, Support your Super-8 Labs! Alpha Cine is perhaps the best Super-8 negative processing lab in the world. Lab only. Sometimes other labs and dry transfer houses will send their super-8 negative film to Alpha Cine for negative Super-8 processing but then do the film to video transfer for their clients. Support your Super-8 Labs! Hostboard Forum For Super-8 Newbies and Experts Alike.
Cinematography.com Multiple Film and Video Format Forums for cinematographers, including Super-8mm.
8mm Forum Website for collectors of Super 8 Films or interested in the format, especially useful for the film projection enthusiast.
Filmshooting.com The web's most active Super 8 community.
Derann Films British company still producing films for the Super 8 enthusiast.
Comunidade Super8 Portuguese website about Super 8.
Eldhuset Film the Free Smallfilm Manuals list - Eldhuset Film hosts a growing list of freely downloadable 8 mm, super 8 and 16 mm camera manuals in pdf-format.
Super8 Film Cameras Super 8 Film Camera information
Michael Nyberg's Super 8 on a Budget Site Excellent site dedicated to both super 8 and regular 8. Tons of camera reviews.
Mondofoto Over a thousand photos of Super 8 equipment Plus instruction manuals to download.
strawberry-super8.org Strawberry Super 8 Film Festival (Cambridge, UK) Ñ Film festival with international competition dedicated to Super 8. Happens in June.
Super-8mm.com Low Budget Super-8 Feature Filmmaking.
Super8 BOLEX Film Digital Transfer
Super8camera.com Contains complete list of super 8 film-cartridges currently on the market & how to diy process them.
Super-8 Cities Project Global Feature Length Documentary Project, shot exclusively on Super-8mm and released on DVD in 2007, Link is dead so it has been removed, try google.
Super 8 Wiki - detailed information on every Super 8 camera made, and articles on repair techniques
