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What you need to know… About filming with Super 8 {part two – film stock, processing, + transfer}
In part one of “What you need to know… About filming with Super 8″, I shared advice from industry peeps on what every event filmmaker needs to know about filming with Super 8mm. In part two we’re delving deeper and taking a look at what film stocks are available, what our peers favorite stocks are, and who they love (and hate) for processing and transfer.
First of all, it’s important to remember this is film, so there is a vocabulary with which you may be familiar, but not truly understand if you’ve never filmed with a Super 8mm, 8mm, or 16mm. When you hear event filmmakers mention specific film stock, they tend to use the shorthand version of the name… i.e. 100D instead of EKTACHROME 100D Color Reversal Film 7285. For some of us, I think this is a hangover from film school or the days when we shot 35mm film still photography with SLR cameras. The “100″ is the key term here because it is referring to the film speed. As in photography, the ISO gives you an indication of film’s sensitivity to light. Here’s the scoop – the higher the number, the better it preforms in low light situations. Other key terms include Tungsten Balanced (film that it balanced to reproduce colors faithfully when exposed under artificial tungsten light sources), Reversal Film (a film that produces a positive image on a transparent base – again, think back to SLR photography and slide film), and Negative Film (the colors are reverse of those in the scene and when printed, the negative becomes “positive”).
There are currently four film stocks available from Kodak for Super 8mm filming. These are:
- EKTACHROME 100D Color Reversal Film 7285
- VISION3 500T Color Negative Film 7219
- VISION3 200T Color Negative Film 7213
- TRI-X Reversal Film 7266
It’s always best to go direct to the source for information, so I asked Matthew Stoffel, the Manager of New Media for the Eastman Kodak Company to give us the rundown on what the various stocks are designed to do. Here’s what he had to say:
“Kodak offers a range of film stocks designed to perform well for general situations. For example, if you find yourself shooting low light interiors, we offer KODAK VISION3 500T Color Negative Film 7219 for reduced grain in shadows, so you can push the boundaries of exposure further. The film’s extended highlight latitude gives you greater flexibility when lighting extreme situations and let’s you pull even more detail out of the highlights.
Of course, KODAK EKTACHROME 100D Color Reversal Film 7285 is a frequent choice for those wanting to capture that intensely saturated color we all instantly recognize. As it is daylight balanced and 100 speed, it’s a great choice for producing sharp images with accurate skin tones in daytime exteriors and interiors with windowlight.
A relatively new addition to the Super 8 lineup, KODAK VISION3 200T Color Negative Film 7213 performs superbly in both controlled interiors and in challenging high-contrast exteriors. With the image structure of a 100 speed film and the versatility of a 200 speed product, it’s kind of like having two for one! Couple it with an 85 daylight balancing filter outdoors, or shoot away in a well lit interior!
And last, but certainly not least, is KODAK TRI-X Reversal Film 7266. Rich blacks and excellent contrast are its hallmark. As a 160 speed (tungsten), an antihalation undercoat makes this film suitable for both artificially lit interiors and daylight.
These suggested uses are just that, suggestions and by no means represent the applicability of any film for artistic or specific purposes. We encourage you to explore the possibilities that Kodak offers Super 8mm cinematographers. Learn more at www.kodak.com/go/super8. Enjoy and happy filming!”
Everyone seems to have at least one “go to” stock and, as Matthew mentioned, there are still plenty of ways to tweak them to get the “look” you want to achieve using filters. Because the majority of our weddings are on the beach or outdoors, my favorite is the EKTACHROME 100D Color Reversal Film 7285. I love the saturation and vibrancy, and I find it works really well with Canon 7D footage we capture at events, so blending it into the final wedding film feels natural. Here’s what our peers who shoot Super 8mm on a regular basis have to say on the subject:
Do you have a favorite film stock and why is it your favorite?
Vanessa McKellar, Vanessa McKellar Productions
My favorite film stock is VISION3 500T Color Negative Film 7219 simply because it continually surprises me how well it does in low light. After always hearing how badly Super 8 performs in low light, then filming a getaway in the dark turn that turned out beautifully, it definitely endears me to this stock. (Of course, we always use off-camera lighting in the dark, but I’m still impressed.)
I used to really like EKTACHROME 100D Color Reversal Film 7285 because it gives a lot intensity and saturation to the colors, but I found it was too hard to match it to the Color Negative 500T footage, so I stopped using it in favor of VISION3 200T Color Negative Film 7213, which intercuts seamlessly with the 500T. However if I’m doing a short outdoor shoot where I know I won’t be using any fast stocks I will use the 100D.
Steve Moses, Vantage Point Productions
Kodak 200T and 500T are what I use the most. For black and white TRI-X Reversal Film 7266 looks great. I like to keep it simple on the day and might start shooting it all in 500T. The 500T has a wide exposure range and latitude, plus it can handle really low light or sunshine. Changing film in the field is confusing and could cause you to load in a short roll and accidentally reach the end of the roll during an important moment.
Celia Hilton, Hilton Heads Productions
For indoor shooting (such as for bridal prep), I like Kodak TRI-X Reversal Film 7266, which is a black and white stock. When light is compromised, black and white film just looks better, and you can catch beautiful silhouettes. For outdoors, we like VISION3 200T Color Negative Film 7213. One of my favorite shots for Super 8 is the newlywed’s triumphant exit from the ceremony (the only shot I have from my own parent’s wedding). Some scenes, like the exit, just lend themselves to the vintage feel of Super 8 and the 200T captures it beautifully.
Bryan Coward, Tampa Wonderworks Films
One of the coolest things about Super 8 is that the film is cut from 35mm. So if you read American Cinematographer, or are just fascinated by film and movies, then you know what stocks of film are being used by the big DP’s. I have found Kodak’s Vision 3 that way and just love it. I use the 500T the 200T for Super 8 filming. There is so much latitude in these stocks for being under or over exposed. I really like the look and feel of it, and with today’s HD Scanning, the film looks just brilliant! It really is unbelievable how good our Super 8 can look today compared to just a few short years ago.
Megan Hill, Hello Super 8
My favorite stocks for weddings are the Kodak Vision 3 200T and 500T. It’s a softer look than the reversal stocks. Skin tones look lovely and the latitude is really great for low light conditions.
Matt Buckman, I Do Films
My favorite film stock is one of Kodak’s newer Super 8 stocks. The film stock is EKTACHROME 100D Color Reversal Film 7285. It’s great for shooting outdoors (it’s a daylight film), and has much richer color than most other stocks. So if you’re looking for vibrant colors, this one really shines. I use this stock the most, followed by Kodak TRI-X Reversal Film 7266 for black and white.
Summary: Kodak really is the only game in town for film. Some of the telecine houses repackage it and include processing and scanning for one discounted price, so you may want to decide who will be doing your processing and transfer before you buy film just in case this type of deal is available. Kodak recently started offering the Super 8mm film for sale online, just be careful you’re ordering the Super 8mm 50 foot cartridges and not the reels for 16mm or 35mm!
Who do you use for processing and transfer, and why?
Kat Small, Cinema Chic Productions
Right now I use Spectra Film & Video. When I first got into Super 8mm, industry peers with a lot of experience recommended their service. I have found Spectra’s work professional and prompt. Additionally, they are very accessible and approachable if you have any questions. There’s no automated service, but real people answering your calls!
Steve Moses, Vantage Point Productions
I use Pro8mm in Burbank, CA. They are quite helpful and understand the importance of event filmmaking.
Megan Hill, Hello Super 8
My go-to lab is Spectra Film & Video in Burbank. They really take their time with processing and color correcting and my film comes back looking great!
Matt Buckman, I Do Films
We use Cinelicious for processing and transfer. They lead the industry in developing new higher quality transfer machines, and it’s owned by the father of the modern Super 8 movement – Paul Korver. For us, all of these reasons make it a no-brainer to use Cinelicious. Their prices have always been reasonable too. I’d have to caution against using Pro8mm. We used them for a while and got some scary results. We’d get footage back from them that had 30-40 seconds of blackness where there should have been footage. They claimed we must have left the lens cap on – which would be an impossible mistake to make with a Super 8 camera. But after this happened 3 or 4 times, we left Pro8. Besides Cinelicious, Spectra Film & Video is another great company, but they’re a bit behind Cinelicious in terms of transfer technology. However, they are extremely friendly and passionate about film.
Bryan Coward, Tampa Wonderworks Films
I started shooting Super 8 after attending my 1st video conference and listening to Jones’ seminar at Video ’08 in Orlando. I was blown away that I could get paid to shoot on real film! I called him (Chris P. Jones) up after the conference and grilled him on all things Super 8. He suggested Doug at Spectra Film & Video. Doug is awesome, and a true lover of the medium, a great colorist and was a big help to me when I started. But they still do not offer HD scans (not that I am aware of.) Then I found Pro8mm and Phil Vigeant. Pro8mm offers affordable HD scanning, very quick turnarounds and easy to use website where ordering can be done.
Summary: For telecine, the big players in our industry are Spectra Film & Video, Pro8mm, and Cinelicious. However, there are others who do processing and transfer like Du-All (transferring only) and Yale (which does both). I would even suggest a smaller firm like Dwayne’s Photo for those first rolls you shoot with a new camera. If you’re only checking to ensure the camera is in good working order, then you don’t necessarily want to spend a lot on the processing and transfer.
{Look out for Part Three of “What you need to know… About filming with Super 8″ when we’ll get into the do’s and don’t of buying Super 8mm cameras}
