We’ve had Super 8 cameras for several years, and we’ve interspersed footage from them into our films, but I really feel like it’s has the most impact when the medium stands on it’s own. To see what I mean, check out this “Save the Date” we (Diva Productions) filmed last year, preview these wedding highlight films from Hello Super 8, or watch this FULL wedding film shot by Vantage Point Productions. Many of our couples haven’t been exposed to the older formats like Super 8, 8mm, and 16mm, so they may not “get it” until they see it. It’s film. It’s retro. It’s noisy when we’re shooting. And we love working with it.

The second in our series of videologs and articles called  “what you need to know” is “What you need to know… About filming with Super 8.” We’ll be breaking it down into three parts so we don’t overwhelm you with information!

My intention for the “what you need to know” series, is for it to be straight talk from industry insiders with expertise on various subjects for event filmmakers. I didn’t have much time to get input from other event filmmakers for my first post “What you need to know… About shooting beach weddings,” and I wanted to remedy that situation with this article, so I solicited input from industry peeps who regularly shoot film. I have to tell you, I was thrilled by the response. This is one of those subjects people get passionate about.

I asked each company, four key questions:

• If you had one piece of advice to offer someone just starting out using Super 8mm film, what would it be?
• Do you have a favorite film stock and why is it your favorite?
• Who do you use for processing and transfer, and why?
• Do you have any advice on buying Super 8mm cameras?

The video above covered a large portion of the advice for those just starting out with Super 8, but here are the full responses we received from other event filmmakers:

Matt Buckman, I Do Films

My first piece of advice to someone who wants to start filming would be to practice focusing.  When shooting digital, we have all kinds of ways to check focus, but with a Super 8 camera, it’s much different.  The eyepieces are often somewhat difficult to see through.  However, many Super 8 cameras have split glass in the middle of the viewfinder that can help guide you when focusing.  You should practice focusing with the split glass if you have it.  When you’re new to shooting Super 8, shoot wide as much as possible, as this will reduce your focusing woes.  If you zoom in, the depth of field on Super 8 cameras becomes extremely shallow and it can be difficult to nail focus through those tiny viewfinders.

My second piece of advice is to make sure you charge enough for it.  Shooting on Super 8mm film is very expensive.  You have to account for the film purchase, the processing, the transfer, a hard drive for them to put the digital transfer on to, and the shipping back and forth to the lab, etc.

Megan Hill, Hello Super 8

PRACTICE! Super 8 is a tricky medium and you only get better with more and more practice. Learning how your camera deals with exposure and focus is key. Also PATIENCE. It’s easy to just burn through film when you’re used to shooting digital, but film is expensive, so you must be patient and wait to get a shot of the perfect moment.

Bryan Coward, Tampa Wonderworks Films

We didn’t start shooting super 8 to make more money; we started to shoot super 8 because I was fascinated by the idea I could shoot on real film! We have not made much money shooting Super 8 but what it offers us in terms of identifying our brand and separating ourselves from our competitors is enormous. Super 8 has really helped us cement our target audience and our brand.

Kat Small, Cinema Chic Productions

Buy two cameras.  I use one for indoors and one for outdoors.  This way you do not have to change your film to adjust for the transition between interior and exterior, and then you don’t lose your readings on how much film you have left. You also won’t have to change your settings, and it just generally makes life much easier.  Plus, you have a back up camera on hand should one break down.

Steve Moses, Vantage Point Productions

Prepare for an addiction!! Super 8 is fun to shoot, easy to edit, and will make you lose sleep until you get it back, and know it actually worked.

Also, be sure to charge what it is worth. This is a specialty service with limited people that offer it, so you can, and should, charge a luxury price. It costs about $22 per minute to shoot so, filming with Super 8 is not cheap! However, this will separate you from the pack in the eyes of other vendors.

Vanessa McKellar, Vanessa McKellar Productions

For an all Super 8 wedding we recently shot, we purchased 24 rolls of film which cost us $1,400, including processing and telecine (telecine is when they transfer it to a format we can edit). Each roll is 3 minutes, so that’s about $20 per minute of footage. Needless to say, you’ve got to be very conservative with your shooting. AND you must charge your client a lot more than you normally would for similar coverage with video.

Summary: So the two words that keep jumping out at me as I read these responses are PRACTICE and PATIENCE. Practice your focusing and learn your camera’s exposure settings. Be patient, film is expensive to shoot, so make sure all your settings are correct before you pull the trigger, and as I mentioned in the video don’t use a new camera on a official shoot until you have the chance to develop and transfer a roll of film shot with it. Finally, make sure you charge enough for this service. This is a specialty, luxury service, and it costs us around $22 a minute to film, so be sure you charge accordingly!

{Look out for Part Two of “What you need to know… About filming with Super 8″ when we’ll get into the nitty gritty of film stocks, processing and transfer}

Joanna Banks-Morgan

Joanna Banks-Morgan of Diva Productions has spent most of her 43 years in newsrooms or on sets. The daughter of a journalist and an actor, she was bitten by the producing bug early. She attended Cardiff University’s Journalism, Film, and Television program in Wales and started her career in 1992 with British broadcaster Westcountry Television. Before creating Diva Productions in 2007 with husband/business partner Robert Banks-Morgan, Joanna worked for CBS 42 KEYE in Austin, Texas where she also attended St. Edward’s University, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Communications.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

I was first exposed to Super 8mm Film as a child.  I remember my Uncle Ronnie at family functions shooting Super 8.  I used to follow him around and was very intrigued by the camera.  Thinking back, this probably planted the seed for my love of the format.

I started shooting film a few years ago.  Other videographers would ask me how we sell it to clients.  We live in an age now of High Definition and Blu-Ray and one videographer in particular stated, “we have worked so hard at getting a clean image, why would I want to revert back to that crap?”  It was a valid question.

I also remember sharing clips on different forums and there would be comments like, “it just looks too grainy,” “looks rough,”  “too much shake,” etc.  There was only one problem.  They were making the mistake of viewing the footage from their own expectations and preferences, not from the viewpoint of the client.  They were getting hung up on the technical aspects and comparing it to HD.

Let HD be HD and let film be FILM!

People often ask me why is film different.  I can talk about latitude and depth of color, but what really makes it different is….it just has that look.  Clients understand it when the see it.  They either like it or they don’t.  We present film to every client with whom we meet.  We pull out the Super 8 and 16mm cameras, let them hold their vintage bodies, and talk about the history of the tools.

Our 16mm was purchased from a National Geographic photographer, so we mention that to add romance to the presentation.  It’s fun to see their reaction.

Sometimes on the wedding day, I will let a Bridesmaid or Groomsman shoot a little film to add to the romance of their wedding day.  They love it.

We need to remind ourselves that we are visual artists pushing the storytelling in ways that we as filmmakers are comfortable.  Film can be one of those tools, not only as a complimentary piece, but as something that differentiates your studio.  Film is not for every shooter nor every client, but it certainly adds a little interest in how people perceive you.

Sprinkle a little romance :->.

John Moon, Northernlight Filmworks

John and Jennifer Moon

Well, Corbin and I hope part 1 of this series has helped you prepare for your Perfect Super 8mm Highlight, and that you’re now ready to learn some of our day-of-strategies that help us obtain that perfect Super 8mm Highlight (or at least get as close as possible, lets face it, rarely does wedding filming reach perfection).

Here I am describing the shots we choose, and why we choose them:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And now what you’ve been waiting for, a shot list for The Perfect Super 8mm Highlight: (all ceremonies and receptions are different, so this may not be the perfect list for every wedding highlight)

• establishing shots of the ceremony location (remember you’ll want a still shot over which to put the bride’s and groom’s name)
• detail in the bride’s room to establish it (her bouquet is always a good choice)
• the bride smiling and/or laughing
• a wide shot of all the bridesmaids
• establishing your groom (maybe entering his room if possible)
• detail of the groom’s room (jacket hanging up)
• a wide of all the groomsmen
• the groom smiling and/or laughing
• establish the ceremony location (a wide of it with no guests or a shot of the program)
• 3-4 ceremony detail shots (you’ll use these as cutaways during the ceremony, so be sure to shoot mids or close shots)
• guests mingling and greeting one another
• the groom walking into place for the ceremony
• groom’s smiling (remember to get it in-between the bridesmaids coming down)
• a wide of entire wedding party in place (not shown in film)
• the bride’s entrance (remember to try and get 2-3 shots of her entrance)
• the bride’s father giving her away
• unity candle or any other unique ceremony event
• vows and/or ring shots
• the kiss
• the couples exit
• 1-3 shots of couple right after ceremony as they look at their rings.
• reception establishing shot
• 2-3 reception detail shots (we no longer film the cakes, since we show them during the cake cutting)
• the couple’s reception entrance (only film the bride and groom’s entrance and not their entire wedding party)
• 2-4 shots of the couple’s First Dance (the groom twirling his bride is always a good shot, as is the dip and/or kiss at the end)
• 2-3 shots of the Father/Daughter Dance
• 2-3 shots of the Mother/Son Dance (the beginning and ends of the dances seem to be the best moments)
• cake cutting (again, all receptions are different, so just do your best to get all the major moments)
• family members and wedding party dancing (do your best to get both sets of parents and grandparents)
• bride and groom dancing
• anything unique to the bride and groom’s reception (photo booth, candy bar, etc…)
• bouquet and garter toss
• the couple’s Last Dance and/or exit

Corbin and I hope this helps you create the Perfect Super 8mm Highlight and look forward to seeing your films!

Happy filming,

-Dave

Dave and Corbin Baxter

Christina and Clay’s Super 8mm Wedding Highlight from Soulbox Productions on Vimeo.

Hi IN[FOCUS] Readers,

This is Dave with Soulbox Productions. Corbin and I have been producing Super 8mm Wedding Highlights for the past 4 years and we want to share with you what we’ve learned in this two part series.

So you just purchased your refurbished super 8mm camera from Du-All Camera and you’re ready to film a wedding, right?…not so fast.

First, you’ll need to make sure you and your camera are ready to go.

Let’s start with the film, since you’ll need some to test your camera. Shooting at 24fps, each cartridge has 3 minutes of footage. We film a highlight using 3 cartridges, but your first time out, you’ll most likely want to use 4. If the Pre-Ceremony and Ceremony are well lit, buy two 200 speed cartridges (one for each – but you can always get two 500 speed and be ok). And assuming the Reception will be in low light, buy two 500 speed cartridges for it. We buy film from our processing company Spectra Film & Video. The price of their 4 pack of film (with processing included) is $259.

If you want to be confident of your camera’s workability on your client’s wedding day, you’ll want to do some tests at home first:

• you’ll need an extra cartridge of 200 speed film
• check to make sure there are no hairs are dust particles where you insert the cartridge (use a toothpick to gently remove any unwanted hairs)
• use measuring tape and measure out 5 feet and place the meter on your camera at 5 and begin filming
• we always like to test our cameras both by their meters and by our eyes to make sure both techniques are in focus (make notes as you test your camera, you don’t want to forget which technique you were trying when your test footage comes back from the lab in a few months)
• don’t forget to test both outside in bright light and at night for low lighting situations (see our post on an inexpensive super 8mm lighting trick)

There is a way around the extra costs and time by doing a home test. You can simply jump right into filming with super 8mm. For Corbin and me, it just so happened that one of our friends was getting married, so we surprised her with the super 8mm highlight. Don’t have a friend getting married anytime soon? Simply ask one of your upcoming clients. However, I would be very cautious about charging a lot (or anything at all) when testing an unproven camera.

Below is our first attempt at a Super 8mm Highlight, testing our camera for our good friends Mike and Misty (please note that Spectra Film & Video did not do the processing).

Misty and Mike’s Super 8mm Wedding Highlight from Soulbox Productions on Vimeo.

Okay, so the footage came back and the camera is ready to go! Well, besides your camera and film, here’s what else you’ll need for your first shoot:

• a bag
• batteries for the camera (and extra batteries)
• a light (unless everything is outside, but even then, it might get rained back inside)
• a belt clip (so you have easy access to the next three items)
• a lens wipe
• a marker (to number your cartridges, so your processing company will give the footage back to you in order, this saves time in post production)
• a small flashlight (so that you can read how much footage you have left during a dark reception)

Corbin and I hope this helps you get ready for your first Super 8mm Highlight. Next up in Part II, a shot list that will help you perfect the Super 8mm Highlight.

Cheers,
Dave and Corb

Dave and Corbin Baxter

Greetings IN[FOCUS] readership,

At Soulbox Productions we offer both digital and super 8mm film coverage.  One of the early challenges we faced with super 8mm filming was getting adequate lighting. Film needs more light than digital.  Having our camera operators to hold a light with one hand and the camera with the other made it difficult to focus and to frame the shots.

We use the same light for our lead digital camera, the Canon XL2, as we do for our super 8mm cameras.  This light is the Canon VL-10Li.

The VL-10 uses its own battery, which is a must for super 8mm filming.  It’s only 10 watts, so it’s not overwhelmingly bright.  The challenge, though, was to find a way to attach it to our super 8mm cameras, none of which have a shoe like our digital cams.

I tried thick rubber bands…didn’t work, the light wouldn’t stay in place.  I tried extra strength Velcro…didn’t work, the light–especially with the battery on it—was just too heavy.  I thought about trying industrial-strength glue, but I didn’t because it could’ve eaten through the plastic body of the camera.

I could spend $1200 or more on a refurbished super 8mm camera like the Canon 1014 XL-S, which has a shoe:

I didn’t want to shell out that much money for a small piece of metal, and besides, our lead super 8mm camera, the Bauer C107XL, works like a champ and has sentimental value attached to it (it was Corbin’s father’s camera from years gone by).

So what to do? The answer was right in front of me, but I couldn’t see it.  I was getting ready to make the $1200 purchase until I had an opportune conversation with my father.

My father is an engineer at Lockheed Martin and an all around great handyman. He pointed out that both the light and camera have a tripod socket...

…and I should buy a headless screw (also called a threaded rod) at any Home Depot or Lowe’s.

There is a small “hole” (or lack thereof) in this lighting technique.  Canon has removed the tripod socket in the latest model of the VL-10.  So, search ebay or Craig’s List for the early models and ask the seller if it has a hole on the bottom.

My father’s 55 cent solution saved me $1199.45 (tax and shipping not included…or film for testing…or the mental strain of using a refurbished camera). At the very least, I owe him a steak dinner. Thanks again, Dad. I owe you big time.

Dave and Corbin Baxter