Super 8 filmmaking form?

[hmc4me]

Hi. I am working on my new website right now and wanted to ask a question.
Who would be interested in a Filmmaking forum. It would mostly cover super8 filmmaking.
I love this board alot but it seems that I can't ever get the answers I want about filmmaking.
This board is more of a collector/tech forum for cameras and such and not the art of super8 filmmaking.
Im no expert by far but I want some place to talk about Films and how to make super8 films. Not home movies and how cool my camera is.

Im not talking bad about anyone here so don't take it personal.

If your interested in a forum/website about
Filmmaking
Cinematography
Lighting
Sound
Super 8 film festivals

Then please post here.
I don't want to put a lot of work into this if I am the only one that wants this so let me know.
Thanks
Anthony Collins

[Cranium]

Unfortunately, I think you've hit the nail on the head with

This board is more of a collector/tech forum for cameras and such and not the art of super8 filmmaking.

To a point.

It raises the question of whether or not there shouldn't be more forums right here. Break it down a bit into the specific areas you've defined.
So yes, I think the forums you've listed would be a great idea, but I don't know that the effort involved to start from scratch would be hugely beneficial. Perhaps Andreas would be open to collaboration?

Just throwing the idea out there. I know that most of the "check out this ebay" links don't really interest me, and I would be interested in participating in more in-depth discussions about photographic techniques.

[hmc4me]

I agree. I'm just now starting my serious study of cinematography and want to have a place to talk about it without all these other tech post.

Dont get me wrong I like the tech post when I have a tech question but I want to use super8 and 16mm as a learning tool for cinematography.

I know most of the questions I have are dumb ones but when you pay $11 a roll for film and then $5 for processing you don't want to waste film and find out the hard way that what you wanted will not work when you could of ask the question and save that $16 for a real project.

I think that super 8 is not taken serious because we do not have the info on the web on how to be a super 8 filmmaker and not some highend home movie maker.

Anthony Collins

[Konton]

I have a message board up that no one uses at my site.

http://forum.super8mm.org

Let me know what catagories you guys wants setup and I'll get it going. I'd love to see it used. I just got the new message board running about two weeks ago. I suppose it would be an easy address for people to remember who want questions answered about super 8mm.

[sunrise]

When the structure of this forum was discussed earlier I objected to splitting up the forum into categories. The amount of posts is not that big and gaining an overview within this one forum is much better than having to browse through several forums with only a few posts in each.

I'd like to see more discussions in the like you mention, and I believe most people are tolerant enough to answer silly questions from n00bs like me.

However, have a look at the recent filters for b/w thread which turned out to be a discussion of technical issues rather than achieved results comparison. There is a lot of technical qualified people here, but cinematography is NOT reductable to science!

If you want to discuss the more creative aspects of filmmaking I suggest you do it here rather than start a new forum. Put a disclaimer in your posts stating that this is not a technical issue. I'd love more discussions like this.


On the ebay links note: There has been a lot of post recently with links to various actions at ebay with super8 gear. A simple "what is this?" question is fine, but if you plan to find a super8 bargain a link on this forum would have quite an impact on the end price.

Even if you don't plan to bid someone else here might want the item and you posting the link pushes the prices up.

Disjecta did this a lot a while ago but stopped after someone had pointed out the same reasons as above. If people want new equipment they can search for themselves IMHO.


Last thing. The discussions you mention require more people to participate with examples, clips or images. It seems to me that it is the same few who provide the samples. I know there's copyright or hosting issues, but I want my work to be seen (and I can take the criticism!).

Just my thoughts on this...

sunrise

[FilmsUP]

I am posting less this year than I have in the past. Most of the questions that come along on lighting and cinematography are not how to make things look great, but only how to be as cheep as possible.

I am prety tired of that kind of thinking. I'm probably straped for cash as much as the next person, but I would rather make a well made short than a crapy feature. (This is not a critique of anyone on this board or others I may have visited.)

Most all the teck questions are from people who only seem to ask, but never try (test) anything on their own. I have never read a post saying thay tried an idea learned on this or other boards and thanks for your help.

People hear are generaly nice, helpfull and willing to share.

[S8 Booster]

Mastering film tech is a key factor for making successful short films like what is the norm for which 8mm filmshooting is.

Making proper films are really demanding and time consuming. Most shooters seem to settle for less which I have full understaning for even though most makers settle with DV final formats which ease up the post pro alot.

Anyway, one have to start somewhere and tech control as said is a good start. From there the filmmaker/script makes films and there is no way the tech can be lamed for poor results.

Frightning :?:

R

[downix]

I am posting less this year than I have in the past. Most of the questions that come along on lighting and cinematography are not how to make things look great, but only how to be as cheep as possible.

I am prety tired of that kind of thinking. I'm probably straped for cash as much as the next person, but I would rather make a well made short than a crapy feature. (This is not a critique of anyone on this board or others I may have visited.)

Most all the teck questions are from people who only seem to ask, but never try (test) anything on their own. I have never read a post saying thay tried an idea learned on this or other boards and thanks for your help.

People hear are generaly nice, helpfull and willing to share.

Well, lighting is an issue I'm not up to yet. I'm still hammering out which camera to use, and debating purchasing a replacement for my Vivitar Super8. Once I know which camera to use, and which filter is best, then I'll tackle lighting and camera tricks I can exploit to get the most out of S8 B&W.

[marc]

"In every art there is a science and in every science there is an art." The surgeon cannot become an artist untill he has mastered the science. If you'll notice, many of the tech questions relate to exposure and different film types. If you want something to look good ( forget about CHEAP for a while) you will have to know about such technical issues related to exposure. And since it is Filmmaking you are interested in and not video, you obviously are concerned about the look of your film. Now, perhaps what you are aiming for is something related to the " far left " of cinematography like certain camera angles, focal lengths, camera movements, editing and story telling techniques used to convey a certain feel. This is the ART side of cinematography. The technical issues are still very much a part of cinematography and necessary for success. If it is story telling techniques you are looking for, films from some of the great directors can teach you a lot. Most people become interested in filmmaking because of what they see in the great films. Just rent the movies or watch TV and you can become your own student.

[super8man]

A good post but I think in the end you will not find much support for a more artistic-only (my interpretation) film shooting forum. I mean, there are a ton of other forums out there that cater to film and imaging in general and just because they do not say "I shot this with a super 8 camera" doesn't mean you can't learn from them.

In fact, I think this board is EXCELLENT in what it does NOT say. There are PLENTY of posts and urls in this forum to give you enough ideas (to last a lifetime) on how and what to film (and what not to film for that matter). I really don't need anyone telling me why something is artistic in one sense or the other. That's up to me to learn for myself.

Ask yourself why you enjoy a movie (pick one, let's say Pulp Fiction). Do you really need someone else telling you in non-technical language how they shot it and how they feel the film should be viewed? Not me.

However, if you like B&W film looks, then look on the net for a B&W forum. If you like the Kodachrome look, look for a forum that specializes in slide shooting (reversal is reversal afterall). Etc.

I recently bought a book (through abebooks.com - highly recommended) about super 8 filmaking and the author states that filmmaking is perhaps the MOST technical of all photographic forms...

Remember there was a time when you did NOT have a clue about what a shutter ANGLE was in a motion picture camera? I do. Now I know though, so I move on... I was not so lucky to have this forum and learn from all these "crazily" technical (and secretly artistic) guys.

Anyhow, good luck if you start a forum but I think this one really does cover the best elements of the technical aspects of filmaking if you browse the archives some.

As to the desire for:

Filmmaking
Cinematography
Lighting
Sound
Super 8 film festivals

Just go to your friendly library and look in section 778.53 and you will find a BOATLOAD of info. I have also tried to include the technical aspects on my own website, however I purposely DO NOT discuss how to film every scene since that is not practical nor required.

"Perhaps the chief reason for learning the rules of filmmaking is to enable you to creatively break them." - R.C. NORRIS

The first part of that quote is covered in this and other forums very well. The last part is up to you. And no one else can tell you how to do that.

Good filmming and best of luck if you do start a new forum.

Cheers,
m

PS - I love the chats about ebay deals since when other topics are slow, these provide for filler. Just like the news on TV: Do you really think they need to tell us about some stupid dog found in a well??? They do it to maintain viewership for when the real news hits the world. Same here on this site.

[Leon_Trinidad]

I don't think there is really a need for another forum. Everyone that shoots or is interested in Super 8mm is already here. I think splitting up into categories would be best. I don't post that much but I read on this forum everyday and have seen major growth. There are great discussions concerning everything, the problem is just trying to find the subjects and info that pertain to you. Somebody could post a topic in the morning and later that evening there are 10 new topics on top of that. Traffic has grown and I think it's time for more lanes on the highway.

[Actor]

Just go to your friendly library and look in section 778.53 ...

That's if your library is still using the Dewey Decimal System. If they are using the Library of Congress system you'd better consult the Librarian. Here in the U.S. more and more libraries are switching to the LoC system because of little things like government grant money and such.

[hmc4me]

I think splitting up into categories would be best.
There are great discussions concerning everything, the problem is just trying to find the subjects and info that pertain to you.

Traffic has grown and I think it's time for more lanes on the highway.

I agree with this. Im not love this forum as much as the rest of you but I hate having to search so much to find what I want.
Every question I post I have searched for but I always get 100 post that do not have anything to do with what I want before I get the one I like. So I end up posting a new topic to answer an old question.

I want more lanes on the highway aswell.

Anthony Collins

[LastQuark]

I brought the same problem up weeks back. You can find Andreas reply here:

http://www.8mm.filmshooting.com/scripts ... highlight=

 

[studiocarter]

There could be a list of subject words to code any topics instead of actually creating a bunch of different threads. If we used those subject code words then searching would be a breeze.
Lightmeters, K40, transferring, B&W and so on could be simply put into the Subject line. Then, when the thread goes far afield as they usually do one could find the relevant posts eaasily with the search function.
This post is called subjects because that is what I am talking about. It could have been called library or search or archive or archives. One list posted on the left or somewhere to be seen when posting would simplify it and make the process uniform.
In fact, if each of us searched all our own old posts and put such subject headings, all the same words between us, in editing them, the job would be done.
Presently I am trying to learn how to use an incident light meter attachment on my Weston 735 meter. The results of my testing are very interesting. What would that be called? Get a Sekonic? That is what happened the last time I tried to talk about it. How about, lightmeter Weston? I'm not sure how the search thing works best.