What do you make fo these comments by John Pytlak

Post by **David M. Leugers** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:19 pm

I am what can be correctly classified as a "home movie maker" and damn proud of it! 8) But really, how many people are shooting S-8mm film to document their kids birthdays, sports and events, etc? I do. There are some on this sight who do. But would YOU bet millions of dollars on that market? I am perfectly happy to take whatever scraps fall from the Kodak pro marketing of S-8mm, especially when you look at the film stocks we now have available to us. It has long been time to circle the wagons as small gauge film makers to embrace and promote what we have available as tools to practice our craft with. Professionals also can be amateurs in the true sense in that one does something for the pure enjoyment of it and not for pay. Many great cinematographers and even actors have shot tons of "amateur" home movies...

David M. Leugers

Post by **T-Scan** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:19 pm

But really, how many people are shooting S-8mm film to document their kids birthdays, sports and events, etc?

Not many i'm sure. Or does the artist/experimental film maker like myself fall into this catagory? We could reclassify us as Pro's with personal budgets?

Post by **etimh** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:37 pm

Angus wrote:Kodak is concentrating on the film schools and pros shooting super 8, because we home movie buffs are a dying breed.

I'm kind of getting sick of the doom and gloom crap. Starting to look on the bright side of things in regards to the format. And having more fun.

And I definitely agree with mogzy's last assessment above--THE INTERNET HAS SAVED THE FORMAT. Just look around, folks. Praise.

Tim

Post by **Mitch Perkins** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:16 pm

etimh wrote: I'm kind of getting sick of the doom and gloom crap. Starting to look on the bright side of things in regards to the format. And having more fun.

Tim

Well put, Tim. Foks tend to forget that, "to criticize is to volunteer".

Mitch

Post by **tlatosmd** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 6:58 pm

kettuz wrote:Well, I have always bought my k40 at almost same price as Wittner offers E64T + processing... But then, I haven't been shooting S8 until 2004...

In 2003, pre-paid K40 was still about 11-12 Euros per cart from Wittner, in summer 2004 it was 16-17 Euros. When word first got out in May 2005, price was raised quickly from those 16-17 Euros to about 19 Euros.

64T + processing is almost 25 Euros. Pre-paid K40 never cost that much except at a very short time of about three weeks or less in late 2005.

And to think that the price of one cart of pre-paid K40 was equal to about 6 Euros in 1990, when S8 sales and demands were much lower than they are today...

Post by **Nigel** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:53 am

When I left film school digital had made huge inroads...

I was one of the only thesis films to actually shoot film. Recently I had the chance to talk with a good friend that still teaches there and she said that they have had to buy another SRII to meet demand!!!

They were still trying to run on half dead ACLs and 16 BLs when I was there and now they are using S16 SRIIs!!

Over the last 10 years there have been an explosion of quasi-film schools pop up all over the USA and they are far and away shooting DV. That doesn't mean that film isn't bought by schools.

Remember when the bar gets so popular that poeple don't go there anymore they need something to turn to...

Good Luck

Post by **Angus** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:18 pm

I never paid 6 euros for a cart, even back in 1986 when I started K40 was about Ã‚Â£7...latterly it had been Ã‚Â£10 or Ã‚Â£11 before the stuff was axed.

Best UK deal now is Ã‚Â£19 from the Widescreen Centre.

Post by **Alex_W** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:36 pm

filmacademy here in amsterdam also has some sr2's, although you will need a good reason to use it - from what i've heard. Most of the student films are shot digitally.

Post by **tlatosmd** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 12:16 am

Angus wrote:I never paid 6 euros for a cart, even back in 1986 when I started K40 was about Ã‚Â£7...latterly it had been Ã‚Â£10 or Ã‚Â£11 before the stuff was axed.

Of those various outdated, sealed K40 carts I got via eBay, lots of them still have their original price tags. Around 1990, one cart was about 11-13 Deutschmarks. Other brands than Kodak usually were cheaper by one or two Marks.

Though I must admit an average price of about 25 Deutschmarks for a K40 soundcart quite surprised me.

Post by **livio** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:47 am

"At the beginning of my career I watched with great attention many amateur and home movies. [...] Incidentally, in French you also use the word amateur to name a person who loves something. Capturing an image while in the act of love has become an important notion for me. In fact, all films are 'home movies.' Even in Hollywood, they base their home movies on the people there, the places. They are also, at best, amateurs, only they go to great measures to mask this!" (Stan Brakhage)

...someone who seemed, in his works and words, not to find this dichotomy amateur/professional that interesting...

Post by **Angus** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:28 am

Old, outdated carts have often been re-priced by shops after expiry in the hope of a quick sale.

I personally saw reg 8mm films discounted to 25p from Ã‚Â£5.99 when they were two years out of date in a shop back in 1989.

Just because you see a price sticker on a box dated 1990 (or whatever)doesn't mean that was the actual retail price in that year.

My regular camera shop usually has various 35mm and rollfilms discounted to Ã‚Â£2 for a pack of five...outdated anything from a few months to four or five years.

Post by **etimh** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:20 pm

livio wrote:...someone who seemed, in his works and words, not to find this dichotomy amateur/professional that interesting...

Of course.

Excellent quote, livio. Thanks again.

Tim

Post by **Janne** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:49 am

etimh wrote:And I definitely agree with mogzy's last assessment above--THE INTERNET HAS SAVED THE FORMAT. Just look around, folks. Praise.

It was the internet where I got the idea to try the super-8 format.

Post by **The Swede** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:03 am

Two years ago I didnÃ‚Â´t know that Super8 was still alive.

It was via Internet I found super8 as well and alive

Cheers

Hans

Post by **Angus** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 1:04 pm

I more or less ceased shooting super 8 in 1995, as I got a hi8 camcorder that I felt gave acceptable images and super 8 sound film had become expensive. I was a student at the time and cash really was at a premium.

Then I went to live in the states for a while (97-99) and just decided not to take the super 8 gear with me. My local Wal-Mart didn't sell super 8 film, though I did look.

Then in 2000 I just happened to type "super 8 film" into a search engine....and I discovered it was still going. I ordered one K40, one 7240 and one 'Quarzchrome' from the Widescreen Centre and I've been shooting again since.

So yes, the internet helped me get back into shooting super 8. Its cool when somebody, usually a older person asks, "is that an 8mm camera you have there? I didn't realise you could still get the film!"