damaging super8film while projecting to create crazy effects

[dan127]

Hi,
has anyone heard about a process where you damage/destroy super8 film while projecting to create crazy effects ?
I once heard from a friend about a girl who projected a super 8 film in an art gallery. Every time the main actor appeared, she scratched the film with a screwdriver and the film stopped on one frame, started burning, and then continued playing.
I'm really interested in hearing from anyone who has tried this themselves or anyone who has any similar stories as im keen to try it out myself but i dont really want to damage my super 8 projector.
cheers,
/dan

[CelluloidDisco]

Never used a screwdriver, but if you want to burn a frame in the film while projecting just hold the film tight as it passes through. If you hold it long enough it will start to burn.

I use a eumig projector at 18fps. The slower speeds put some safety glass infront of the gate so prevent burning.

[Old Uncle Barry]

How utterly stupid.If you only knew one iota of the problems amassed over the years to get this format to where it is now you would realise what a travesty this action is in what you term as art.
Has it sunk this low? :evil:

[richard p. t.]

How utterly stupid.If you only knew one iota of the problems amassed over the years to get this format to where it is now you would realise what a travesty this action is in what you term as art.
Has it sunk this low? :evil:

Hey, no need for this! Super 8 is a lot of different things to a lot of different people ... and it has a very strong and important history in performance and 'expanded' cinema.

What I would do if I wanted to do something like this is to get a cheap projector from a market or ebay or whatever and run separate 12 volt power to the lamp so that you can operate the lamp independently of the motor. This way you can turn the motor off at any frame and start burning, then move on, etc.. The only issue is that you will need a 100W supply for a normal 100w projector bulb. That is something like an 8 amp power supply. You could avoid this expense by getting a second junk projector and using it to power the lamp of the first projector.
have fun with it.
richard

[filmjockey]

When I was in college I once threw a pumpkin off the 13th floor of the dorm onto the tennis court, and I thought that was pretty cool, but I was 17.

[Rick Palidwor]

John Porter recently projected a film were he intentionally burned almost every frame. It was fascinating to watch. He would simply stop the projector, let the frame heat up and melt, and the put it back to run before it snapped completely.

And Old Uncle Barry, John Porter is absolute lover (worshipper) of super 8 film and he did this as "art" and it was fantastic. It is the only time he has videotaped one of his projections as he knew it was a one-time-only experience. He may have some documentation on his site: super8porter.com

Rick

[filmjockey]

Thanks for sharing that, it sounds great, similar to Stan Brakhage's "pure cinema," I think he used to call it, for example his work in Mothlight.

[CineGuerrilha]

u can also change the film with chemicals e.g. household bleach, draw with a perm marker etc

[sciolist]

The work of Pierre Cordier, a Belgian experimental photographer, is also worth a look. Cordier is the inventor of a technique for abtract image making in which photographic emulsions are modified by the unconventional use of processing chemicals and/or the application of agents like varnishes, waxes, and oils. Cordier calls the resultant works chemigrams. Unlike results obtained by practitioners of the jam-a-screwdriver-in-the-projector method of art-making, however, Cordier's require a bit of talent and effort.

[Janne]

I like scratch films. There are many on Youtube. I did one a few years ago using a scissors and sandpaper. Before scrathing I softened the emulsion with water. It was 16 mm negative film, and therefore not projected but instead ultrasonic cleaned and transferred to video.