Intro to Super-8mm Film!

Motion picture Film!

Movie Film is very similar to the film that is used in traditional 35mm stills

cameras and comes in a variety of sizes and formats

Motion Picture Film

Super-8 Movie Film is contained in small plastic cartridges. During filming the film moves from the left side to right side of the cartridge.

Motion Picture FilmAs the film moves from one side of the cartridge to the other, Light enters the lens of the camera, and is sequentially focussed onto each individual frame of film as it passes the film gate.

Motion Picture Film

Movie film comes in a variety of sizes or ‘gauges’

(The width of the film in millimetres)

(35mm / 16mM / 8mm etc)

Motion Picture Film

• 65mm (for epic feature films)

• 35mm (for feature films)

• 16mm (for indie films & documentaries)

• 8mm (for home movies, indies & artists film etc)

Motion Picture Film

Super-8mm is a 4:3 film format:

The aspect ratio of this format is 4:3

This format has sprocket holes on the left hand side of the 4:3 8mm frame

The unused right hand side used to carry a magnetic stripe for recording a soundtrack .

This format was specifically developed in the mid-1960’s for consumer and low-budget film-making.

Motion Picture Film

Colour Film is comprised of a number of layersWhich are sensitive to particular frequencies of

light.These combine to produce a full colour image

Motion Picture Film

Super-8mm Film is usually ‘Daylight balanced’

Daylight ‘D’ Balanced Film: Absorbs excessively blue light of daylight lit

environments

Tungsten ‘T’ Balanced Film: Absorbs excessively orange light of artificially lit

environments

Motion Picture Film

Super-8mm Is usually ‘Reversal Stock’

Negative Stock = Negative Image when developed

Reversal Stock = Positive Image when developed

Film Speed (ISO / ASA)Film ‘speed’ (ASA / ISO) is a measure of films sensitivity to light.

Film is covered by light reactive particles called ‘silver halides.’ the surface area of these determines the speed at which the film reacts to light, The larger the ‘grain’ the faster the films reaction to light.

Slow film is particularly suited to bright light conditions whereas fast film is suited to subdued and low-light conditions

Motion Picture Film

We’ll be using Kodak Ektachrome 100D filmWhich is a slow daylight-balanced reversal

stock

=

The Super-8mm Workflow

Expose Film Process Film Telecine Edit

Screen it!

Motion Picture Camera

Braun Nizo 801 Super-8 Camera

Motion Picture Camera• Remember the Red Dots!

• Keep exposure on ‘Autom’

• Keep an eye on the footage

counter!

• Check your lens is clean!• Check the focus (Zoom-in, Focus, Zoom-out to

desired framing)

• The Faster the FPS Speed the More Light you’ll

need!

• Never use the servo zoom! (on top of camera)

• Never use the Reverse ‘R’ button! (on top of

camera)

Motion Picture Camera

• check AA batteries are correctly inserted in the

battery pack

• check your AA batteries are charged by running

camera

• check film is loaded correctly (label visible

through window)

• check film door is closed properly (audible click

when closing)

Intro to Super-8mm Film!