8 Tips for Shooting Modern Super 8 Film

By Pro8mm



Pro8mm 2013 2805 West Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505 Ph: 818-848-5522 www.pro8mm.com


The Super 8 Film Experts for Production and Legacy Footage
A Few Tips Can Go A Long Way!
By Phil Vigeant, Owner and Senior colorist at Pro8mm

Part of my job as senior colorist at Pro8mm, is that I get to scan about a million feet of
super 8 film each year. In doing so I get to see what is happening in the super 8 world
with some vantage point based on volume. I look at my work as a two-part job. One, as
a creative colorist, trying to get the most information off of the frames for our customers,
and second, as an inspector looking for bugs in the over all super 8 process. When I
see something that needs improving, I try to see what I can do with the technology at
hand to facilitate a positive change. Internally, I talk to my employees who are the
people most responsible for each area and together we try to attack the issue.

Externally, it is much more difficult. You have competitive concerns to address, and
some companies just do not see these problems as issues the way I might. In addition,
there are things that are totally beyond my control that can play a major roll in great
looking super 8 footage. These things are up to the filmmaker. Each year the
technology for scanning film to digital seems to improve, resulting in more things that I
can fix. Native 1080 HD film scanning now provides me with tremendous processing
power to do many things that were impossible just a year ago. There are new things on
the horizon as well, which will give us even greater ability to improve an imperfect
image. However, there are a few things that if the filmmaker does not get right, there is
very little that can be done to remedy the problem, no matter how much technology I
have at hand.

As the years progress the problems seem to change and evolve with
each new generation. For those who grew up with film as the main
picture-taking medium some things were learned at every juncture of
the photographic process. Things such as focus were common
knowledge of that generation, so we often forget that this is something
you have to learn. A colleague of mine who teaches filmmaking here in
California said that he has to spend days of the semester going over
some of this basic stuff. Therefore, here is my short list of the 8 most
common areas of concern I see every day in transferring film.

I hope that a few quick tips and expatiation can help you create better images with your
super 8 camera. Phil Vigeant

TIP #1 : HAIR IN THE GATE
Ugh there is a hair in the camera gate!
Nothing is more aggravating for us and to
you when we get absolutely gorgeous
footage up on the scanner and there is a
big yucky piece of dirt or hair in the frame.

Just a small effort on your part will make
your footage sparkle!
BRUSH YOUR C AMERA GATE!

Because of the nature of film and the way
it travels through a camera and exposes
each frame, the system will build up
debris in the gate. If it accumulates, this will block some of the image. The metal gate
frames the film with what should be a smooth black border. Because you are running
film over metal, it tends to leaves tiny deposits on the gate as the film passes over it.
This emulsion residue is a gummy substance that is barely visible to the naked eye. If
this is not cleaned from your camera, from time to time you can have several problems.

First, the gummy glue can trap foreign
substances like hair, lint, and dust and hold it
firmly, often where the image is taken in a
camera. This results in these ugly black
globs which start around the boarder that
blocks some of your image usually on the
edges, but sometimes big enough to block a
lot of picture. Depending on the size of these
foreign obstacles, a hair in the gate can ruin a
shot. In addition, the build up of emulsion
can get so bad that your camera can
physically scratch the film. The fix for these
problems is very simple. Go to the store and purchase a childs toothbrush. Gently
brush a few strokes between every cartridge. Every, single, cartridge! It is amazingly
simple but incredibly effective. Do not use compressed air as all that will do is blow dirt
around, and it might blow debris into somewhere you cannot get it out. In addition,
compressed air does not often have the force to move the object because remember, it
is stuck in place. Do not use a Q-tip, as the chance of leaving a fiber of cotton is
greater then the good you will do by performing the cleaning.

If your camera has never been cleaned, you might need to do some more extensive
work. Once it is clean, the brush trick is all that should be need to keep you hair free.
Pro8mm includes a free camera gate brush with every rental or purchase. They are also
available for sale on our website for $5.00 at www.pro8mm.com. It is a nifty little tool
that folds up small and has an attached cover, so you dont have to worry about loosing
it. Once you use it on your camera, we do not advise using it as a substitute for gum
or mints when you have been on the set all day, or for that matter, the other way
around! www.pro8mm.com

(c) Pro8mm 2013
TIP #2 : THE 85 FILTER SITUATION
Now here is a topic of controversy and
conversationthe good old 85 filter!
There are many differences of opinion
about the 85 filter. This is ours at
Pro8mm.

In the beginning, all super 8 film was
Tungsten Balanced, which means that the
film will produce true colors under
tungsten light. If you wanted to get
correct colors in daylight, you had to use
an orange filter called an 85 (sometimes
called 85A). For convenience, every
Super 8 camera was built with an internal
85 filter. The filter was usually in place
because most filming was done outside in
daylight. There were some clever ways to take out the filter when you were filming in
Tungsten (interior) light. The filter removal system could be activated by the super 8
cartridges notch system, or by a switch, or by sticking something into a place in the
camera to take it out or some combination of these.

Every super 8 camera manufacturer had their own idea as to how this should be done.
Today, you have dozens of super 8 film stocks that can be either daylight or tungsten
color balanced. When you film in daylight with daylight film, you do not want to use an
85 filter. At Pro8mm we have been taking the internal filters out of the super 8 cameras
we manufacture for many years now because (when done correctly) it can greatly
improve the optical performance of a camera. These internal filters are often made of
plastic, which deteriorate over time and can greatly interfere with the quality of the
image. They are also dirt magnets! Because you can buy daylight film today, it is
actually inconvenient to have the internal 85 filter.

Some film manufacturing companies prescribe to the cartridge notch for 85-filter
removal and some do not. The standards for dealing with this 85 thing are a mess, so it
is up to you, the filmmaker to understand what the 85 filter is and how your camera
handles this. You need to make sure that you are using the correct film for your filming
environment, daylight or tungsten. Although you can do some amazing color correction
in post, if you do not get this right you will never achieve the brilliance in color your
images can have. In addition, all this correcting takes time, which cost money.

What make this even a little more challenging is in most super 8 cameras, the 85 was
placed behind the viewfinder optic where it cannot be seen. If your camera has a switch
(light bulb/ sun light) you can toggle between the two settings for filter in and out, but you
will not be able to see the effect of having the filter in by looking in the viewfinder. To see
it, you must open up the camera door where you insert the film and look through the
camera body. Put your eye in line with what the film will see. You must run the camera
in order to see through it. It also will help if you point the camera at something darker
so the exposure system is open, or manually set the camera to keep the exposure wide
open. Once you find a position where you can see light through the camera body, flip
the switch that goes between the 85 filters in and out. You should see the light turn a
darker orange when the filter is in. However, you are not done. Take the super 8
cartridge you are about to use and put it in the camera. While doing so look to see if it is
flipping a lever in the camera. Now go back to check your camera and make sure that
the position of the cartridge has not effected the switching.

The other approach is to make sure all your settings are correct and the cartridge has
the correct notch for the 85 filters. A cartridge with a notch for the 85 filters will not
remove the filter automatically. A cartridge without a notch will automatically remove
the filter. In some cameras, an external switch can override this, but in others, if the
notch removes the 85 filter it cannot be returned with the switch.


Cartridge on left is 7219 without 85
filter notch. On right, the notch
added by Pro8mm.

One thing you may find interesting
is that we repackage the Kodak
Vision 3 7219 which we call
Pro8/19 ASA 500T with our
prepaid processing and add the
correct notch for the 85 filter. ($35
stock and processing, or starting at
$118 with HD scanning that
includes prep and clean & and HD
color corrected scan to a file
format) for one stop work flows
with progressive discounts. What a yummy deal! www.pro8mm.com

(c) Pro8mm 2013

TIP #3 : CORRECT EXPOSURE

Having the correct exposure is one of the
most critical aspects of getting the best-
looking super 8 pictures. There are books
written on this subject where you can learn
the nuances of lighting and exposure reading.

The fundamental issue for super 8
filmmakers today is that too many filmmakers
are relying on their aging super 8 cameras
internal exposure system to make this critical
setting. Some of these systems were not
even that good when they where new, let alone 30 to 40 years down the road.

Photography is after all, painting with light. To get your
best results, you have to learn about light, how it relates
to different film stocks, and how to choose the best
exposure setting. My super 8 images improved
dramatically when I bought an inexpensive light meter
(About $75.00), started reading about light, and doing
some experimentation. I found that even the factory
settings prescribed by the manufacture of both the film
and cameras were not always optimum to make the
best-looking Super 8 pictures. So many factors affect
your exposure.

Did you know that your best exposure would be different based on if you are in wide or
telephoto on your zoom? For your cameras internal system to work, it has to be able to
recognize the notch system in the super 8 cartridge and be calibrated for it to work well.
The ASA notches were designed to cover a wide range of ASA original films from 40 to
640 ASA measure in 2/3 stop increments. Some Super 8 cameras can only recognize a
single setting where others can read all six notches.

None of this means much if the system has not been calibrated in 15 years. Once you
own a light meter it is possible the do some comparisons if only to understand how your
system is working. I use my cameras internal system all the time but I always have my
light meter to check and compare settings.

You might be interested to know that at Pro8mm, one of the things we do when we
rebuild cameras (such as the Max1014xls and Pro814) to become modern filming tools
is that we calibrate the exposure system. We notch the cartridges of the film we load to
correspond with the closest ASAs the camera system can accommodate. Below is an
excerpt from our Max1014xls manual, which is available on our website at
www.pro8mm.com.

a. Advanced Exposure Calibration for Modern Super 8
The Advanced Exposure Calibration System in the Max1014xls provides accurate
film exposures for all modern film stocks that range from 50-500 ASA. Most super 8
cameras were designed and calibrated to make their best pictures using Kodachrome
film. With the discontinuance of Kodachrome 40, it is time to establish new standards
and calibrate cameras to the modern film stocks now widely used. In our test of eight
Canon 1014s we purchased used, the average internal exposure was off by an average
of 2 stops. The new Pro8mm notch system is designed to provide accurate film
exposures over a range of five ASA designations. Calibrated in 2/3 F stop increments,
this system can tell a properly calibrated camera the best way to expose all Super 8 film
stocks. Super 8 cameras that can be calibrated to register this range of film will produce
superior image to those that can not.

The advanced super 8 cartridge notching is designed to provide accurate film exposures
with modern super 8 film that ranges from 50 to 500 ASA.

(c) Pro8mm 2013

TIP #4 : PROPER FOCUS
Focusing a lens was such a standard
fundamental procedure to taking photos
or shooting movies that it is difficult for
those of us that grew up with this
tradition to understand that today, many
filmmakers do not need or know how to
focus.
Good super 8 filmmaking depends on
good manual focus because super 8
predates good auto focus systems. Filmmakers need to spend some quality time
understanding it, practicing it and learning when it is the most critical and when they
could let their guard down. In the good old days a lot of photography was restricted to
outdoors because of the slow ASA. Today you can have Super 8 with 500 ASA so you
can film in some pretty low light. This makes seeing focus more difficult. The original
design of super 8 cameras did not consider this. If you are going to get good super 8
footage, you need to understand focus and depth of field, and practice.
To focus a camera with your eye, the system starts with the
correct setting of the cameras internal diopter. Everyones
vision is slightly different so the diopter in a camera calibrates
your eye to what the camera is seeing. There are many
methods prescribed for setting the diopter. I learned using the
infinity approach. You set the focus ring of the lens on infinity
and then looking at something far away, you focus the diopter to
your eye. I then zoom the lens to wide angle and if it holds
focus Im set. There are numbers on every super 8 lens that
should correlate to the focus distance between the camera and
the subject. These make great reference points to check if you
are really getting the correct focus by eyeing it.
Most super 8 cameras (except for Beaulieu) use a range focus
systems (Range Finder.) This is not the easiest system to use
and without the diopter set correctly, there is little chance of
getting correct focus. The difficulty for modern super 8 users is
that when you look through the super 8 camera you do not see all the information for
focus. In particular, the F-stop or aperture and 85 filters are after where the focus optic
is, so you do not see the effect this has on focus. In practical terms, this makes the
depth of focus constant no matter what F stop your shooting at in the viewfinder (what
you see), while the depth of focus for the film will be radically different depending on
what F Stop your at (what the film sees).

The other way to approach focus is to understand when it is
critical and when its not. When you shoot at full telephoto, (the
most zoomed in) and at full aperture (F the smallest number) on
a big 10 to 1 super 8 zoom the focus depth is less then an inch.
This mean if your focus setting is wrong by even the slightest, or
you move the camera as little as a few inches, you are out of
focus. On the other extreme if you are at full wide on the zoom
and the smallest aperture (F the largest number) the focus
depth is huge, maybe 50 feet or greater. In this situation it almost doesnt matter where
you set the focus you will be in focus.
Since most super 8 film is shot in available light, you cannot change that. If you back off
a little on that gorgeous lens to a wider setting and use slightly higher ASA film you will
find focus to be much easier. At minimum, always make sure to vary your shots wide
and telephoto so even if you are wrong some of the time you have a chance of having
some focused material.

Did you know there is an iphone app called PCam for the professional filmmaker? It
calculates the imaging parameters of depth of field, hyper focal distance, and many
others . The app supports Super 8 to 70mm Imax and numerous video configurations.

(c) Pro8mm 2013
TIP #5 : AIRPORT X-RAY


Sample of 16mm Kodak Vision 320T Color Negative exposed to INVISION CTX-5500
baggage scanner

Since 911, nothing has caused more grief to the use of film than airport X-ray. This is a
great tragedy for film because with a little knowledge it is easily avoidable. For 8 years
now, I have taken 500 ASA film on every trip I have taken. I always take my film through
the walk through X-ray without any special consideration. I keep it in the original
packaging, and I just put the film on the conveyor and let it go through. Thats right! If
they want to rescan it, I tell them go for it. On one trip, I clocked 10 scans of my film. I
have never had a single frame with X-ray damage. The X-rays do not build up on your
film. Although you could end up like the example above you put your film in your
luggage. The walk through x-ray system is not nearly as powerful as the X-ray system
for checked luggage.

What I never do is put my film in my checked
luggage. The CTX-5000 x-ray machines that are
used to check baggage at most commercial airports
are very powerful and can fog film. Not only is it
much more powerful than the machines at airport
security check in areas, it may scan a bag several
times from several different angles. This WILL
adversely affect your film whether it has been shot
on not.

I have asked every customer that I have seen with X-
ray damage to his or her film the same question. Did
they put their film through the luggage x-ray? Without exception every filmmaker with an
x-ray problem at one time or another put their film in their luggage. So it is a simple.
Carry your film on the plane and do not put it in your checked luggage. To this point, do
not use X-ray bags or lead lined bags and think that your film is safe in your luggage. All
the airport people do is turn up the intensity of the X-ray system to identify what is
inside.

X-Ray damaged film is easy to diagnose because it has a very distinct stroking of just
the blacks in the film. It does not matter if the film was exposed when it was hit or not
exposed. It does not even matter what the ASA is, as I have seen fogging even on Plus
X black & white 100 ASA.

Because of the danger of x-ray, it is not a good idea to buy super 8 film from
questionable sources. In the film industry there is a lot of film that is resold because it
was not used on a production. This film, commonly called re-can in 16mm and 35mm.
When handled by reputable companies, it can be easily tested and then resold with full
integrity. With Super 8 film there is no way to do this type of testing. Therefore, if you
buy your super 8 from a short ends reseller you are taking a big risk because they
cannot test it.

Did you know that Pro8mm sends you a DO NOT X-RAY
sticker when you buy film from us so you can stick it on the
outside of the package when you send the film back in for
processing? Private carriers such as Fed-ex and UPS use
x
their own planes and do not X-ray their packages but it doesnt hurt to use DO NOT X-
RAY stickers. In remote locations sometimes these carrier will use commercial airplanes
to fly their freight, in which case your package could be X-rayed. Check with the carrier
and clearly mark the package
(c) Pro8mm 2013
TIP #6 : THE MECHANICS OF FILM
Super 8 film is a technology based strongly on mechanical principles. Understanding a
little about how film travels through the camera will go a long way in helping you achieve
great super 8 images and avoid a lot of frustration.
One of the most important mechanics of shooting with film is
understanding when the film is running through the camera.
Even though super 8 film comes in a convenient cartridge
and is easy to load, the camera and film have to work
together.
One common problem for many new filmmakers is
understanding that in a super 8 camera the footage counter
works off the spinning of the take up, not actually the film
moving through the camera. Therefore, as the take up is
spinning it counts off the footage. This actually has nothing to do with whether film is
moving through your camera. The take up spindle is
designed with a slip clutch mechanism so that it always
spins regardless if it is actually taking up film or not. What
can happen is that you think you are shooting because the
camera is running, but no film is actually being exposed.
The most common mistake I see is that the roll of film has been totally shot, and the
filmmaker is unaware of this and keeps shooting. Often times in the excitement of
shooting you fail to notice the end of the roll signal. Different cameras have different
ways of indicating you are at the end of the roll, so check out how YOUR camera signals
this. If you happen to take a cartridge out of your camera and then reinsert it, the
footage counter will reset to zero. It does not know that you may have already shot
some of the film.
The second problem is that sometimes a roll of film will jam, or perhaps it never got
started in the first place. Sometimes this can be a problem with the cartridge, but usually
it is with the camera. When you first put a roll of film in a camera, the film must engage
the cameras claw mechanism, aligning the sprockets of the film with the cameras claw.
Typically, this will happen automatically, but if the guides are out of alignment, this might
not take place at all and the roll will never start. Its an easy fix. Usually, just take the
cartridge out and reinserting it in the camera. However if your not aware of the problem,
you will shoot for the next 3 minutes and get no picture.
Although not as common, the cartridge can also jam. If the clutch of the take-up spindle
is weak it will have trouble keeping pace with the advancing film pulled down by the
claw. The film will build up in the take up chamber of the camera, and at some point will
not be able to support the back up and simply quit. If you take a cartridge that has
jammed like this out of the camera and turn the take up spindle to wind up the access
you can typically reinsert the cartridge and start filming again. Many super 8 cameras
use the clutches spinning to tell them the roll has ended. If the clutch is weak, the
camera will keep shutting down, thinking it is at the end of the roll. As you gain
experience with super 8 you will become aware of the sound film makes going through
your camera.
There is a clear indicator if your film is having trouble transporting through the camera,
and that is when you pull a finished roll of film from your camera, and it is not at the end.
With some films, there is an actual stamp on the film that says exposed. On others it will
Film Transport Indicator
*vaiies by cameia mouel
simply pull out of the cartridge slightly, indicating your are at the end of the roll. When
you take the film cartridge out of the camera, if the film looks like it did when you loaded
the camera you have some investigating to do. You should always try to run your rolls
out to the end. You do this for two reasons. First, it tells you that you have shot the
entire roll and second, if it does not roll out you need to investigate the issue. It is very
easy to re-shoot something or grab another take when you are in the moment. It is often
impossible to return a week later to get a shot you are missing.

In addition to the film physically moving through the camera, it has to register each frame
at 18 or 24 times a second in perfect position to get good stability from the resulting
photography. What this means is a balance must be present between the cartridges, the
cameras calibration and the type of film to make good super 8 images that have good
stability or registration.

The state of super 8 is always evolving. Most super 8 cameras are no longer in tip-top
shape and freshly calibrated from the factories they were born in. In addition, most super
8 technology was originally centered on one stock (Kodachrome 40) made by one
manufacture. All camera manufactures set up their new super 8 cameras to work best
with that film. Today you have over 25 different super 8 films made by different
companies that all have different characteristics when running through a super 8
camera.

In addition, super 8 cameras are aging and change with the aging process. This is not all
bad. Remember, it is a balance between the cameras, the film and the cartridge that
makes it work. For example many older, less expensive super 8 cameras have too
much take-up torque because the slip clutch system has dried out and no longer slips
when it should slip. If you shot Kodachrome 40 with these cameras or black and white
traditional reversal film, it will often produce very poor registration of the images. If you
take that same old camera and give it color negative film, which is a little thicker and has
a base coating which will provide some extra drag, this combination will tend to work
much better.

My experience is that different cameras just seem to like different film stocks based on
the way they have aged. If a camera has a worn down gate with a clutch that no longer
slips and the exposure system is off by 2 stops you have a choice of fixing it, throwing it
away, or give it a different film stock that is thicker and provides more drag with greater
exposure latitude. It will work just as well as it did when new with traditional film because
the camera was calibrated to thinner stock with less drag and tighter exposure tolerance.
My dad would say, You either raise the bridge or lower the dam.

The best and cheapest way to see if a given type of film is going to work well in a given
camera at a given speed is to shoot a test roll. If you are just starting in Super 8 this is
the best place to check out many issues. Do not worry about charts. Just shoot a roll in
the conditions you want to shoot in with your best effort to get it in focus with the right
exposure. Once you establish a base, you can expand your testing each time you shoot
by experimenting with different stocks, speeds and exposures. You can also use this
test to check out your digital workflow. For about $100 you can purchase a roll or Super
8 film, including the processing, prep and scan to digital even in HD.

(c) Pro8mm 2013




TIP #7: SHOOTING 18 VS. 24 FPS

All super 8 cameras were originally designed to film
at 18 frames per second. While many better
cameras have a variable filming speed feature, 18
fps was the norm, particularly in the day when Super
8 was used primarily for shooting home movies.

When you shoot the film cartridge at a slower speed, it will last longer and thus, saves
on the cost of film stock. When your camera is running at 18 fps, you get a little over 3
minutes of running time from a super 8 cartridge.

The better super 8 cameras that have the option of filming at 24 frames per second will
get a little over 2 minutes from a super 8 cartridge. There are some good reasons for
using either speed but you have to be aware of the consequences of what you are doing
and what issues it will present in certain types of production.

Because Super 8 cameras were designed to work at 18 fps, they tend to work their best
at 18 fps. 18 frames looks completely professional when properly transferred to
interlaced video in standard or high definition i.e. (1080i.) Some filmmakers prefer the
look of 18 frames per second super 8 film.

24 frames per second is the establish film speed of 16mm and 35 mm professional film,
as well as many high definition formats. When you go to a movie theater, the film is
being shown at 24 fps. Because it is the established production standard, there are
many devices and procedures that revolve around images shot at 24. In fact, many
fundamental devices used every day in the professional film industry will just not work
with film shot at 18 frames per second. Simple things, such as double system sync
sound are not possible with film shot at 18 fps. This means that if you originate
something at 18 frames per second you will not be able to use certain tools of the
professional film trade or easily insert your footage into a 24-frame project.

For example, if you shot something in Super 8 for a theatrically released feature film at
18 fps you have created a huge mess. There is no easy or clever method that can
create 24 frames of film from 18 frames of original for 24-frame projection. There are
ways of doing this, but they create artifacts in the image or motion. I have been involved
with major feature film productions that loved the look of super 8 so much they shot
hundreds of rolls of it for their project and then dumped every frame because they did
not want to deal with the artifacts and non-conforming problems of using an 18-frame
original in a 24-frame project.

When you send super 8 film into a post facility to be scanned to digital, you have to tell
the facility what speed you want the scanning done at. In 16mm or 35 mm it is assumed
you are working at 24fps. As we said, there are many good reasons to work at 18fps. It
has a great look when done in interlaced video and transferred at the proper speed.

All it takes is a little awareness on your part as a filmmaker to make this a smooth use of
the great aesthetic of super 8 or create a nightmare that makes professional productions
reluctant to use the super 8 format. It is all up to you.

If you do have Super 8 shot at 18 fps or Regular 8 shot at 18fps or 16fps that you want
in a 24p project, I suggest you scan it at 24 fps. This will create a frame for frame
relationship with digital and film. You will have no interlacing problems because the
scan is frame for frame, but the motion will be sped up. You will then have to evaluate
each shot and use digital techniques to achieve the slower speed when needed in the
material. Ever notice how often times older small gauge film looks sped up when used
in new production? It is because the production company did not want to work this out
and just used the footage at the wrong speed.

As more and more projects move to high definition, you as a filmmaker will have to
decide if you want to shoot 18 fps or 24 fps. You can use either 18fps or 24fps in
interlaced video projects but can only use 24fps when you are working towards 1080p
23.98 projects.

This point bears repeating. It you shoot at 18fps and want real motion, you must scan in
i, not in p. Even though a roll shot at 18 fps will last longer in your camera, it will take
longer to transfer. The longer scanning session will add to your overall production costs.
It is no longer much of budget consideration to work at 18fps and more of an aesthetic
choice. All Pro8mm all-inclusive packages are based on scanning at 24fps, since this is
the industry standard for professional projects.

(c) Pro8mm 2013
TIP #8 : FRAMING, What You Shoot and What You Show
Framing has become one of the most debated technical
challenges for modern filmmakers because we are in such a
great state of change in this area. For years, film at the
theater was done wide, and television was done square.
We accommodate one for the other whenever a production
was done for both.
Modern television is now widescreen. Super 8 was originally
designed as a 4 x 3 image size (More or less a square like
older TVs). Because super 8 was designed to be a square there are only minor issues
when transferring super 8 to standard definition video, which is also a square format.
When you look through your camera, you see a certain square frame. What is on the
film is actually a little bit more image. When you transfer that frame to video you have
to leave a little extra so the transfer of films such as Super 8 or 16mm to SD video
essentially leaves you with a little less than you had. Because you had a little more to
start with than you thought, these tend to cancel each other out. This is for the most part
a minor inconvenience.
When you transfer something in
Super 8 to High Definition or
theatrical formats and you want it
to fill the screen 16x9, you have to
zoom into the square enough to fill
the rectangle. This is a radical
difference in the framing. In this
situation, you are cutting out a lot
of picture. This affects both the
resolution of the material and even
more importantly the composition.
When you think of the time you spend with your camera framing up the perfect
combination of headroom, interesting subject matter, etc., it is sometimes devastating to
see that cropped down to fit in a completely different space.
If you have already shot the footage, one option is to use the square framing inside the
rectangle by matting the sides. This has to be a creative decision that you are
comfortable with. This is called pilar box.
If you havent shot the film yet
there is another option, which
is to film in Super 8 wide-
screen. At Pro8mm, we call
our wide screen Super 8
format Max 8. There are
other Super 8 widescreen
formats such as Super-Duper
8 or Anamorphic, or even
anamorphic Max8 and
anamorphic Super Duper 8.
All of these formats will fill the
super 8 frame with image out
to the edge of the negative. This will make the master super 8 a rectangle and make the
framing for HD much easier with better resolution. The difference between using the
entire super 8 negative and the standard negative when framing for HD is a 20%
increase in resolution in addition to having correct
framing.

If you are going to use standard super 8 framing for
HD just keep this in mind while filming, and know
that the results will be an image that is zoomed in
quite a bit. If you frame for HD while in production,
you will be much better off. Again, you must
remember to tell the post facility what you are doing.
There are so many options that only you as producer
can decide what is best. When you scan at
Pro8mm, we have a choice of framing sets ups.
www.pro8mm.com

(c) Pro8mm 2013