feature on super 8, a good idea?

Post by **mattias** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 5:41 pm

um, no. :-)

/matt

Post by **downix** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 5:46 pm

Ok, that's it. This nihilism being expressed is getting to me, so I'm going to shoot the investor trailer for my current project on S8 just to go "neener-neener" to those dismissive of S8 as a shooting format.

Post by **npcoombs** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 6:10 pm

downix wrote:Ok, that's it. This nihilism being expressed is getting to me, so I'm going to shoot the investor trailer for my current project on S8 just to go "neener-neener" to those dismissive of S8 as a shooting format.

No one is dismissing super-8, but 16mm makes more sense and has about a thousand times more marketability potential.

Post by **downix** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 6:17 pm

npcoombs wrote:
downix wrote:Ok, that's it. This nihilism being expressed is getting to me, so I'm going to shoot the investor trailer for my current project on S8 just to go "neener-neener" to those dismissive of S8 as a shooting format.
No one is dismissing super-8, but 16mm makes more sense and has about a thousand times more marketability potential.

Depends on the project, I always say.

Post by **wado1942** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 10:42 pm

Well "Sleep Always" had a good look IMO and there's better stocks on the market than that now. Even the ill-thought 64T looks less grainy and has more colour saturation.
Now I personally would rather shoot super-8 OR video for a feature, not both.

[edit] I should also mention that I can handle just about any kind of medium but when you noticable switch back & forth between media, then it becomes distracting.

Post by **CHAS** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 11:40 pm

I say go for it. Mattias is a pro. If there is one filmmaker who could and should make a feature on S8 it would be him. The K40 music video was well done and I loved that short film, "Last one in..."

With regards to viewing a feature on S8, (what Steve Hyde brought up), I thought "Sleep Always" was an interesting, well-made film and for an S8 feature it was watchable for 90 minutes or however long it was.

And Roger Evans' "Jet Benny" was hilarious...

Post by **Nigel** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 11:53 pm

"Sleep Always" always puts me to sleep...

I have yet to make it through in the three or four attempts I have made to watch it.

It doesn't have to do with whether or not it can be done(by Mattias or anyone). It seems more like a question of is it worthwhile?? To that question it seems like the answer is No.

Good Luck

Post by **CHAS** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 11:58 pm

Nigel wrote:"Sleep Always" always puts me to sleep...

I have yet to make it through in the three or four attempts I have made to watch it.

It doesn't have to do with whether or not it can be done(by Mattias or anyone). It seems more like a question of is it worthwhile?? To that question it seems like the answer is No.

Good Luck

You obviously haven't seen "Lost Tribes"....ok -- I'm trying to be good...

Re whether or not it can be done, it seems like he is trying to challenge himself, and, based on his pro-level of work I think it would be worthwhile. Ultimately, he'll have to decide that.

Post by **Nigel** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 2:56 am

Chas,

See my comments on page 4 of the thread.

Good Luck

Post by **bakanosaru** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 4:15 am

Anyone else bored of the "Super 8 feature film" as Holy Grail attitude? :roll:

HDV is actually not that bad, in fact it can look pretty good.

Super 8 could be great for a feature. (The closest thing I've seen to a S8 feature was Wendigo which I think was shot on super grainy 16mm, it was hard work to watch but the look worked with the film and the film was worth the effort.)

Post by **bakanosaru** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 4:18 am

Sorry double post. :oops:

Post by **CHAS** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:40 am

Nigel wrote:Chas,

See my comments on page 4 of the thread.

Good Luck

Nigel,

I had already read your comments.

Good luck,

CHAS

Post by **mattias** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:11 pm

bakanosaru wrote:Anyone else bored of the "Super 8 feature film" as Holy Grail attitude? :roll:

HDV is actually not that bad, in fact it can look pretty good.

well, this is a super 8 board, which is why i brought it up, so i sort of expected such replies. ;-) i've already done, as an assistant director, two hdv features so i know what it can and can't do. hdv can look very good, but latitude is limited in the sunny outdoors, and it doesn't really have a look of its own to bring the story togther. that was always my main problem with digital. "technical" lighting and grading becomes way too important. with film if it looks good to the eye you're ready to roll. super 8 has almost everything that hdv has, small cameras, quick operation, low cost, while it's film and in many ways even more so than 16mm.

/matt

Post by **fogo** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:23 pm

Hey Mattias,

what a question?!

You said that a super8 feature is a dream for you so I think its fair to say that other things being equal this would be your preferred format for the project.

This places you in the position of wanting / needing to create something which both offers the audience (and members here, inasmuch as we might learn something) a 'paradigm' for a modern use of the format, but also a finished film which transcends the format to the extent that its look or feel is unique rather than self-consciously, cliched, or all too easily derided as being 'Only Super 8'.

As if this challenge weren't enough, the plan is to use this in filming environments which present the biggest difficulties for even the best super8 cameras and stocks; Documentary format and Indoor Location shooting. In these choices you are giving away a great deal of your technical experiences and advantages as a film maker; your knowledge of lighting becomes largely irrelevant in available light indoor locations, your choice of film stock is reduced to pushed 200T (or a big Pro8 bill) (necessarily throughout for consistency) and everything you know about sound will be taxed to the maximum to get it right. The technical / cinematic advantage of these restrictions will be the interesting (reduced) DOF benefits you might get.

These are creative restrictions at their most extreme, but the truth is that they are only technical restrictions. I don't think its for me or anyone else on the forum to tell you whether you are ready for this or not. The quality of the examples of your work that we have seen on the forum speak for themselves. But do not make the mistake of confusing the desire to conquer the technical restrictions with the fundamental need to both accept and deal with the real Artistic limitations that will eventually define your work...as either 'just another super8 experiment' or a quality film which offers us all a glimpse of what super8 can be and truly transcends the medium to the extent no-one notices its super8, it just has its 'own' look and feel, which is only one part of what the film is SAYING, visually AND OTHERWISE. In my opinion this is the fundamental which needs to be addressed in your question; If and when you are sure you can give yourself a convincing answer to this question, the technical limitations will take their proper place as learning experiences for the sake of your CV, but the work itself will have a chance of standing in its own right.

Hope you do it,
Ade

.

Post by **mattias** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 2:16 pm

fogo wrote:You said that a super8 feature is a dream for you so I think its fair to say that other things being equal this would be your preferred format for the project.

i think you misunderstand. i'm a very pragmatic person, and when i say i dream of making a super 8 feature i'm really dreaming of finding a project that's suitable for super 8. so "all things being equal" i would never ever come up with the rather stupid idea to shoot on super 8. ;-) this one is an art piece with a dreamy setting, no mainstream ambition, and an ok though low budget, which sounds a lot like super 8, thus.

the rest of your comments were really great. thanks.

/matt