My Super 8 film

April 28, 2006

I thought to share my recent experience. I have just finished fiilming a training video, which is basically a set of interviews with young people intercut with cutaways - scenes, shots and of them in their daily/casual environment.

Originally I had planned to film this on DVCAM. After initial tests I felt it would proabably be a bit bland. So to make the peice visually more interesting I decided to use some Super 8 for the cutaways.

After a few trials I decided to shoot the entire project on Super 8. I have now finished the interviews, which have been shot on Kodak Vision 2 200 asa. The interviews were all shot at 25fps with a Braun Nizo 6080, as it happens, it's a really great camera which runs ever so quetly ideal for sound work. The camera is not crystal synced, I am guessing that this may be an issue. But can be dealt with during editing?

The sound was recorded separately on a Hi8 camcorder we used, via tie clip microphone bought from Jessops. We used the camcorder to reherse the interviewees getting them comfortable being infront of camera.

The cutaways have been filmed with a Bauer A512 and a Bauer 715XL and I have used a variety of stocks from B/W, surveilance, Ektachrome 64T, Ektachrome VNF and some Quarzchrome.

All cameras except the A512 have widened gates, I was careful and have tried avoiding vignetting, especially during the interviews, I set the camera lens to the telephoto end, earlier tests with K40 shot in good light have shown little or no vignetting when set at telephoto. I have just sent the films for processing.

The plan is to have the film telecined to DVCAM. I need someone to telecine the entire exposed frame including the extra area. I dont want to use a workprinter because I am not sure it is really designed for negative film, and I know most Rank systems will not accomodate for the wider frame. So what options do I have?

After telecine I will edit the project with Avid Xpress Pro.