Super 8mm Feature in Production

[Ernie Zahn]

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that after 6 years of production my feature film is entering post and I along with the rest of the production team are starting the first push of promotion.

 

We call it a post-apocalyptic religious satire. It's an epic comedy about the end the of world and humanity's final stand against the forces of heaven. The battleground is the rubble of fallen civilization. We shot in Super8mm to capture the classic cinema look akin to films like Clash of the Titans, Spartacus and Land of the Lost.

 

We shot using all Kodak stocks. E-64T, V2/V3 200T, V2/V3 500T, 100D, Plus x and Tri x. Actually there is one sequence shot in single 8 with an underwater camera. It's all being telecined by Photoplays in HD and edited in Apple ProRes 422 on Final Cut Pro. We worked with a Beaulieu 6008s, Canon 514 XL and the XLs and a Nizo 3056.

 

I have a couple videos to share:

 

 

 

NOTE: The teaser is in B&W to keep with the newsreel motif. The actual film is in color with a couple B&W sequences.

 

I'm going to put up a behind the scene video that talk all about our experience with Super8mm and this project. It was also feature some HD samples from the film itself. Would love some feedback! Also happy to answer any questions about production.

 

More links!

 

Main Site

 

The Comedy Group That Produced the Movie

[Jay Young]

Well I thought the trailer was FANTASTIC, but I love old school.

 

Congratz on making it to post.

 

Can't wait to see it!

[Toby Edwards]

I really like the Trailer! Takes me back to Saturday afternoon TV as a Kid.

Looking forward to seeing more.

 

Toby

[Alessandro Machi]

Visually you are on solid footing.

 

Soundwise, the voice over made me wince. Even if you were trying for an older "talkies" type of sound, the sound is distorted. Distorted sound is about the worst thing you can do on any film project.

 

I also strongly recommend NEVER putting your text at 100% white level. I don't have a scope hooked up to my monitor but it looks to me like you are at 100% or close to it. Never go over 70%. You need flexibility in adjusting video levels just in case some situation comes up where you have to adjust the video levels. If you have 100% on your video, you can only go down, and therefore you have basically zapped your image so that it can't be adjusted upwards. Plus, 100% brightness for text will usually dominate over the visual anyways. Play around with 50% to 70%.

[Carl Looper]

Who says you can't make a feature film on Super8. Looks like a lotta fun.

[kevin jackman]

Visually you are on solid footing.

 

Soundwise, the voice over made me wince. Even if you were trying for an older "talkies" type of sound, the sound is distorted. Distorted sound is about the worst thing you can do on any film project.

 

I also strongly recommend NEVER putting your text at 100% white level. I don't have a scope hooked up to my monitor but it looks to me like you are at 100% or close to it. Never go over 70%. You need flexibility in adjusting video levels just in case some situation comes up where you have to adjust the video levels. If you have 100% on your video, you can only go down, and therefore you have basically zapped your image so that it can't be adjusted upwards. Plus, 100% brightness for text will usually dominate over the visual anyways. Play around with 50% to 70%.

 

 

I agree

[Matt Stevens]

Sound is crucial. Insanely so.

 

I enjoyed the teaser. It made me smile and I want to know more. Shooting features on Super8 is something I wish could happen more. I've talked with a number of independent filmmakers in NYC who would do it were not for for the 2 1/4 minute limit on stock. Dealing with that is a royal pain, so God bless you.

[Oliver Christoph Kochs]

(...) I've talked with a number of independent filmmakers in NYC who would do it were not for for the 2 1/4 minute limit on stock. (...)

Hmmh, if it's royal pain to pop in the next cartridge they can use a Double Super 8 camera like the Canon, Pathe or Bolex. Running time 5 minutes flip another 5 minutes on a 100 ft reel.

Quality will outperform the cartridge because of the 16mm pressure plate.

[Anthony Schilling]

Hmmh, if it's royal pain to pop in the next cartridge they can use a Double Super 8 camera like the Canon, Pathe or Bolex. Running time 5 minutes flip another 5 minutes on a 100 ft reel.

Quality will outperform the cartridge because of the 16mm pressure plate.

I have a Canon Scoopic DS8 I use once and a while. You get 5 minutes on one side of the spool, 10min total. The registration is rock solid and the images are a lot sharper than cartidges of the same stock.

[Nicholas Rapak]

Hmmh, if it's royal pain to pop in the next cartridge they can use a Double Super 8 camera like the Canon, Pathe or Bolex. Running time 5 minutes flip another 5 minutes on a 100 ft reel.

Quality will outperform the cartridge because of the 16mm pressure plate.

 

The only problem with that is stock availability. DS8 is dying MUCH faster than any other format; just ask John Schwind, who complains about his sales of DS8 despite his business being the sale of slow-selling filmstocks. AFAIK, the only DS8 stocks currently being produced are Fomapan 100 and E100D, and the 100D is no longer being furnished by Kodak as DS8 (although if you ask nicely, you could probably get some as long as you meet their ∞ ft minimum order quantity).

 

That shows one advantage to Regular 8. Find any double-perf 16mm stock, and in about three weeks, you can have it in R8. Of course, double-perf stock is becoming harder to find, but at least it's out there.

[Anthony Schilling]

Your right, availability of stocks is getting pretty slim. 100D is still available at Specta but don't know for how long. I believe Cinevia has Velvia 50D in DS8. It's too bad because you can get near 16mm quality. I bet V3 200T would look amazing, if only-