Michael Ryan

Hello Giles, Also your Widget is fantastic!! In my opinion your website is the best Super 8 site on the web. Mike

Hello HCF, You said you read that by mid-2006 many cinemas will be switching over to digital screens....hmmmm. I've done a fair bit of research into this subject for an article that I'm writing and I would bet that the source of your information is one of the big compaines that is MAKING the digital screens for sale. Actually, there is a reason why you probably WON'T see digital screens anytime soon (except for larger markets and "showplace" cinemas). The reason is simple...it's the BOTTOM LINE. (as in, "show me the money") A digital screen benefits the big Hollywood studios and has almost no benefit for the movie theater owner. So the economics are really against the Lucus group. Most modern movie projectors cost around 20,000 and need about a 1,000 dollars or so upkeep per year. Digital screens cost 100,000 dollars and are really like a big computer...and we all know what happens to complicated computers. Your local Bijou is going to have to invest in an IT department to keep it running and the upkeep will be well beyond 1,000 dollars. If you stood before a meeting of NATO (National Association of Thearter Owners) and you talked about digital screens you would most likely get booed off the stage. Most people are not aware of this, but the movie theater makes almost no money off the movie ( and for some directors like Spielberg almost all of your ticket price goes to the studio), they make their money of popcorn, candy and soft drinks. So if I'm a theater owner and I'm watching the crowds declining over the last two years and I'm having a hard time making a go of it, what is my motivation to switch from my perfectly good film projector and spend 100,000 dollars (that I don't really have) and how is this going to benefit me? You see, almost all the benefit is for the studios as they don't have to make tons of 35mm prints which are farily costly. Unless you see the studios kicking in some big bucks to the theater owners (you can laugh here) you won't see digital cinema replacing film projection anytime soon. That's not to say it won't grow and you will see more of them, but the lovers of motion picture film don't have much to worry about...at least for several years. Mike

Glad I could add something that is this cheap and useful. Mike

Hello SJ, I think you should give your 514XLS a try just to see how it goes. You may like it. The 514XLS that I use does have 24 fps. How you use the exposure lock is a little bit tricky, but it will work. You aim the camera at something brighter (the F stop wheel in the view finder goes up the scale) or you aim it at something that is darker (the F stop wheel goes down the scale). As you aim at something darker, or lighter when the F stop wheel gets to the F stop you want to use, that's when you press the exposure lock. Shoot a test roll and don't worry too much. Most modern films have a fairly good exposure latitude. Mike

Hello Peter, Watch and study any film shot by Robert Richardson...you will then know what great cinematography is. Mike

Hello SJ, There is lots going on in the Super 8 world. I have used the Canon 514XLS, I don't know if it's exactly the same as your model, but you can "lock" the F stop where ever you want (kind of a poor man's manual exposure). So, using this method you would be able to use any of Kodak's new film stocks (your finger may become a little sore). Search the internet and you might want to pick up a copy of the new Super 8 magazine SUPER 8 TODAY. You can check out their site at www.super8today.com Mike

Hello Trevor, This is a subject that is talked about a lot on many forums. Here's a rock solid bit of advice, don't ask for advice on internet forums as the large majority of people that give answers have no clue about what they are saying. You need to get the advice of a good copyright lawyer. If you can't afford a lawyer I would not take the advice of people who tell you "you can do anything you want, you don't need permission...blah, blah, blah...". I've had to ask lawyers on several occasions about copyright and the "real" story about copyright is almost always different than what I read on the chat sites. The bottom line is if a song is still under copyright and you are going to put that in your film you need to get the permission of the copyright holder (if your film is being sold or not has nothing to do with it or how short or long the clip is has nothing to do with it either.) But again, I'd ask a good lawyer. Mike

Hello TMM, I use this and it works very well. Go to your local grocery store and get some parchment paper it's fairly cheap and comes in a long roll. It looks like waxed paper, but parchment paper can withstand heat up to 420 F (that's hot). It gives off a nice, soft light. Mike

Hello Tanner, I'm not famliar with Nizo cameras, but this could be a possibility with your focusing issues: Mainly all higher end Super 8 cameras have an adjustment (normally a dial that is right behind the eye cup) that you adjust for your eye sight. Everyone's eye sight is different so you need to adjust this. Normally to set this function you set the zoom to its longest focal lenght. Now look at an object that is at least 200 feet away. Now, adjust the dail behind the eye cup until the image is in focus. This should clear up your soft focus issues. hope this helps, Mike

Hello All, This is interesting, but I'm going to add a slightly differnet perspective. I would rather watch a really deeply moving story shot on a Kodak M2 Super 8 (really basic camera), than a borefest that was shot with a 65mm Panavision camera. The technical side is important, don't get me wrong, but it's not the only thing. Mike