Projecting Super8 film

[Tom Fino]

I recently shot a reel of Kodak Super 8 negative film and had it developed. I was told I can't use it in a Super 8 projector. Why is this? The reel I got back from the lab looks like film you can put in a projector.

 

How did they used to project Super 8 film before digital transfers?

 

Thanks.

 

[Brian Drysdale]

The original Super 8 film to be projected was a reversal stock, with the correct colour and contrast for projection, Negative film, as the name suggests, has negative tones and colour and is intended for a projection print to made or a digitial transfer done, which reverses the colour and tones so that the material can be viewed.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Brian Drysdale

[Josh Gladstone]

It is film and you CAN put in a projector. But if you do and project light through it, you'll be looking at inverted images (in terms of levels and colors, not upside down). Super 8 film used to be reversal film, which after processing came out as a positive. Color reversal film is hard to come by these days, although b/w is still readily available. The downside of reversal film is that your original camera negative -- the film that came out of the camera -- is the film you look at, and by doing so, you're going to introduce dust and scratches. This is why negative film is used, so that duplicates can be made and the original doesn't get damaged. (Negative film also has more dynamic range and is sharper, which is why it's better for scanning.) Unfortunately, prints for super 8 negative film is pretty much unheard of. Although there is one place in Germany that does it if you're interested: http://www.andecfilm.de/en/e_s8_neg_pos.htm

[Igor Calsina]

Hello,

Negative film are always for scannning. But an way maybe some lab can do a copy of your film in a positive film.

Or in future if you are interested to shoot in negative film, because you have a stock or something like that...You could be develop this kind of films with E-6 Process, for color (like a cross process in photography...). Or develop in B/W positive process, but in both development procedures you obtain a brown-orange colored mask in the film, because negative films are not ready for projection.

[Rudy Velez Jr]

So Igor your saying that you could develop negative super 8mm with the E-6 process which is cross processing or you can develop negative in B&W. Do both of these mentioned options allow for the negative film to be projectable without a print?

[Mark Dunn]

Cross-processed colour neg, even if you could get someone to do it, wouldn't project well at all because it has an orange tone correction mask which stays in the film. Just have a look at an old stills neg, if you have some. Its purpose is to ensure better reproduction in a positive print, which is somewhat ironic, because Super-8 neg was never intended to be printed from. But it shares the mask with 16mm. and 35mm. stocks, which were.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Mark Dunn

[David Cunningham]

You can have projection prints made from your super 8 negatives by Andec Film in Germany. It's the only place in the world.

[Jose luis villar]

You can have projection prints made from your super 8 negatives by Andec Film in Germany. It's the only place in the world.

David, I do once and I didn't have a good experience, my copy was pretty orange and with too much grain. On the other hand, I could see an impression of someone who looked well, you have done?

[David Cunningham]

Hi Jose,

 

I had not yet done it. I was planning to send some film in the coming weeks. Can you tell me more about your experience? Maybe I won't bother.

[Jaime Barbosa]

I know this is an old post, but I had a similar question. Assuming I'm able to load negative super 8 film onto a super 8 projector, can one simply capture the projected vifeo with a digital video camera then invert the negative image into a positive one with video software? I have yet to find any information anywhere on this.

[Perry Paolantonio]

Theoretically, it would probably work. But you're almost certainly going to damage your negative and you're probably not going to get a very good transfer this way. Negative isn't meant to be projected. It's more delicate than reversal or print film, and the slightest dust on it will be immediately apparent on the resulting transfer. You shouldn't even unspool your negative when you get it back from the lab, or you're going to pick up dust and potential scratches. Seriously - film is a dust magnet. The film should go from the lab directly to the transfer system for best results.

 

Look around, there are deals to be had for scanning on proper hardware that won't damage your film and will get you a nice image. Most places offer student discounts as well, including us.

 

-perry

[Jaime Barbosa]

I was also looking into getting the Wolverine 8mm and Super 8 Movie Reels2Digital MovieMaker for digitizing the negative film. To me, Wolverine is a crap brand, but maybe just maybe they got it right this time.

[Will Montgomery]

The thought of putting negative film through a regular projector makes my skin crawl because of how rough those projectors can be on film. But if you're just having fun and testing things you can certainly give it a try...just don't put anything critical through the projector.

[Nick Collingwood]

Cross-processed colour neg, even if you could get someone to do it, wouldn't project well at all because it has an orange tone correction mask which stays in the film. Just have a look at an old stills neg, if you have some. Its purpose is to ensure better reproduction in a positive print, which is somewhat ironic, because Super-8 neg was never intended to be printed from. But it shares the mask with 16mm. and 35mm. stocks, which were.

 

So I've actually done this at a workshop in NYC and had pretty good results. I shot 500T in cameras that only read up to 160 so it over-exposed it 1 2/3 of a stop to blast the orange cast away somewhat. I documented it in this post here. http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=71254

 

Sure it has a yellow cast but since most projectors have yellow-ish bulbs, I found that my eyes ignored the color cast after a few seconds of watching the projection. And it was just cool to have color reversal!! Of course now, Pro8mm and Retro8 have been looking into having Provia100D cartridges since 200D is dying and grainy. And then of course the slow and steady progress of Film Ferrania... And tri-x which is still a beautiful reversal film albeit b&w obviously.

[Jaime Barbosa]

 

So I've actually done this at a workshop in NYC and had pretty good results. I shot 500T in cameras that only read up to 160 so it over-exposed it 1 2/3 of a stop to blast the orange cast away somewhat. I documented it in this post here. http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=71254

 

Sure it has a yellow cast but since most projectors have yellow-ish bulbs, I found that my eyes ignored the color cast after a few seconds of watching the projection. And it was just cool to have color reversal!! Of course now, Pro8mm and Retro8 have been looking into having Provia100D cartridges since 200D is dying and grainy. And then of course the slow and steady progress of Film Ferrania... And tri-x which is still a beautiful reversal film albeit b&w obviously.

That is awesome, man! I like to experiment too. I need to try that. Thanks!