New B&W machine for Pro8mm

For those of you on Twitter and Facebook you may have seen the footage this week of Pro8mm's new Black and White processing machine being installed at their Burbank facility.... here's the full SP from their newsletter this month;

Pro8mm is incredibly excited about our new black & white processing machine that is up and ready to roll. The new machine is dedicated to black and white reversal Super 8, Regular 8, 16mm and Super 16 film. This upgrade is part of our major lab renovation project, and will significantly increase the quality we can offer from these films. If you have not tried black and white in a while, now is the time. Try this SWEET DEAL!

All new pricing for black and white film & processing and Discount transfer packages to Hi-Definition. Along with processing Kodak's reversal stocks Pro8mm also offers some of its own unique reversal black & white films, including the unique Hi-Con Super8/63 with an ASA of 10!

Black & White reversal film stocks have always been a favorite of film programs that teach "Old School" film methods like cutting on film. It is an opportunity for students to do hands-on exercises with real motion picture film. Because these films where handled by students the perfection of the processing was not considered to be that critical. Today we are seeing more and more demand for the professional use of these black and white film stocks for projects that want to capture the unique aesthetic these reversal film has to offer digital production.

Most of us remember the classic black and white Super 8 commercials and music videos such as the Nike "Revolution Spot" and Paula Abdul's music video "Straight Up" and Madonna's "Erotica". These are just a few of examples of the classic staying power of this black and white reversal material. More recently, these stocks have been used in contemporary projects for the musician Beck, and commercial television campaigns for NASCAR.

Scanning these stocks to Hi-Definition is a unique blend of old and new technologies. The rich look and textures of reversal film materials with the amazing display and manipulation of digital technology.

Pro8mm will be offering a daily run of black & white. In addition, special service such as push and pull processing and special runs will also available.

More information over at Pro8mm.com. You can also follow them on Twitter here, Facebook here or via their Blog

Flicker & onsuper8.org @ Sheffield

Those with elephantien memories will remember that at the end of the summer we annoumnced that onsuper8.org has teamed up with Flicker Los Angeles and the Sheffield Doc/Fest to bring together a very special Super 8mm documentary filmmaking event.

We're thrilled to announce two events as part of the prestigeos Doc/Fest event;

Friday 6th November 2009, 20:45 at the Howard St Cinema - Attack of the 50 Foot Reels

The world premiers of the in cartridge Super 8 documentaries made as part of our open call for small film documentarians. We've not even seen the films yet, but we can't wait for this very special evening of Super 8 documentary creativity!

For more details click here.

Saturday 7th November 2009, 14:30 at HUBS B - Super 8 Filmmaking in the 21st Century

Featuring Norwood Cheek of Flicker fame and Giles Perkins from onsuper8.org will lead this Super 8 filmmaking workshop will focus on how to shoot small film in today's digital world. Topics will include where to find cameras, how to use them, choosing film stock, developing a story that fits the format, finding processing, transfer and editorial options. Clips from a variety of Super 8 shorts, films and advertisements will be screened for inspiration and discussion.

For more details click here.

Doc/Fest 2009 tickets will be on sale at the Showroom Cinema's Box Office in Sheffield, more details on booking here.

We can't wait and hope to see you there!

'Attack of the 50 foot reels' in Cambridge

Master of all things Super 8, Norwood Cheek, makes a special appearance in Cambridge on Sunday 8th November at 6pm.

Presenting a programme of 20 short Super 8 films, this is the first Cambridge appearance by this no-budget genius. Don't miss this opportunity to discover his work and meet the man himself!

The event will be held at 47 Norfolk Street, Cambridge. CB1 1HT and tickets are £4/£3 on the door.

More information at Cambridge Super 8

straight 8 do ATP

Even though the straight 8 guys are in their 'off season' they still bring us exciting Super 8 related news...

back in the drizzliest depths of 2008

warp films asked straight 8 to shoot a load of super 8 at the ‘all tomorrow's parties’ festival

armed with only a couple of super 8 cameras, a bag full of filmstock and a thermos of undisclosed contents, we descended on butlins holiday camp in minehead to join in the madness of ATP and help make a feature film

now you can come and see it. for free

straight 8 have two pairs of tickets to give away for the london show on THIS monday october 26th

we're going to give them to the first two people to reply to this email with “i can make it to the forum at 7/8 o'clock tonight” in the subject line

the trick is the email has to arrive after noon on monday. so don't send it till then. why? we don't know exactly but it's fairer for all the timezones. so if you can't get to london, but want to make a friend there happy whilst showing them how cool you are, forward this email to them

or you can buy tickets here: http://www.ourtrueintent.com/

more news from us soon. maybe see you monday night

Bea and Marla take an Upper - trailer

Trailer for a new Super 8 film by Leslie Diez that looks kinda interesting...

...we play parodies of ourselves as two down-and-out girls, Bea Mabley and Marla Greco, once wealthy, now jobless and struggling to survive the recession. In our quest to make some money we sign up for a clinical test trial of a new, dubiously miraculous “happy pill”… madness and hilarity ensue. The film is called 'Bea and Marla Take an Upper...'

Find out more here

New from ochoresotto - Mambo Kurt

The latest from the ever industrious Ochoresotto is a new music video for German popster Mambo Kurt - we love this, bit like lounge meets the long lost Dave Howard Singers. The video was shot on Super 8 using Kodak Tri-X film X with Nizo Professional and Nikon R10 cameras. Nice!

Vimeo link here
[Note: definitely not suitable for watching at work!]

Busy times for One Take Super 8

The guys at One Take Super 8 (Canada's single cartridge Super 8 programme) have been busy with the premiere of 34 new films in Winnipeg recently (full review here). If you missed those shows, don't worry as there's more single cartridge Super 8 action in the form of;

November 5th, 2009 - 9th annual One Take Super 8 Event in Regina, SK (8pm Regina Public Library Theatre).
November 21st, 2009 - One Take Super 8 Event - Montreal, QC

Check out the One Take Super 8 blog for more details.

Urgent Super 8 projector request: UK

AURORA* is looking for a xenon super 8 projector or the equivalent (Elmo GS1200) for this year’s Festival Weekend (13th - 15th November) when Milena Gierke will be presenting and introducing her work on super 8 in Norwich.

If you have a xenon Super 8 projector, please contact us at 01603 756280 or email info@aurora.org.uk

*AURORA is an annual festival in Norwich, UK which focuses on the moving image in the most diffuse sense. A uniquely multidisciplinary, progressive event, it fuses artist retrospectives and thematic film programmes with discussion events, live performance and installations, alongside the very best new work from across the world for space and screen.

Docs on Super 8 - this Sunday

The Cambridge Super 8 Group, have hooked up with the Cambridge University Social Documentary Film Society to stage an evening of documentaries on Super 8.

Award winning films will be introduced by the Cambridge Super 8 Film Festival and a talk with members of the Cambridge Super 8 group about the use of the Super 8 format in professional filmmaking will end the evening.

The event takes place at the on Sunday 11th October, at 8pm at the;

The Graduate Union (details here)
17 Mill Lane
Cambridge
CB2 1RX

Nice glass from Wittner

The Wittner Kinotechnik website has some nice new glass advertised in the shape of a Schneider Kreuznach Ultra Wide Lens Aspheric III in M62 and M67 thread sizes (don't worry they've got adapter rings too). If you've got €203.12 lying around, snap one up!

More here (in German)

Cambridge Super 8 - Take 4, Call for Entries

We can't believe that it's that time of year again, the time when the ever indusrious boys (and girls) from the Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival announce their call for entries.

With next year being the fourth incarnation of this brilliant event, entry is as simple as ever, fill out the online form, print a copy and send it in with your film. No fuss, no fee!

More details at Cambridge Super 8, entries have to be in by 26th December 2009.

Super 8 stuff to wear!

Stuck for ideas for your loved ones this Christmas?

Drop by DeepBlueEdit's, zazzle channel where you'll find all manner of T's, mugs, keyrings and stuff, adorned with Super 8 and small film imagery. With mens and ladies cuts as well as a range of cotton weights and quality - sure seems good to us.

More at Zazzle: DeepBlue Edit