Super-8 Rental Business...???

[Alex]

I have a sneaking suspicion that one could make some extra money by refurbishing Super-8 and Regular 8mm projectors and working out a rental agreement with your local Camera Stores, who in turn would rent out the projectors to their customers.

I bet the camera stores got calls on a weekly basis wanting to rent Super-8 projectors. I know businesses who charge $300 to set-up and project video for parties.

Surely a fee of $100.00 could be charged to show up with a Super-8 projector and project somebodies home movies. Additional fees for Splicing reels together could be offered.

Might it get boring? Perhaps, but it could lead to additional work such as editing the films together either on video or film.

Any thoughts?

[BolexPlusx]

I'll say this much. I would really love to see somebody establish a business renting out films on super 8. I'll give you an example: Derann film services ( http://www.derann.com/main.htm )has all sorts of really neat films including feature length recent Hollywood films.

One of them in there is a feature length super-8 copy of "Toy Story" (one of my favorites). As much as I would love to thread this puppy into my projector and beam it 8ft wide onto a screen (Yes, I'd have to borrow the screen as well), I just can't justify the hundreds of dollars it would cost to buy a print. (especially in light of what a DVD or VHS copy would cost.) However, for a special occasion I would be happy to rent it for 40 or 50 bucks.

[Alex]

Interesting, you've already expanded the idea!

[BolexPlusx]

Yeah,
I see where your headed. Not only show the customer's films but have a catalog of commercial films as well....hmmmmm! Of course there would be copywrite issues. I'm betting when the customers saw a really good super-8 print shown on a quality projector Video might not look the same again!

I'd still like to be able to mail order a copy of the Derann features as a rental though.

Oddly enough, years ago even before I was born my Mom worked for Universal Studios in NYC in a department selling and renting 8mm prints. Maybe this is where I get it from!