Consider The Facts

[Greg Crawford]

If you were not taped into the Super 8 filmmaking community how could you find out about it.

Before you rush to say the Internet, remember I am talking about the more passive perhaps more novice oriented consumer.

I think we all have stories about how someone has questioned your sanity for shooting in Super 8, or made a statement that "They did not know that film and development were still available) ...ect.

Or maybe you over hear a camera store sales person telling a customer that film and processing are not available anymore.

If that's all you ever hear, then why would you "Waste your time checking things out on the net? "

My point is this since Kodak polled the plug on line film sales. It may be harder and harder for the beginners to find out about Super 8, eventually causing market share to drop.

Then one day the Great Yellow Father pulls the plug on Kodachrome or perhaps Ektachrome and just keeps the grainy films available for the experimental and music video market.

Hears and idea to help spread the Super 8 story.

Perhaps we could all contribute to putting together a Super 8 press kit. Recent stories along with a one sheet of resources from labs to where to buy film and Internet sites...and hand it out to camera shop personal, schools and the like.

What ya Think?

[Mike Buckles]

I think the camera shops probably would be cool to the idea...they are all pushing digital, and have no interest in super 8 at all. The fact that some camera store people in my area thought that super 8 wasn't even being made anymore shows that they don't even "keep up" on the use of film. The camera stores push digital products, probably under pressure from the manufacturers. I think the best bet would be schools (junior high/senior and colleges)..there's where you'll find eager young would be filmmakers to generate interest from. Most of the people I see in the camera stores are older people and pro photographers.

[Greg Crawford]

I think that Kodak is actually discourage people from trying to shoot Super 8. Kodak use to have a web site along with an 800 number to buy film.
Now all they have is that 800 number.

If you were to call 800 information and try to find the right department to Kodak, do you know how hard that would be?

Not all camera store sales people are helpful but a lot are. And will point people in the right direction if asked for speciality items, as long as it's not direct competition. (no local camera store would send you to B & H IN NEW YORK), but some might let you know that Yale Film and Video is out in North Hollywood, if they knew. or to check out this forum or others on line.

I think you will find that a most camera stores sales people pride themselves in being themselves in being knowledgeable.

[Alex]

Kodak should spend a few bucks and just remind everybody that super-8 is still made by putting ads in VIDEO magazines. They should use the ad to both show what great products are out there, and they put a link to their Kodak super-8 home page.

Why video magazines? Because the majority of readers between the ages of 35-70 used Super-8 while growing up, and has Greg C has said, they don't even know Super-8 is still around!

It's ridiculous for Kodak to not spend even a dime advertising Super-8, yet it's the path Kodak has followed for the last 20 years.

[BolexPlusx]

I'm involved in about 4 different Super-8 discussion boards and what I see is it seems to be the same 10 to 20 people talking among each other. This is good, because there is an exchange of ideas and advice that keeps us all going.

(-and if nothing else there is usually a fairly brutal argument going somewhere for morbidly curious entertainment)

The good news is that these discussion boards seem to be the most active among any that I participate in and there is a lot of passion for Super-8 in them, the bad news is that they aren't getting the word out to the rest of the world. This is why I brought a camera to a local photo shop and had the guy behind the counter ask if I "really use this".

What would be nice is to get the word out. What would be good if somebody on the cutting edge of Super-8 (not me, I'm strictly edit on film and project it)wrote an article about Super-8 today and put it in very public venues like Photography and Video magazines. I guarantee it would open a few eyes. People would read it just to satisfy the shock of the idea that "somebody still does that?"

-and just maybe gain a few converts and sell some more film.

[Greg Crawford]

BolexPlusx ,

Good point about trying to get some ink.

Mabe even one of the consumer video magazines would be interested, I am sure they would be shocked and amazed, to learn that people are still shooting on film ..and in Super 8.

[Alex]

Sigh, one of my magazine contacts just told me he wrote an article about time-lapse and DV! [img]mad.gif[/img]

With apparently no mention of Super-8's place in the world of time-lapse.