film developing

[mr. now]

hello All,
finding this site - I felt like that music video where the little girl dressed as a bee finds all those other people dressed like bees at the end. there all dancing in that open field.... this is so cool
Last week I was at the thrift store and found this cool lookin camera but I wasn't sure what it was good for. It was only 3 dollars and it looked to be in good shape so I got it... and now I'm gona make films.
I just have a few questions: there was a cartrige in the camera that had never been used so I shot It and I'm wondiring if it's too old to be developed?
How do you know when the film roll is used up, the camera kept clicking after the 50 foot was up, and I'm not sure when it stopped recording?
I'm about to order some film from Kodak and I'm wondering if walmart develops all the types, black+white ektachrome
kodachrome?

thanks alot, mr.now

[tashunka]

I'd definitely get the film developed. It might not turn out very good but it might be really cool. Just give it a shot..it's pretty cheap. I don't think Walmart will develop anything except the Kodakchrome. Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of filmmaking.

[mr. now]

thanks for the reply, and again what a great site, I'm so exited about film , I used to think that it was too expensive but I've always been interested in films. Video just doesnt turn me on like the magic of an actual moving picture. i still have a few technical questions, what's the rotating switch that has an O , M, and a red A, is it aperature? i guessed that the A was for automatic so that's what I switched it to. Another thing is that I think the light meter might not work, I can probably just use my regular Cannon A-1 35mm to meter right? or is there a way to fix it?
I've also been thinking maybe people could post some info about some of their projects or films
norok!

[eddie]

sounds like Off Manual and Automatic.
Does the camera have a built in lightmeter?
If so then that might be it.

My camera has a built in lightmeter. It has an aperture reading you can see through the viewfinder. If the lightmeter is on automatic this sweeps around depending on where you point the camera (how much light there is). Set it manually and it remains fixed (best way to shoot a scene)
If the lightmeter doesnt work then you need to use either a cine lightmeter, or do some calculations in your head to work out the relative shutter speed.

Super8 film can be pretty forgiving so if you can get a proper lightmeter here is a *very* rough guide: for Kodachrome colour, indoors, open the aperture right up, (smallest number), outdoors midday, put it on about 8 or 16, evening, take it to 4/5.6 ish
THats VERY rough though, and you are infinitley better off getting a lightmeter.

You might just find that the lightmeter battery has dies, that happens, try and get another (photography shop should be able to help)

have fun with it.

[Nigel]

Walmart does Kodachrome through Fuji in Arizona. B&W film you will need to go to any number of labs around the nation--They are all over so just do a bit of investigating.

[sadiemayhem]

If you are photographer and develop you own film you can also hand process super 8 black and white yourself. it is realy easy a lot more fun.

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www.youthfilms.com
Film Boot Camp

[Rob Plenter]

I've just got my first Super 8 camera today!
Really excited about it. I'm a stills photographer who processes all my own film. Where can I find out what I need to process black & white Super 8 film? Any help/advice gratefully appreciated.
By the way, my camera is a Minolta Autopak 8 D-6. Got it cheap, really good condition, but no instruction book. Fugured most things out, but still a couple of mysteries. I'll get to those later.
Regards, Rob.

[sadiemayhem]

hey Rob
What you need to develop your film (and this is the down and dirty way) is a dark room, a packet of D76 developer, fix and some foto flow.(a pair of rubber gloves are stongly recommended)
First is get all your chems ready a three sink setup is best but you can always use buckets. Turn out the lights and start pulling the film out of the canister into the developer. To do this you will have to give the film a bit of a yank it will snap(be carefull not to lose the end back into the canister or you will have to pry it open in the dark. It is good to have a hammer on hand if prying does not work)Once it is in the developer agitate(very nicely) ever so often until the 8 min. is up. Then wash. Then fix for 4 min. You can now turn on the lights. Then wash. Then rinse with foto flow. Now you must untangle gently and string out to dry.
Now the other things you will need to tranfer with are a super 8 Projector, a tripod ,A digital camera that can do negative art. ( this is because at this point the film is in negative because we have skipped the beaching process during the dark room session. We have done this because these chems. are hard to get and are very toxic. We have also found the the contrast of the film is alot better this way),and screen or a white sheet. When you transfer have the projector about 3 feet from the wall so the frame is about 4-6 inches by 4-6 inches with camera just above and behind the projector. Dont forget if you want to put it into positve to use a camera with a negative art function you may also have to play with the shutter speed to cut down on the flicker. This is when film meets new tech. Now that you have it on video you can put it on a non liner edit system and have fun fun fun. This may not be for all but we have had great results with this method at the school I teach at. If you want to see some films made by some of the students check out our web site below. One highly reccomended one is "I Am Rubber" but there are many more.
Anyhow I hope this works for you.
Kenna

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www.youthfilms.com
Film Boot Camp

[mr. now]

My two weeks were up so I went back to Wal-Mart, here in sunny Fort-Wayne, Indiana and they did not develop it??????? I just got a letter saying that the film was outdated and they do not process it any more :*(
Wal-mart reffered me to a company called Rocky Mountain Film Lab, they develop super-8 3, to 4 times a year for 20 dollars a roll.
So what happened? Is it only the walmart in arizona that develops it? my film is an old roll of super 8 Kodachrome II Type A.
I ordered five rolls of kodachrome from eastmankodak that I should be getting next week, but now I dont know where to get it developed. I have no money so the appeal of wall-mart was $4.88/ roll for developing.
What's the next best and cheapest alternative, ($9.13 / roll from kodak in switcerland ? I dont want to wait forever.
please help

[Filmosonic]

Wlmart couldn't develope the film cause the roll you gave them was old and they might not develope that Kodachrome II anymore. But if you gave them a new super 8 cartridge of kodak film they should develope it.