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Nikon 8X Super Zoom Super8 Filmmaking

I have always been a fan of motion pictures. Only recently, however, have I become interested in filmmaking as an art form of expression. I guess it all began back in 1991 when, for a group project in high school, I helped make a movie about unsolvable mathematical problems. Since then, especially here at CMU, I have studied filmmaking, and have been very active in the filmmaking club here on campus. Most of my work in film has so far been limited to Super8.

Super8 film was developed by Eastman Kodak in 1965, a slight variation of the 8mm format that was developed in 1932. The original 8mm was basically 16mm with twice the number of sprocket holes. The 16mm film was run through an 8mm camera which exposed one side of the film. It was then rethreaded and run through the camera again, exposing the frames along the other edge. The processed film was then split down the middle. Super8 film is the same width as the original 8mm, but the sprocket hole size is smaller and frame size 50% larger, providing improved image quality.

Kodak currently produces three types of silent Super8 film. Plus-X and Tri-X are black & white, and Kodachrome is a color film stock, all costing in the $8 to $12 range for one 50' roll. Most Super8 cameras are reasonably priced ($50-$100), all available with different options such as fade, slow motion, single frame, et cetera, making Super8 the ideal starting point for work in film.

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Michael Sherman
mset@cmu.edu 		Last updated June 6, 1996