Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Modernizing a Classic Super8 Filming Tool: Introducing the Max8 Professional for the 6000 and 7000 Series Beaulieu



Pro8mm is now offering a full Max8 conversion of our 7000 & 6000 series Professional Super 8 Cameras. Revered as the quintessential Professional Super8 camera in the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s, our valued clients who own these gorgeous cameras will now have the opportunity to upgrade them to take advantage of modern Super8 in widescreen for HD filming and scanning.

Conversions are being offered for the 7008 Pro II, the Beaulieu 7008 Pro, and the 7008 S. The 6008 Pro, and 6008S can be converted as well, but will require modifications to the viewfinder and ground glass focus element at an additional cost. The full Max8 conversion expands the camera gate to expose a wider negative. This improvement yields a 20 % increase in usable image when scanning on our M2 or Y Front systems, which have a custom Max8 gate. In addition to the gate widening of the camera, the lens optic is re-centered. A new viewfinder system has been added as well so that the filmmaker can see the 16x9 framing during production. The price of the modification is $995.00.

The Angenieux 8-64mm lens is the best choice to take full advantage of the Max8 modification. The small barrel size insures that there will be no vignette through the lens. In addition, a super wide adapter can be added, which will shift the focal length to 4-32mm, also without vignetting. The Angeneiex 8-64mm lens is an extremely sharp super8 optic, and in our opinion, one of the best ever designed. The lens is available with full collimation for $800.00

We have a limited supply of 7008 Pro Max8 Professional cameras available for purchase at a special introductory price of $3495.00. This includes the Max8 conversion, Angienieux 8-64mm lens, crystal sync modification, water tight Pelican Case, battery pack & charger.

If you want to give it a test drive, the camera is available for rent with Max8 and crystal sync for $300 a day or $250.00 a day with the purchase of any film and scanning package.

Actual MAX 8 Frames


Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The "New" Super8-85


(Actual super 8 frame shot with this film stock)

We now have an excellent supply of the extremely popular Super8 85 – ASA 100 Daylight Reversal. Clients love this stock and many say it is the best replacement film for discontinued Kodachrome 40. Super 8 85 is now being made from double super 8-85, supplied by Kodak, slit and loaded at Pro8mm. It has 3 stops of latitude and very fine grain. This is a traditional reversal film stock, suitable for projection, or it can be cross-processed as a negative. Cartridges sell for $30 a roll which includes our award winning processing, You can also purchase a test package which includes a native 1080 scan on our Millennium 2 to HD on Blu Ray Disk for $108.00, or in SD to DVD for $88.88. Look for a sample of this stock on Vimeo shortly.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

MOVIE MAKER MAGAZINE INTERVIEWS Pro8mm






Pro8mm Asks You to Think Big, Shoot Small
by Douglas Polisin | Published February 4, 2009

It’s a problem that every novice moviemaker faces when he or she thinks of entering a film festival: With only a single, cruddy camera, no means of editing and the bare minimum when it comes to both talent and location, how can I shoot to get the look I want? More importantly, how do I have any chance of going up against other movies if a festival only accepts perfectly polished, finely edited, big-budget masterpieces? For many, that is where the festival process ends, leaving moviemakers with the taste of failure in their mouths and great ideas wasted. But this no longer has to be the case.

With Pro8mm’s second Think Big, Shoot Small Film Festival Challenge, those who enter the festival are asked to do just that, defying its participants to shoot on a single roll with editing only allowed to be done in-camera. The irony of this is that with these technical limitations, Pro8mm has opened up a world of possibilities for beginner moviemakers looking to tell a great story. The true challenge is in coming up with an interesting story and then being innovative enough to shoot it creatively with only the essentials: A camera and some film. While it is a difficult task—a task that many big-budget directors would not be able to accomplish if you asked them to try—it is one that can be taken up by even the least experienced moviemaker, proving that no matter your monetary restrictions, a good idea goes a long way.
MM caught up with Rhonda Vigeant, one of the people in charge of the challenge, and discussed the reason behind creating the festival, what its esteemed panel of judges is looking for in a winning movie and what it is that makes the festival stand out amongst others.
Douglas Polisin (MM): How did
Douglas Polisin (MM): How did the idea for Think Big, Shoot Small come about?
Rhonda Vigeant (RV): The idea for Think Big, Shoot Small grew out of wanting to find the least expensive and creative way for our clients to test various Pro8mm film stocks and Super8 cameras. We thought it would be much more fun to have a festival where you would shoot a creative project with one roll rather than shooting test charts on a wall. Not only does it establish the aesthetic of using film, but also defines the work flow of shooting on film and screening on digital. Now that HD is becoming the dominant display format, we have adapted the concept of the original Think Big, Shoot Small to include High Definition Display. By getting filmmakers to see the result of film on Blu-ray, they will get a chance to experience the next generation work flow.
The first Think Big, Shoot Small festival in 2007 was only offered in standard definition. There were about 30 entries spanning several generations, from college students to retirees, four countries and fantastic finished entries as diverse as the filmmakers themselves.
MM: What are the most important things the judges are looking for in the entries?

RV: Originality (score from one to 10). A high score would be given for a film that is truly original with lots of creative touches, including the use of special effects, costumes, the richness and originality of the story idea and/or other filmmaking techniques.
Technical Expertise (score from one to 10). A high score would be given to the film that has good composition and exposure with few technical errors. It should have good color quality, sharpness and titles at the beginning and ending of the film. If the film is animation or claymation, a high score needs to have the above as well as smooth transitions and timing. It should look like a movie not a slide show.
Artistic Merit (score from one to 10). A high score would be given for a film that is rich in complexity and dramatic impact. Does this film move you? Does the film elicit an emotional response whether it be tears or laughter? Does the film draw you in? Does the film appeal to you and touch you in ways that other films just don’t?
MM: What do you see as the advantages to shooting with 8mm compared with other kinds of film?
RV: Super8 is the most affordable of the film formats. Most people have access to cameras very cheaply from a relative’s closet, eBay, thrift stores or yard sales. For a very small investment of $108.00, you can try the same filmmaking principles used in Hollywood, and in the larger formats, on a tiny budget (that is, film stock, processing and scanning on a million dollar state-of-the-art industry scanning machine that does native HD transfers). The Super8 film is cartridge-loaded and easy to pop in the camera. Filmmaking doesn’t get much cheaper than that! By entering Think Big, Shoot Small in HD you can experience the workflow in creating a creative project, in High Definition, with minimal cost. We hope that once people see their work on Blu-ray it will inspire them to continue working this way for both production and archiving. There is still nothing comparable to the look and feel of film, and many filmmakers just assume that they cannot afford it, or that it is too difficult a craft. Many filmmakers see digital as inexpensive because you can shoot volumes of it for little cost, but you do not need volumes to tell a great story. In fact you can do so in two and a half minutes, the length of a Super8 roll. Since Super8 was originally designed as a consumer product, compared to 16mm or 35mm, you do not need formal film education to work with it. Super8 is much more about creative instinct rather than technical understanding of how to work film equipment. You could give a Super8 camera to a five year old and they could shoot something. The intriguing thing about Think Big, Shoot Small is to see where that creative ingenuity lies. Film should not be something to be feared or intimidated by based on cost or technical skills. Super8 opens up these paths to the craft of film beautifully.
MM: Why do you want editing only to be done in-camera?
RV: One of the fundamental differences between shooting film and digital is because the cost of the film material. With film, you must plan out or storyboard what you are going to shoot before you shoot it. With digital you tend to shoot everything and then try to figure out which shots you are going to use in editing. Since this festival is about film, we wanted it to be like a real film shoot. First of all, it puts all the entries on a level playing field. It’s about what you can create, not what computer programs can do. We want to strip away all the ancillaries and give people a chance to get back to the grassroots of just shooting film. When silent films ruled, they were great! There is a magic that happens between people in a screening when a film is silent and they are able to communicate with each other while watching it—commenting and participating in the screening, not just watching the films. Because of the sense of community we are trying to create among the filmmakers, the silent showing opens up dialogue across age, lifestyle and gender among the very diverse population of participants. A film festival done this way has to be aesthetically pleasing and captivating on its own before you add the window dressing of sound or special effects.
MM: You say that people are allowed to enter as many times as possible; this isn’t all too common for festivals to do. What do you hope to see from those contestants who submit multiple entries?

RV: There are two reasons for this. First, people have a lot of ideas regarding what they may think is a worthy project. Since this festival is “all inclusive” in terms of the materials and the entry fee, every contestant makes the same investment to participate. We thought, why should we limit a person from entering twice (though no one in the 2007 festival actually did this) if they have more than one idea? It increases their chance of winning one of the prizes. Secondly, they may get back their Blu-ray disc and decide that they can do better, or discover that their camera had technical problems that they were not aware of. This allows them to give it another try before the deadline. If they think they can do better, why not let a contestant try again if it will help them to improve their skills as a filmmaker?


MM: In addition to a Blu-ray copy of their movie and a chance to be on Pro8mm’s
promotional DVD, what else do you hope that contestants walk away with?
RV: There is a huge sense of camaraderie among the Super8 community. Each contestant in 2007 brought their friends, family or crew with them to the screening and party. It was wonderful to see gray-haired men engaged in technical conversation with tattooed, pierced, pink-haired generation X’ers. You can’t put a price tag on that. The feedback we got was fantastic. Not only is the festival a really great opportunity to try something new in film but a chance to be part of something bigger than a 50-foot roll. It is common for independent filmmakers to feel isolated in a little bubble. Because the “assignment,” if you will, was the same for every filmmaker, and there is a fixed cost, there is an immediate connectivity in the group. We hope contestants will gain insight about the creative process. The prizes are great too! Even the raffle winners can (and have) produce their next project on what they may win as a contestant.
For more information, visit www.pro8mm.com.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=34191808

James Barfield won Think Big, Shoot Small for his claymation entry, Clay Date. His prize was a Max 8 Classic Professional Camera.

Courtesy of Movie Maker Magazine. Check out their on-line version of this post

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

ISN'T IT TIME YOU GOT INTO SYNC?


Pro8mm Announces HD Scanning for 8mm Film with Sound


GOT SOUND ON REG 8 or SUPER 8 FILM?
Isn’t it time you got into sync?
Getting Back To Our Roots with Super8 Sound™


Pro8mm has just completed the set up of a new sync sound system for the Millennium 2 HD Scanner. The new system can accommodate various sound and film configurations. The system was designed at Pro8mm, which has almost 40 years of dedicated Super8 Sound experience. We are thrilled to be able to offer this service for regular 8/super 8 production and archiving when doing a native HD scan in 1080 with the original audio track on film or magnetic fullcoat in proper sync.

The new sync sound system will be of particular benefit to our long time customers who have been with us through the evolution of single and double system sound, crystal sync fullcoat recorders, and dat audio. Pro8mm was originally called Super8 Sound ™ and was founded in the early 1970’s by a group of entrepreneurs in Cambridge, Massachusetts who invented sound for super 8. We changed the name and direction of the company in 1992 when we ceased making fullcoat recorders and introduced Super 8 negative film.


Price: There is a one time set up charge for the sync audio services when scanning on the M2.

Super8 single system (single track) $225
Super8 Stereo projects (dual track) $325.00
Regular 8 with sound $325.00
Super8 Mag Fullcoat $325.00

This creates an opportunity to take those film school projects home movies and footage you want to use in your documentary shot on regular 8 or super 8 with sound on film or mag stock and scan it to HD to create a new master with sync audio!

For more information, call Pro8mm, 818-848-5522 email info@pro8mm.com

Monday, February 2, 2009




This article appeared in todays issue of A/V Concepts. The editor is Tony Schapps, former owner of THE WIDESCREEN CENTRE in London who asked me if one of his writers could use my recent press release on the PRo814 Wide Modification.

They said:"Who wants WIDESCREEN?""Well, now we all know - 'everyone', says Jack. So, now read on..





"Many years ago, in my early days with The Widescreen Centre, the boss (yes THE Mr Widescreen himself, as I heard him called recently) tried to persuade manufacturers to offer the non-professional movie maker the advantages of widescreen, but without success. Yes, he continually hit a blank wall epitomised by the headline on this article".
"In desperation he followed his own ideas and turned himself into a manufacturer of anamorphic lenses which were modelled on the pro-cinema's versions but simplified to bring the cost down to an average cine enthusiasts level. Then came the widescreen TV revolution and suddenly EVERYBODY was trying to get in on the act.".
"Tony, being Tony, immediately re-worked his formulas to produce a 16:9 format anamorphic lens (the one that squeezes that extra information on to a standard frame, and then de-squeezes it on projection or on to a widescreen TV). This immediately allowed anyone with a camcorder to 'go widescreen'"
ENTER PRO-8 - all singing and dancing!
"Now things have gone a stage further and I can bring you news from Pro-8 in the States who have just introduced a NEW WIDE GATE modification to their already extremely popular, updated and modified version of the famous Canon Super-8 movie camera now called the Pro814".
"The advantage of this new modification gives 20% better resolution when scanning in HD because it allows for an expanded image on the
negative. Introduced just over a year ago, the Pro814 is an affordable rebuilt, recalibrated super 8 camera, modified to optimize the results of modern super8 film stocks. The modification is priced at $300.0 0 (around a couple of hundred pounds sterling) and provides you with an inexpensive way to achieve that essential widescreen capability for your Pro814 camera".
"The modification is made to the gate and block only, and does not include 16 x 9 viewfinder or any optical centring. The Pro814 is priced in U.S. dollars at $795 (about GBP 500), which includes a water tight Pelican Case and 85 filter. The intro price for their new Pro814-Widegate version is $995.00 (or roughly GBP 700.00)".
That's it for this week
JACK GROSSMANp.s. For Canon 814 Autozoom owners who want to upgrade their camera to a Pro814 the cost is $495. This removes the 85 filter, increases the pick up torque, has a recalibration so that modern film stocks can be read. Then if you want the widescreen mod, they will take off $100 and do it for $200 if it is done at the same time as the Pro814 mod since the camera is already apart. . p.p.s. You'll find Pro-8 at :http://http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102429665379&e=0019YjuiKihgoRDz1Eh170cvK33Yd-HwiiK-24SNc5cLHu0jgKHwf1nvGxR945TVOIoX1sLyARjOA-tnMeqnDunr5xpPB5p18LGFRM45d38p1dBI8I05AZPHw==
Number 98 astronomy, 3D, virtual reality, super-8, panoramics, antique replicas, audiovisual, flight simulation, andmuch, much, more!
Hi Phil and Rhonda,welcome to issue 98 dated 3rd February 2009 - enjoy!

They said:"Who wants WIDESCREEN?""Well, now we all know - 'everyone', says Jack. So, now read on..
"Many years ago, in my early days with The Widescreen Centre, the boss (yes THE Mr Widescreen himself, as I heard him called recently) tried to persuade manufacturers to offer the non-professional movie maker the advantages of widescreen, but without success. Yes, he continually hit a blank wall epitomised by the headline on this article".
"In desperation he followed his own ideas and turned himself into a manufacturer of anamorphic lenses which were modelled on the pro-cinema's versions but simplified to bring the cost down to an average cine enthusiasts level. Then came the widescreen TV revolution and suddenly EVERYBODY was trying to get in on the act.".
"Tony, being Tony, immediately re-worked his formulas to produce a 16:9 format anamorphic lens (the one that squeezes that extra information on to a standard frame, and then de-squeezes it on projection or on to a widescreen TV). This immediately allowed anyone with a camcorder to 'go widescreen'"
ENTER PRO-8 - all singing and dancing!
"Now things have gone a stage further and I can bring you news from Pro-8 in the States who have just introduced a NEW WIDE GATE modification to their already extremely popular, updated and modified version of the famous Canon Super-8 movie camera now called the Pro814".
"The advantage of this new modification gives 20% better resolution when scanning in HD because it allows for an expanded image on the
negative. Introduced just over a year ago, the Pro814 is an affordable rebuilt, recalibrated super 8 camera, modified to optimize the results of modern super8 film stocks. The modification is priced at $300.0 0 (around a couple of hundred pounds sterling) and provides you with an inexpensive way to achieve that essential widescreen capability for your Pro814 camera".
"The modification is made to the gate and block only, and does not include 16 x 9 viewfinder or any optical centring. The Pro814 is priced in U.S. dollars at $795 (about GBP 500), which includes a water tight Pelican Case and 85 filter. The intro price for their new Pro814-Widegate version is $995.00 (or roughly GBP 700.00)".
That's it for this week
JACK GROSSMANp.s. For Canon 814 Autozoom owners who want to upgrade their camera to a Pro814 the cost is $495. This removes the 85 filter, increases the pick up torque, has a recalibration so that modern film stocks can be read. Then if you want the widescreen mod, they will take off $100 and do it for $200 if it is done at the same time as the Pro814 mod since the camera is already apart. . p.p.s. You'll find Pro-8 at :http://http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102429665379&e=0019YjuiKihgoRDz1Eh170cvK33Yd-HwiiK-24SNc5cLHu0jgKHwf1nvGxR945TVOIoX1sLyARjOA-tnMeqnDunr5xpPB5p18LGFRM45d38p1dBI8I05AZPHw==