With light leaks, soft grain, and a raw magic that can't be matched, your wedding filmed with Super 8 is a nostalgic way to help shape the memories of your wedding day beyond what modern digital cameras can offer. Super 8 wedding films are the best attempt to capture that undefinable “thing” that makes us feel alive. It's a creatively-messy format that takes us back to a simpler time.
A wedding film created on Super 8 is a timeless way to document a timeless event.
The Super 8 look is so often replicated in modern day wedding films with overlays and effects, but it's rarely perfected. The subtle, vibrant colors with the entropy of leaks, dust, and scratches gives film the authentic feeling that can't be replicated. Why mimic the film look when you can have the real thing? To get an idea of what Super 8mm looks like, check out the video below:
(This is just an example of the look of the film footage. Your Super 8 film will include music as well.)
History //
Launched in the 60s at the Worlds Fair, Kodak released the Super 8. It was the first motion picture camera made for amateur use. At the time, no one had been able to create a compact camera that was easy to use and almost foolproof for the average person. It's pretty hard to imagine, but before its release in the mid-60's, the average person most likely didn’t have any videos of themselves, their families, or any major events in their life. The cameras on the market before this time were likely very expensive, bulky, and reserved for major motion pictures such as movies. Back in the day, these cameras were used for everything from home films to music videos or even an independent movie here and there. Today, they're rising in popularity with wedding filmmakers and those trying to achieve that beautifully simple look without having to manufacture it with special effects. The camera itself is also so simple that we can focus more on the artistic side of filmmaking, like creating a beautiful shot with the space and light we're given.
How It Works //
The term Super 8 comes from the type of film being used, 8mm. The film comes in 50 ft., pre-wound cartridges that we load into our cameras, shoot, and send off to get developed, scanned, and uploaded. For reference, each 50 ft. roll provides about 3 minutes and 20 seconds of actual film time making this a very costly format. The cameras don't give you much manual control over lighting, but you can purchase specific cartridges based on the lighting environment you plan on shooting in. For the morning daylight shots, it's normal to use 50D film. "50" refers to the amount of added light to the film and "D" refers to the temperature the film is being shot in. In this case, it stands for "Daylight." For dark, inside shots or maybe the wedding send off , we'd use 200T or 500T film. ("T" refers to tungsten lighting, which is much warmer than daylight.)
Analog vs. Digital //
We fell in love with the raw emotions that come from weddings shot on film. Seeing your father's lip quivering as he walks his daughter down the aisle to the last silly dance with all your best friends, weddings shot on Super 8 film bring that vintage look that connects you to the past. From the moment we saw it, we knew we had to create these films for our own couples. But just like everything in life, there's always something more efficient that comes along. From the basic differences like being able to record audio or slow motion to the more advanced like eye-tracking autofocus or in-camera stabilization, digital cameras are 100% better. They are truly magic. Okay, not really, but they are incredible pieces of machinery. They allow us to manipulate lighting and easily change out lenses to achieve the look we're going for without the restrictions that come with Super 8 filming. Not only can you play a shot back in the moment, you can redo it if it doesn't turn out how you want it to without worrying about running out of film. When you shoot Super 8, you really never know what you’re going to get until you receive your scans - but that’s the beauty of film, isn’t it?
Conclusion //
The choice between the two is entirely dependent on you and your partner's personalities and what you look for in a wedding film. The emotions behind both digital and film weddings are equal but different. Instead of choosing between the two, why not get both? We're Florida based Super 8mm wedding videographers that offer high-quality, modern wedding film AND a vintage Super 8 film of your wedding. If you're interested in booking just a Super 8 film without a modern film or as an add-on, reach out to us here for a custom quote! And yes, we absolutely travel and film elopements. :)