8mm Forum: Cinema in Miniature

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Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on March 03, 2007, 10:52 AM:

The Cinema in Miniature
200ft Colour Sound (Stereo optional)

I could not resist doing a review of the film I myself produced in the 80’s, and which later found its way onto super 8mm for collectors.

This was a 200ft Super 8mm Stereo documentary I produced with the intention of promoting Super 8mm and multi gauge film collecting, and was included at that time in talks I was giving about film collecting. You need to transport yourself back to a time when VHS & Betamax were going strong, and if you were lucky you had Laserdisc to fully enjoy the content of the film.

I scripted this film shortly after the documentary I made titled Cinema of Our Time which was a record of the first Warner Multiplex cinema in the UK at Bury. This first effort was released by Perrys Movies, but I am jumping the gun a bit.

I filmed Cinema in Miniature using a Nizo super 8mm cine camera and over a four week period. I got a small crew together to help with lighting and we were then underway with what turned out to be a fun project although I soon found myself making the film on my own as my helpers had other things to do. I wanted to get the real feel of home cinema, but not detach it from reality as newcomers to the hobby would not have a purpose built Cinema in the home as many these days do.

I filmed the lab at Perrys Movies, Local Cinema projection rooms, and Derek Simmonds at Derann doing a demo of his high quality stereo striping and re recording at the premises. The film was also jammed packed as you would expect with cine projectors, tips on use and even a section on 9.5mm film collecting. I think it would be OK to say it pretty much covered the hobby pretty well within 200ft demonstrating 8mm, 9.5mm and 16mm equipment.

Also featured were some rare film clips and the whole content came together quite well in the melting pot. So much so that Perrys having seen just the edited film with no soundtrack scooped it up for 8mm release. I can remember going to Ian’s shop film in hand and giving him a live voiceover how it would all sound as he ran the edited master on his Fumeo.

Perry’s soon produced a double run 8 negative from the film which is 16mm width and looks like two Super 8 lengths side by side with the main stripe side by side in the middle. Considering the film was shot on super 8 Perry’s did a superb job with the printing I thought and I would say this was largely due to one very knowledgeable guy known to us as Arthur. Sadly he passed away a few years ago, but he was a lovely man and highly respected. Both Ian and Arthur made a good team at Perry’s and I was assured of a first class job with my filming efforts.

The completed film was made available on super 8mm by Perry’s with a mono soundtrack, but I soon found myself being inundated with requests for rerecording them into Stereo which I did around 30 prints I guess. Even today I get the odd request to rerecord these films, and its nice to know people want to see and hear the film as it was made.

Considering the film was made by a group of amateur film makers it certainly gained popularity through Perry’s. Today used prints do come up for sale, but Ian tells me they are not on the shelf for very long. Fond memories of my best years film making & collecting indeed.

Update. It was with sadness my friend who loaned me his camera to make the film way back then passed away and amazingly I was able to purchase it, so it would seem the cameras return to me was meant to be and I continue to use it.

[ December 12, 2013, 07:17 AM: Message edited by: Lee Mannering ]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 03, 2007, 11:24 AM:

This is the kind of film that I'm surprised many more people never thought to make. People tend to collect films about subjects that appeal to them. For some of us, this may be horror films, for others musicals, for others comedies, yet the unifying factor is we are all interested in collecting films. It's hard to imagine someone being involved in this these days purely for the subjects: the medium and the message both matter.

I have a print of this film and I have to say as someone who keeps hearing about all the great goings-on in the world of British film collecting, it's a real treat to see on my own screen.

Every time I watch it with my wife in the room, I nudge her slightly closer to flying over and seeing it in person!

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on March 03, 2007, 11:27 AM:

Lee,

Thank you for the wonderful
background of this documentary.
It supports the aura and presence
that is genuine with a film and its
presentation.

I am bewildered by today's culture,
and also sometimes the rapidly changing,
expanding, unstable, digital film market.

Call me a "Luddite" unwilling to change,
but there are some things that will not
change regardless of the times.
That special something is: quality.

Interestingly enough, the tremendous quality
or huge enjoyment that is recieved from
a unique format that is thin as spaghetti,
and from such a very small frame -
that allows us to look out
one window at a time.

Michael

[ March 03, 2007, 01:34 PM: Message edited by: Michael De Angelis ]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 03, 2007, 11:39 AM:

Very Poetic, Michael!

Well, Lee. That's two fans on Long Island, you seem to have become an international phenomenon!

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on March 03, 2007, 06:28 PM:

Lee-

I got to see this film a few years back when a fellow collector who has this invited me over. I really liked it alot, but by that time, it was out-of-print [Frown]

.

I'm just curious Lee, about how many super 8 prints of this film would you estimate were produced?

James.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on March 05, 2007, 05:40 AM:

Steve. I have never been an International phenomenon before. Is it legal?

Hi James. Thats a good question... Update: I recently came across my letters from Perry's and it was under 100 prints.

[ December 12, 2013, 07:15 AM: Message edited by: Lee Mannering ]

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on March 09, 2007, 03:15 AM:

Little update: Just having a read back through this older post and its good to know people liked my little amateur production which was made purely from enthusiasm for our hobby. Quite a few of the people in the little film are no longer with us so I dedicate it to film friends we have known and loved.

[ October 13, 2011, 04:24 AM: Message edited by: Lee Mannering ]

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on October 23, 2009, 07:46 AM:

Finally have a copy of this well made little film. I have been after it for ages. It certainly shows that well made film is well made film regardless of it being 35mm, 16mm or Super 8.

I'd be interested to know how many of you actually have this; as a film collector it is one of the very few films made about us and what we do!

(it's always good to here the theme music from Disneys main street electrical parade too!)

David

Posted by Peter Willems (Member # 1411) on September 08, 2015, 02:55 PM:

Dear Lee,

I love your little documentation about film collecting. I immediately got a hand on it when Perry Movies released it. The quality really is amazing. It looks like it was filmed on 16mm. They did a great printing job.

So many thanks for doing it.

Best,

Peter

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on September 08, 2015, 03:44 PM:

I have never seen your film Lee but sure would like to one day.
You have realized many a collectors dream with this one by getting a "home movie" (albeit a very professional one), out on general release by a top distributor to the paying public back in the day.
I am sure you must be very proud of it, I know I would be!

Great review also BTW Lee [Smile]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on September 08, 2015, 03:49 PM:

I believe you can still get this new from Classic Home Cinema and Steve Osborne.

I saw one of the new prints at CineSea a few years ago: it looked and sounded great. The only difference between my print and the new one is one had some music the other lacked (I don't remember which one had it.)

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on September 08, 2015, 03:51 PM:

I don't have it but I have had the pleasure of seeing it 3 times...twice in my own cinema! Very well made film. I would love to track down a print for myself.

Bill [Smile]

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on September 08, 2015, 04:26 PM:

Thanks Steve. I shall ask Phil @ Classic if he still has a print.
I've never seen it advertised by him, but in Phil's case, that doesn't mean he hasn't got one, so you never know.
Many thanks once again. [Smile]

Posted by Andreas Chmielewski (Member # 2208) on September 09, 2015, 05:49 AM:

I have a Print from this Films.

I love it!!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on September 09, 2015, 07:30 PM:

"Cinema in Miniature" deserves a special mention.

Years ago (Even before the Osborne Print) I lent my own print to the Saturday night show at CineSea and of all the films I ever saw projected there it was the only one that drew applause!

It was just the right film in front of the right audience!

What was interesting is Lee showing Perry's "modern computer system" they used to handle orders: -an Apple IIC!

-it looks more obsolete than any piece of film gear in the whole movie!

(Strange how that works out...)

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on September 10, 2015, 10:11 AM:

can Lee put this film up on YouTube?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on September 10, 2015, 10:26 AM:

I'll make you a deal, Paul.

If you let me know the next time you come to CineSea, I'll make sure my print is there too!

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on September 10, 2015, 11:02 AM:

Sounds good Steve! [Smile]

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on September 14, 2015, 05:14 AM:

Thank you all. I have fond memories making this and produced with a sincere love of film and nearly the length of the country filming.

I still distribute all Super 8 cine related films I produced on DVD and anyone requiring can PM me for details if they wish to.
I'll have stock with me at Blackpool as usual.
Hi Paul. I wouldn't upload my work on YT as it would hamper sales through my media business.

Regretfully the negative for it hit the skip when Perrys folded which was a bit of a blow to hear back then, but the master is held here and only projected rarely at special events.

I often hear from people who have it on wonderful Super 8 and a great joy to know it captured that moment on film which was what I set out to do.

Happy days!

Posted by Antoine Orsero (Member # 41) on September 14, 2015, 07:15 AM:

I own this movie for a few years and I often look!
This is an excellent movie

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on September 14, 2015, 08:44 AM:

quote:
Regretfully the negative for it hit the skip when Perrys folded which was a bit of a blow to hear back then, but the master is held here and only projected rarely at special events.

Well, that makes the run of prints that were made a bit of a special collector's item!

Bill [Smile]

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on September 14, 2015, 05:58 PM:

I've just screened it and I enjoyed it as usual :-)

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on September 16, 2015, 03:45 AM:

I produced it and even I still watch it Dom! [Big Grin]

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on September 16, 2015, 07:19 PM:

I certainly wouldn't part with mine and the footage of Derek, Perry's, etc, is now a priceless record of the 'golden age' of film collecting. I must agree that Perry's did a great job and I'm sure that many of us wouldn't have guessed that a copy of a Super 8 print could look so good. It certainly doesn't have an obvious colour shift or the higher contrast look that people might associate with dupes.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on September 17, 2015, 03:35 AM:

That lovely chap Arthur did a great job producing the negative and the girl from outside Perrys processed it.

Twas funny when I took the film down for the neg to be struck as although I had completed the filming and editing I had not made a start on the sound track so poor old Ian had no idea what the finished film would sound like. E you can have some fun with Super 8!

There was a development that I eventually obtained the camera outfit I used to film it with which was originally loaned back then and I am still filming with it even now.

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