8mm Forum: Is There Anyone Out There

This is topic Is There Anyone Out There in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on June 20, 2006, 01:54 AM:

I cant believe there is 571 members where are all the interesting articles photo,s etc, apart from Kev and Doug who do a great job, and taking the risk of getting booted of this site for my following comments. I dont no what happened in a certain post ego's hurt, dummies spat out, whatever! this forum is not just about you or me its about keeping the hobby of film alive! Its a marvellous forum with lots of potential, but unless you lot start to contribute, then you wont have to worry about the dreaded video finishing this hobby, you will have done it yourselves. I haven't been in this forum for long and I don't submit things to say look at me!look how great I am! I know that already!. Its about keeping it alive! and not letting it disappear, there is so much history to home movies and this forum is very important to its survival. The worst thing typing anything into this forum is that what you mean and what is interpeted by others can be taken the wrong way. There is a old story that during the First World War a message went down the line. We are going to advance send reinforcements! by the time it got to the end of the line it read, Going to a dance send three and fourpence! get the picture. There are at least 571 stories out there, even if you only have one projector and one film write an article on it or post a photo anything film wise is always interesting, after all isn't this what its all about.
Graham.

Posted by Rob Koeling (Member # 35) on June 20, 2006, 04:31 AM:

We're watching the football, Graham (at least I am...). The projector hardly ever comes out at the moment. Also, at your side of the globe it is prime time for cine, but the Europeans 'suffer' long light (and at the moment warm as well) evenings. For me it's always the slowest part of the year, cine-wise that is.

Back in 3 weeks (after the final)!

- Rob

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on June 20, 2006, 05:19 AM:

Graham

I think you'll always find it's a bit quiet this time of year, the long bright evenings aren't the best for cine and the garden needs constant attention [Wink]

. Everything tends to get going again towards the end of August and the begining of September.

How ever, like you, I'm always pleased to hear peoples stories and there are plenty of them. Perhaps now would be agood time to go through the previous pages, you'll find that there many interesting postings from people with all kinds of expereinces in the cine world. It's all quite humbling.

People like Trevor for instance have been collecting since... well perhaps Trevor should tell you, and there are also several cinema projectionists in our number along with people like Kevin who was working for Elmo right back in the early seventies and Bill Parsons who has been servicing and repairing Elmos since... Bill?

We have Uncle Ian from Perrys cine emporium, and Gary and Adrian from Derann ( it'd be nice if Phil from Classic would also come on board), and then there's the vociferous but always entertaining Jan [Big Grin]

, and members from all parts of the Globe, including the States, Greece, Germany, Italy, France, Scandinavia, The Netherlands, Canada and some pretty exotic settings too - where are you at the moment Winbert?

We are also lucky enough to have some very eloquent and articulate contributors, Michael De Angelis for instance comes to mind along with about a hundred others. All it takes is a couple of threads that get people interested and away it all goes again.

We're very lucky to have this forum, it's arguably the best on the net, with a real sense of ownership amongst the members.

But just watch it and it'll all come to life again soon [Smile]

.

Mike

ps. Although there are over 500 members registered, as with all forums it's usually a little less than 10% that are regularly active as many people just watch, or register to ask a specific question or sell something and then just dissapear...

Posted by Trevor Adams (Member # 42) on June 20, 2006, 05:43 AM:

Hi Graham,my GS800 took one look at your mighty Ernemann and spat it's dummy! [Smile]

I had a look at that PROPHECY 3x400fter-now I'm afraid to go outside.Great colour and condition.Tell me,why on earth does the hero toss away his trusty 30-30 Winchester and attack the 20ft high mutant with an arrow? Beggars me! Loved the kid in the sleeping bag...... [Wink]

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on June 20, 2006, 07:23 AM:

Graham, don't worry, we're here, lurking or posting (see our number of posts, it's not as if we were totally inactive).
I don't like soccer, so the projectors are being used daily (I watched a "Persuaders" episode yesterday and redubbed a french film imported from Germany the day before), my Elmo family is getting bigger and bigger, perhaps I should start thinking of crossbreeding them...

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on June 20, 2006, 08:43 AM:

Good work, Graham!

You seem to have jump started things a bit. There are definitely times when things get slow here in Forumland. As a freelancer, I have days when I can devote a huge amount of time here. If work picks up, I can barely average a couple of posts per week.

Trevor, "Prophecy" is one of my favorite bad horror movies. Hard to believe that this is a John Frankenheimer film. The 3 parter is fun, and I'm glad it includes the rabid racoon scene (or is it an ornery otter?). If the creature is a synthesis of all animals, why does it just look like a big bear?

Doug

Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on June 20, 2006, 11:19 AM:

Ok you guys asked for it, here's my reply.....

I love super 8. I'll admit I'm addicted. Thank goodness it's not cigarettes or illegal drugs. I'm really glad it's not a Harley bike because after 2 hours of screening a movie I can still get up and walk without pain....

I run super 8 more than DVD and/or general stuff on TV and that says alot because I built a pretty decent video setup in the den. It has DVD, Superbeta, Hi-8mm and VHS plus laserdisc.....but that's not for this forum so I'll quickly switch back to super 8.......

I always try and run atleast 1 movie per week on the super 8. And for everytime I check email with the puter, I stop by here and see whats up. If there is something I feel that would interest all of you, I post.

One thing I started last year January 2005 was I made a spreadsheet with the computer. It was vertical page layout with three columns: Date; Title: Format. Printed as a blank spreadsheet and attached to a clip board that hung in the booth, I filled it out by hand each night I ran a show. It didn't take long before I could quickly summarize daily/monthly activity. It was very easy to determine how many prints were stereo or mono, scope or flat. If I ran and had a guest, I put a check mark somewhere within that respective marking.

In 2005 I had run nearly 25 screenings. October had 10 screenings alone (which in 2005, was install and testing of the Towers).

These are the kinds of things I have done that have actually brought back the spark into this hobby. Other things that keep the screen lighted are simple, like this forum, as example.

I encourage all of you to do some kind of screening database. What fun you will have sorting it all out after several months. You'll be surprised what you can learn. One of the best things was recent for me. I wanted to watch Disney's Beauty and the Beast. But I also wanted to know when was the last time I had screened it. Even today I don't know that answer exactly. But what I do know is that it was not in 2005 because it was not on that spread sheet. So I watched it again recently on June 8th and enjoyed it as to be expected. So far this year for just the month of alone June 2006 I'm already at 3 screenings. I'm actually less than 10 for the year which is not that much. But these reduced screenings were for good reason: cold weather in the winter; and for the month of April I went to Florida and left the super 8 behind. However I am pleased to report there was no withdrawl while on vacation.

I believe all of us who have invested this kind of serious money in this hobby must try really hard to do the screenings. I myself am not married and do not have kids, so it is easier for me to make the time to enjoy it. But there's my point. I do "make the time"...and that's the most important thing.

CG [Big Grin]

Posted by Dan Lail (Member # 18) on June 20, 2006, 12:44 PM:

I don't see anything wrong, Graham. As far as the "certain post", that was eliminated because of forum policy, I don't think it will be missed and I am sure no ego's were hurt. The respect among members here is too high. That policy is what makes this forum alot friendlier and fun.

Unlike other forums, when a member here makes a joke or pun, it's enjoyed by others and the poster of that joke it not ridiculed like on other forums. There are no members here with an "I'm better than you attitude". One other film forum as of late is beginning to look like lunatic asylum because of the lack of proper leadership.

Slow down? Just look at the replies to Adrian Simmond's post about Derann making new prints. Click on "Today's Active Topics" also.

As far dvd taking over, you'll have to pry the 8mm(16mm and 35mm) projectors from our cold dead hands first(that's a joke). [Big Grin]

This is the only place I feel comfortable being a member of and knowing I will not be thrown off of because of an objective critizicism or observation. I consider the members here my friends and would gladly visit them if I had the means. [Smile]

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on June 20, 2006, 03:29 PM:

Yes.. it does slow down here sometimes but that is normal. Its like the seasons I suppose. For us here in NYC.. it is SO hot...running a film would make it even hotter. On the other hand in the fall and the winter..everyone is making posts! Cold, dreary, rainy..the best time to put on a film and curl up to.. "Little Shop of Horrors", "The Muppet Movie" (well 18 minutes of it..), "Aliens" ,"Beauty and the Beast","Dumbo"...
It is a good time for the hobby with Derann asking us what we want to see. Good stuff here... the best. Sigh. My home away from home.
[Smile]

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on June 20, 2006, 04:41 PM:

Hi guy's, I'm here most days at some point in the day...just popping in to see what's going on and to see if anything needs sorting. Most of the time the forum runs like a dream and thats down to the members doing their normal thing....discussing the things they want to discuss, having a laugh or taking the pith out of some other members post. Its all this that makes this forum the best on the net for our hobby and I'm really proud to be it's moderator as I'm sure Doug is.

The Brits are a real football mad nation so the world cup is probably keeping the UK guys glued to their TV sets especially with games like tonights where we were playing Sweden (2 all).
I watched the last 30 mins of the game as that seems to be the time when it all happens and tonight was no exception.

Up to that time the GS was out and I was rerecording a Carry on Film which had a duff main stripe due to the stripe dissapearing from time to time on the 4th reel. Its now got great sound on the balance stripe...shame about the colour as It's on Kodak SP and turning.
I also rerecorded the sound on Mickey's Runanway Brain which had really bad sound and out of sync. Now its got a really nice stereo soundtrack and the sync is spot on thanks to Pedros sync box.
So yes I'm here, I watch, I listen, I jump on the few that do step out of line but most of all I enjoy super8 [Smile]

So if your not on the forum at the moment lets hope you have your projetcor set up and doing something super8 [Smile]

Kev.

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on June 20, 2006, 07:24 PM:

I'm always here of course... as the forum is one of the things that keeps my fires of passion for super-8 burning (and yes, I realize that sounds very wrong on many levels, but I digress) [Big Grin]

BTW - vociferous? Me?? NEVER! [Wink]

LOL, actually I had to look that word up as I had no idea what it meant. It's all good, though, as long as I'm entertaining you folks! Right? [Cool]

Anyway, my problem is time - but Chip is right, one just has got to make time, in fact I've been watching a cool 16mm scope feature called Animals in Africa... and I'm simply blown away by the impact of using my anamorphic lens for the first time (now that I finally have a bracket for it thanks to Paul Foster). Really makes me want to get started on super-8 scope films. Well, money's another thing I never have quite enough of but when I do, Freeway Frenzy shall be my next purchase [Smile]

Also I might use my one roll of E64T film on July 4 (Independence Day) to shoot fireworks at night... explore my Bauer camera some more... yes... there is so much yet to do! I kind of feel like after I've spent so much time buying and collecting and testing and adjusting and building, the time is finally here to really start using it all and watching it all and enjoying all I can do with it. Now what was I saying again about fires of passion?... LOL [Big Grin]

Posted by Dan Lail (Member # 18) on June 21, 2006, 02:34 PM:

Graham...Graham...where are you? [Big Grin]

Posted by John Cook (Member # 203) on June 21, 2006, 07:19 PM:

Jan

You sure stirred up a hornets nest over on the filmshooting forum. Were you the hacker that took the site down?
[Eek!]

John

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on June 21, 2006, 08:37 PM:

What???

Please tell me you're not serious...

Posted by John Cook (Member # 203) on June 21, 2006, 09:30 PM:

[Razz]

No, not serious Jan, but they do appear to be down.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on June 21, 2006, 09:52 PM:

Jan would never do such a thing....perhaps only radically raise their capacity!

The warning I'm getting is saying they were hacked. It's kind of sad that people who have those kinds of talents can't use them more constructively....

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on June 21, 2006, 09:59 PM:

Whew - sorry for overreacting, I really wasn't sure whether you meant that or not. Nope, wouldn't dream of hacking that place... I was pretty bummed out myself tonight when I saw that message about it being down. God forbid that ever happens HERE--no, I shouldn't even be saying this!! [Eek!]

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on June 22, 2006, 03:28 AM:

Hi Everyone
Glad I didn't offend anyone, I was a bit rattled at the time, thanks Mike for pointing out that only 10% are active and I will take time to read past posts, I honestly thought there was a silent majority out there but for some reason were reluctant to type something.I was hoping to encourage others and yourselves to post your thoughts, when you type something people from other countries different cultures etc will pick up on it differently and I must admit that can be quite unsettling. Everyone without exception has been helpful,friendly and I thank you all for that.
Regards Graham [Smile]

Posted by Chester Brooks (Member # 610) on June 22, 2006, 06:53 AM:

[ June 25, 2006, 05:55 PM: Message edited by: Chester Brooks ]

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on June 23, 2006, 04:53 PM:

Hi Graham & fellow forum members-

Sometimes I wish I had more time to spend on the forum. Its a great place to come after (or during) a stressful day. I have to agree with what many of you are saying- this forum really does have a unique 'atmosphere' or 'demeanor' to it. It really does feel as if we all have a genuine care for one another. Look, I'm not trying to get all mushy here [Cool]

, but you never find people putting each other down here, or criticizing one another's technical knowledge (something that is very common on the FILMSHOOTING forum). This is, I think, a very rare find among forums these days.

I too would like to see more activity from some of the quieter members, but I know how it is these days. It just seems like there is so little time and we're always too busy. I'll try to do my part though and post more often.

Yes, at times it can be a little slow on the 8mm forum, but you neednt worry Graham- just like home, everyone always comes back. [Wink]

O.K.- I think I'll go and have a good cry now [Frown]

.

Nick.

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