8mm Forum: WHATS THE FUTURE FOR SUPER 8

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Topic: WHATS THE FUTURE FOR SUPER 8

William Mouroukas
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Sydney - Australia
Registered: Oct 2011

posted October 11, 2011 01:26 AM

Since I discovered the 8mm Forum this past week I keep finding topics that are triggering memories of my distant past. It's helped me confirm I started my obsession with Super 8 in 1967, probably around my birthday in September.
At Christmas of that year, while waiting in line to see Disney's 'The Jungle Book', my cousin told me that he had seen Walt Disney S8 movies in the shops. I didn't believe him because I thought it was too good to be true, but sure enough a month or so latter I found a display in the Camera Department of my local Grace Bros . Soooo expensive but oh-so-nice, at least to a S8 obsessed 10 year old. It was all silent but it didn't matter as my home movie sessions were augmented with snippets of Disney. As soon as I acquired my first sound projector, a Eumig 810D (which I still have), anything I bought had to have sound of course. There were a couple of local specialist outlets for S8 movies but I couldn't find anything to compare to what was available in the UK and USA, although 20th Century Fox rented out full length features in S8 as an extension of their 16mm rental service.
I still have every film I bought and as expensive as it was, I’ve realized excellent value from entertaining myself, family and friends, even into the DVD era.
What I'd someone to tell me is what is the current position of the major studios with all this and how does/did it work? Is it just a matter of a 'Derann' like company negotiating a license to create so many prints for sale?
With my current S8 renaissance I'm very curious about all this.

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

posted October 11, 2011 05:27 AM

William,
I'm afraid the days of major studios having contracts with a company such as Derann (who sadly ceased to exist a few weeks ago, although not primarily for reasons relating to the film partt of their business) have come to an end, although Derann would have still been making occasional payments to Disney and 20th Century Fox until a few years ago. Royalties relating to a particular release could continue to be paid for many years and related to the number of prints sold.

However new releases are still produced by people like Classic Home Cinema and Steve Osborne ('The Reel Image') but a successful release nowadays would do amazingly well to reach 100 prints, so you can imagine that a major distributor would not be interested. Most releases can broadly be considered copyright free items such as trailers and advertisements although there are occasional releases of longer items that emerge for some reason or other.

If you hear of releases that appeal to you, please consider buying them as this is the only way that we can collectively ensure that some new product continues to appear.

--------------------
Adrian Winchester

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William Mouroukas
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Sydney - Australia
Registered: Oct 2011

posted October 12, 2011 06:25 PM

Yes I'll look into what's available. Sooner or later I'll make a move on a title I'm sure.

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted October 13, 2011 01:02 AM

William, I was in Sydney from 1996-1998.

I remember some of dealers, i.e Super8 Alive at Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, Robert Nailon at (around) Maroubra, Rodney Bourke (more to film shooting) and someone in Bondi Junction area (if you recall his name? but he had done several 8mm related fairs).

Any other names you know still running their 8mm business now?

--------------------
Winbert

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William Mouroukas
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Sydney - Australia
Registered: Oct 2011

posted October 13, 2011 07:20 AM

Hi Winbert.
The one in Surry Hills is probably the same or related to the people I went to in the mid to late 70's. They were first in Elizabeth Street then went around the corner in Cleveland Street.
There was a guy who I first dealt with there and then he broke away and set up his own business that he ran out of his flat in Curlewis Street - Bondi Beach.

I can't remember any names and during the late 90's my S8 interests were home movie taking. I thought that aspect of S8 had long vanished by then and it's only recently I discovered that Derran had survived as long as it did.

Edit: By the way, I have a 19 year old nephew and 15 year old niece who are facinated with all this S8 stuff I've been telling them about. I've just ordered my Film O Clean and as soon as I've given my old prints a clean and lube, I'll be screening them for the first time in probably 20 years..yikes!

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted October 13, 2011 03:10 PM

Being a little controversal, with Derann now closed i personally think that good super 8 films will rise in value a little bit. Paul Fosters lastest list had so many things i would like to have purcashed but my purse strings are a little tight at the moment. But i did notice how so many titles have gone up in value,which shows there is a demand for it, a lot of this of course is due to e bay titles going for stupid money but it does show this hobby will go on for some time yet.
Add the value of those three Star Wars titles up on Pauls latest list and they more or less match what one copy of just the first star wars sold for on e bay recently so in comparison, the three together would be a good buy. there is a market for this hobby but its keeping it in the view of people and not just on-line. The only thing i guess thats missing is the bi-monthly news letters and magazine form Derann which we all looked forward to. The dissapointing thing over the last few years was why didnt Derann use the labs in Germany for new releases. Since Derecks untimely death it did all seem to slowly fade downward after a year or two.
Exactly what magazines are going now? Could someone enlighten me please on this, i still keep meaning to sign up to the reel image as the saample i recieved form Steve with a film i purchased was amazing, to think all these years i didnt even bother!!!!!!! (sound familier?) [Wink]

Do you remember a while ago i did an article putting questions to the dealer, if you read back and check out the Derann questions they gave the shortest answers, perhaps all wasnt so well then?? (just me being cynical)

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007

posted October 13, 2011 04:28 PM

Apparently CHC are starting a magazine.

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William Mouroukas
Film Handler

Posts: 49
From: Sydney - Australia
Registered: Oct 2011

posted October 13, 2011 06:44 PM

On reading another thread I saw mention of 'The Home Talkie Co of Australia', that was the Surry Hills one I frequented in the 1970's (and now I believe into the 80's) as per my previous post.

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