|
Author
|
Topic: Optical Sound Super 8's
|
|
|
|
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted July 28, 2005 01:27 PM
Good point Kev. I used to collect super 8 in 89 to 91, and then stupidly sold my collection to get into Laserdisc. I started collecting again a year and a half ago, and have already amassed quite a nice start! 24 Optical sound features, about 6 magnetic features. By the way, love to find "Close Encounters of the Third kind" scope feature, if anyone knows of any available. It's the only feature, magnetic, that I'm looking for.
Anyhow, I have three projectors, a Eumig stereo super 8, a Copal Magnetic/optical super 8 and have just aquired one of those Yashica Mag/optic projectors. I converted the Copal to a optic only projector, as the mag heads were slightly scratching my films! I have loved film sive I was literally four years old, (now 40), and I am also a scriptwriter, hoping to produce one of my own low budget but highly intelligent sci-fi films, (I don't write for the morons, there's plenty of material for them, I like my audience to think a little!) Thankfully, since there's really little demand for optical super 8, it's a very collectible arena of super 8! Ah, that lovely flickering image!
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted July 28, 2005 03:38 PM
GRRRRRRR!!! Envy rising up! Must control anger! How much did it set you back, (translation from America : How much did it cost? I recently, finally, aquired a print of Star Wars 4x600 scope MONO. The nice thing is that the seller had bought it on the first day of release and had apparently almost never touched it! (It was also signed by Darth vader himself, David Prowse, so that makes it more fun!)
Well then, it looks like I'll be waiting for quite awhile for another print of "Close Encounters" By the way, was CE3K the special edition, or the original edition?
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted July 29, 2005 11:53 AM
Yeah. Until then, I can watch the DVD special edition, which is okay. I have a 200ft. projection TV that's literally Hi-definition, but, alas, it doesn't (can never) truly replace the pristine, sometimes grainy celluloid image! I still vainly hold onto my 400ft. edition. At least the colors still perfect, albeit, slightly scratchy, by now!
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted July 29, 2005 06:22 PM
Yeah, it's swell, but I doesn't come close to replacing film. I'm not speaking of anything new here, but there's a, for lack of a better term, "romance" to the threading of the film, the flickering image. I never have more fun than when I get a new or used print in, and I get to sit down and just clean it for hours. It is most satisfying when you take an old worn print, and you literally make it look new!
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Whittle
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 791
From: Northridge, CA USA
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted July 30, 2005 03:56 PM
quote:
I have a 200ft. projection TV that's literally Hi-definition, but, alas, it doesn't (can never) truly replace the pristine, sometimes
Osi is the 200 feet a diagonal or width measurement? How far back is the projector and how BIG is the room for a 200 foot screen? I don't think any video source and only a few film sources could stand up to that screen size. FWIW, digital cinema is taking over, eventually the guitar pick will become an endangered species when film prints are replaced by hard drives (which may become the distribution mechanism to prevent piracy).
Film is certainly a good presentation, but for those of us who spent our working lives in laboratory and studio review rooms watching brand new prints, it's impossible to sit through a typical theatre presentation.
John
| IP: Logged
|
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted July 30, 2005 04:18 PM
This a "Sharpvision" projector that can go from 40 inches to 200 inches. Well, lets put it this way, I have to put up a whole bed sheet to watch it at it's 200ft. or more size, though, at 200 inches, you need to be a good 20 feet or more away, as the lines of resolution come out more. It's just before the revolution of hi-definition.
As to the other statement, (not referring to you) it's sad that we have become so "rushed" and impatient, that we can't just sit down and watch a film in te old fashioned way. If your a film collector, you have to ave a certian amount of patience.
All the best
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
John Whittle
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 791
From: Northridge, CA USA
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted July 30, 2005 08:46 PM
quote:
it's sad that we have become so "rushed" and impatient, that we can't just sit down and watch a film in te old fashioned way. If your a film collector, you have to ave a certian amount of patience.
Osi,
My statement had nothing to do with being "rushed" but rather the quality of the projected image in most theatres. The prints are dirty, scratched, projectors are run by popcorn makers and not projectionists in many places, etc etc. You'd know the difference if you'd watched BRAND NEW prints in screening rooms where you spec out the screen illumination before you start. After all we're approving the film for release printing and making timing (color corrections) and checking sound quality, etc.
I see your projector shows a 200 INCH diagonal picture and not 200 FOOT picture. These devices can display nice images and variations on these designs are what's being used in digital cinemas with the Hughes/JVC and TI projectors.
But I"m not "rushed", I've RETIRED so I have plenty of time, but I just have been spoiled to accept the BEST.
John
| IP: Logged
|
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted July 31, 2005 02:16 PM
gotcha there, and yes, that is inches not feet, (oops), but it's a decent view, IF you don't have film. I have been up in our local theater and I'm amazed (and a little saddened) by how most theaters have adopted the "big spool" way of projection instead of the good ole fashioned reel to reel. Sadly, that's called progress.
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted July 31, 2005 04:24 PM
Right. I mean, granted, it really does make it easier, as all you have to do is start the machine and it runs all the way thru. I have never seen any of those optical sound super 8 airline machines, I'm betting that they worked on the same premise, as, when I used to recieve a brand new optical super 8 print, (back in the late 1980's) they would be unedited on a spool.
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted July 31, 2005 09:43 PM
You have to be really careful with these optical features. Since the people who manufactured them weren't expecting any lonjevity to these films, (heck they'd destroy them as a general rule after they finished thier run! GRRR!!!), they would print them on whatever available eastman stock they had, and believe me, eastman stock varies tremendously! For instance, I have a print of "Romance of a Horsethief" (1971) that has perfect or near perfect color, while my print of "Gorky Park" (1983) already has a pinkish hue! Very sad, as it is a very good film.
That, and, sadly, most collectors back in the day (70's to late 80's) didn't realize that eastman color could fade so quickly. Most collectors stored thier prints in warm environments, (shudder) and so the color change could happen most rapidly, especially with the last of the lowest grade Eastman stock, which was fazed out as of 1982, but sadly, those who manufactured airline prints saw a great deal from the Eastman labs on this fazed out film, and printed a number of titles on that film, much to us collectors dismay.
You just have to be careful, always ask the color on the print before you buy. What I do with all my Easman prints, magnetic or optical, is that I put them, (if possible) in a good ziplock bag, in the refridgerator, but make sure that you put something in the bag, such as those selica gel packs, (you know, those things that keep the moisture off of things.) as moisture can due even more damage to these films.
One really good point, is that, from 1984 on, possibly late 83, optical sound features were printed on the much better Kodak SP stock, which, even when it does start to age, tends to have a slightly brownish quality, not that accursed pink. The kodak SP prints hold up much better and I've had not a problem with these, though I still store them in the fridge.
So, if collecting optical sound super 8, look at when the film originally came out, if 1983 or earlier, it's a safe bet that it's on Eastman stock. 84 on, Kodak SP, and that means there were five full years of good film stock prints!
Yet, with all this, I believe these Optical sound prints are most collectible. For instance, I have a print of "Stagecoach" (1939), and it's printed in sepia-tone. My friend, you can't even get it on DVD in that formaT
Hah, take that DVD!!
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
. More than once ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic
