8mm Forum: Astonishing German TV claim

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Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on May 09, 2006, 12:14 PM:

I receive occasional film lists from a guy called Bob Upham. He always includes a few news-type items, and his latest lists have stated "All 26 German TV stations have now upgraded their adverts by changing from video to Super 8."

I find this an astonishing claim, so I wondered if any contributors here have heard this? Although I find it hard to believe, I'm sure it was included in good faith. I investigated another recent news item (on the same lists) that was also surprising, and found it was true.

Posted by Joerg Polzfusz (Member # 602) on May 09, 2006, 12:27 PM:

Hi,

I guess that this a hoax. Nevertheless there are more and more advertisements on the German TV-channels that originate from Super8, but have been modified/edited on a PC before being broadcasted as a video. And it's kind of "trendy" to show Super8/Double8-cameras in ads.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on May 09, 2006, 04:03 PM:

Hi Joerg,
I am not suprised that it getting trendy to show 8mm cameras on TV. In comparison with the faceless plastic video cameras of today, the 8mm cameras of the 50's and 60's , such as the Bolex's, exude character and stand out as wonderfully designed and engineered mechanical art pieces. They will be around a 100 years from now, standing proud and tall, when the plastic digital cameras have all been buried or recycled.

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on May 09, 2006, 05:29 PM:

I too have also heard on the grapevine that a lot of adds start out on super 8 as do some pop videos. I heard that the dynamic range and grain on film is preferred.

Kev.

Posted by Andreas Eggeling (Member # 105) on May 10, 2006, 06:15 AM:

Kev,

yes, I also heard about music-"videos" and adverts.
And they are often developed at Andec, Berlin.

"Fielmann" (glasses), is the latest advert where super8 is shown. A grandpa is looking super8 with his grandchilds, where grandpa was young in the early 70s.
One of the grandchilds asks him: "Grandpa, why are you looking there so crazy". And he answering: "At that time there was no Fielmann.

Yesterday I saw a semi-documentary about football (soccers) with artists who playing 70s again. There were also some grainy clips included. To grainy to be 16mm. So I think it was 8mm too.
Also because of a scene where the actor saying: "In 1973 I bought my first super8 camera" and he is shown with a super8 camera in 70s outfit.

Andreas

Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on May 10, 2006, 08:21 AM:

And a couple of weeks ago here an elderly chap was on the national news running his Super 8 projector and footage he took of the Queen during her silver Jubilee year. It was all part of the celebration for the Queen's 80th birthday.

The cameraman couldn't resist a close up shot of the projector with the reels turning round. Something from a bygone era. In the future are we likely to see footage of video projectors in a similar fashion? Not likely, as with no moving parts there is nothing of interest to show. And that is part of what makes our hobby so special.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on May 10, 2006, 10:24 AM:

In the same vein, I always find it odd and 'quaint' that when something from a 8mm 'home movie' is shown on TV (at least in the UK), it's common to use a stock sound effect of a 8mm projector running.

It makes about as much sense as adding the sound of a 35mm projector, in a situation where a TV station screens a feature with the image transferred from a 35mm print!

Posted by Eberhard Nuffer (Member # 410) on May 10, 2006, 11:44 AM:

Although it is true that SOME adverts (as well as the so-called music video clips) have been shot on Super 8 for the last twenty or thirty years (which I think is nice), the statement that "all 26 German TV stations have now upgraded their adverts by changing from video to Super 8", is - as Joerg already indicated - nothing but nonsense. Working for one of these German TV stations, I can tell you that
a) the kind of adverts mentioned above are not produced by the TV stations themselves but by advertising agencies and production companies specialised in commercials and
b) all promotional clips and trailers produced in-house are shot on digital video and
c) the fact that the TV stations have been investing in digital video equipment on a large scale and are disposing of their 16mm accessories at the moment (recently I witnessed - with a bleeding heart - workers throwing film cans and parts of editing machines into garbage containers)
clearly shows that there are no signs of a "film revival" in German television.

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on May 10, 2006, 03:29 PM:

Eberhard, I would have thought by now that you would have a garage of full of all this 16mm stuff [Smile]

Kev.

Posted by Eberhard Nuffer (Member # 410) on May 10, 2006, 04:45 PM:

Kev,

pity I have no garage, and there is video surveillance all around the garbage containers [Frown]

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