Old Super8 home movies

[Graham Ritchie]

I have just finished watching this you-tube video, if you have a spare 30 minutes its well worth watching.

[Graham Ritchie]

Well a bit of an update over the last few weeks during my time at the Ferrymead Heritage Park working on the now going Westar projector complete now with picture and sound, I have been talking to folk about "home movies" as well that you meet while working. I do tell them not to get rid of there 8mm films, but to always keep and store them in a cool dry place and they will last forever.

I do add, that to everyone I have spoke to, that a transfer to digital is fine, "but" and its a big "but" that if you want to see you home movies as they should be seen, then finding a film projector is really a must. I also add there is nothing that can beat putting up a screen turning the lights off in a totally dark room then bringing an old film projector to life. I have as yet never seen any video transfer of home movies, that comes close to film projection, film projection gives those old home movies the "wow" factor

My next task after the Westar project is to go through the many Standard 8 projectors and get get some of them going again, so if anybody want's to watch there home movies we can help them out with a projector. I feel that the Standard 8 projectors are better made than those donated Super 8 for this job, so Standard 8mm will be the first to get sorted out. Although Bolex make really good projectors, it might sound strange but that old Kodak one I have used a lot I like more, its easily converted to a 100 watt lamp and that works fine.

I am hoping to get more involved in that "Home Movie" day that is going on at the moment which I think is a great idea and its something the Heritage Park could get involved with, with folk bringing in there home movies, find some working editors they can view them with, that kind of thing so will see after the Westar and small cinema is finished, which in itself is getting close to being completed

[Graham Ritchie]

Well folks a bit of a surprising update. Last November I sent a couple of stills as below from one of those home movies to the "Wellington Water Ski Club", this was going to be my last attempt to track these people down, months past with no reply from the club. My thinking at this point was just to forget it. To be honest I thought that at least the club could reply. After all this time I never expected anything, but this week for some reason I was thinking about those movies when a e-mail arrived from that club. What a surprise the person was a life member and although he could nor recognize the people or the boat he was going to share those photos with other life members and see if anyone has any information and get back to me.

So there you have it, I really would like those films returned to there rightful owners, so will see what comes of it, strange that after all this time something pops up like this, below are those photo, "note" the clubroom that's where I got my lead to contact them in the first place, will see if anything comes of it, I do hope so

[Lincoln Thorn]

I always enjoy seeing updates about your Home Movie project, Graham!

[Graham Ritchie]

Thanks Lincoln

The above screen shots are of Kodachrome Standard 8mm film. All the Kodachrome Standard 8 films I have sorted through have excellent color. At the moment I have just started out sorting 16mm double-perf home movies. The reels are in excellent condition one says holiday 1937 on B/W, it includes parts of England including York, Scotland and a crossing on the Queen Mary to New York all of this taken in 1937. I am going to be really careful and inspect it on hand winders before any of it goes near a projector. I am looking forward to seeing it. I have only looked at the start and the condition of the film looks really good. I usually inspect all film on hand winders and editor first, replace any iffy splices then give the film a final clean, before projecting any of it, when it gets to that stage, its great to see the film come to life, only a film projector can do that... its what I call the "da da" moment.

[Ken Finch]

Good old Kodachrome. What a shame it was discontinued. Surely the health and safety problems could have been overcome but I guess it was not considered cost effective.

[Graham Ritchie]

One thing I had forgotten about on this particular film, was that there was a sound stripe on the first 50 foot, up to the other night I had only used my silent Bolex M8 or the old but nice to run film through the Kodak machine for Standard 8mm film

My thinking was, lets listen to see what is on that stripe. The one projector I do have that could do that job was a Eumig Mark S 810D, a while back I had carried out adjustments at the back of the switch that fixed the speed problems, plus I had given the projector a once over, including fitting a Suprogon Zoom lens. I got the projector out, warmed it up then threaded in this film. There was very little said on the 50 foot of stripe, except some about the camp, but what caught my attention was the mentioned year being 1967. This made the film a lot older than I first thought it was, and guessing this would make the kids in the film to date, now onto into there 60s..

I will let you no if and when I get that feedback from that club I contacted, but 1967 is pushing it for anyone to remember that far back, even for the present life members. I remember a while back talking to one of our members at Ferrymead about some of those donated films, and getting them back to the owners. I was told that might not happen because to many years have past. I am hoping this will not be the case but its a possibility that might happen.

On a more positive note though, the Eumig surprised me with that Standard 8 mm film, it ran through the projector so smooth and quiet I never heard a single splice go through the gate "brilliant". The focus and brightness was excellent, full marks to the 810 very nice projector with Standard 8 film, I was really impressed with it.

I did take a couple of photos of the image and the projector, I must use it more often for Standard 8 film, in saying that its still very important to inspect/ clean the films before hand.

1967..

[Rodney Bourke]

Its amazing to look at Footage of 8mm Home Movies, here is Chicago in 1933, its on 50' reel around 4 minutes, its not in the 1 minute Video, but its in the Still Photos taken of Movie Film. To think that over 90 years ago they have a 4 lane Highways, and City Car Congestion, ha nothing has Changed.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/33509013...UAAOSwxTZlOr5K

[Vitali Vadim]

Graham Ritchie
Are you satisfied with the quality of the projection of the S 810D? You wrote that you want to use this projector more often for normal8. Can all the sound path components cause more wear and tear for movies? Is there such a danger?

[Graham Ritchie]

Hi Vitali

Yes you are right regarding the 810D with silent films. It would be different if the sound head retracted for silent but it doesn't. Its still best to use a older silent non sound variable speed projector like the M8 for Std8, but in saying that I have got to like the 810D. As to how much wear on the film with silent film I am not sure. A good test would be to make a small constant loop of silent film and run it through the projector for a few hours, then remove and have a close inspection, inspecting for wear and how much. Now if the projector was modified for silent that would be nice, as mentioned for the sound head retracts for silent Standard and Super8 films that would be great. I am sure it could be done.

[Osi Osgood]

It sounds like this person in the video has never seen a Derann print, Kempski or other really good super 8 prints. The quality that super 8 is capable of at it's best, is astounding.

[Vitali Vadim]

How many details are there along the way of the film? I think this projector has 2 pinch rolls and 4 heads for sound in two formats. Are the heads in full contact with the film over its entire width?

[Graham Ritchie]

Well so far nothing back so far from from the Water Ski Club, to be honest its not looking promising, but you never know. I was given another box of film to sort out a few weeks ago, and only just started running some of it through the editor yesterday. There is paperwork with the films and are from 1950 through to 1961. Thankfully to date all the home movie films have got good color, the ones at present are local so it will interesting to compare the changes to the place since the films were taken. So its back to the editor, a must have to start with for inspecting old films. As with other films I will make enquires as to there origin.