The life span of commercial super 8mm film packed was actually short

[Winbert Hutahaean]

Yes as per title and using today's judgement, the life span of commercial super 8mm packed movies as home entertainment was actually short. I am not talking super 8mm film as a film format which was invented by Kodak in 1965 and still being shot today.

Almost all my packed movies in my collection were released circa 1975 -1980. Let us say that studios start releasing them in 1972 as home entertainment (not as educational purposes in the school) then the last commercial film I knew was Star Wars "The Empire strikes back" released by Ken Film in 1981 (or 1982?). After that year people moved to video tapes. I understand there were still Derann, Kempski, Perry etc who kept releasing super 8mm after that year but for a niche market.

So if we use today's judgment, this is something like we look back at 2011 and today's the market is already shrinking. Well...I can still remember what happened in 2011 and what restaurants I visited that year...

DVD already in the market since 1997 and still sold widely now. It is already 24 years. Blu-ray is already 15 years.

So at that time the life span of Super 8mm packed movies was only 10 years.... I just realized it.

[Brian Fretwell]

Walton Films (UK) closed in 1983 too, I think brought down by their video arm facing too much competition from the big film companies starting their own distribution.

[Douglas Meltzer]

Hi Winbert,

Both Columbia and Castle started releasing their package films in the Super 8mm format in 1966.

Note the extra cost for the new gauge.

[Adrian Winchester]

Winbert - I have to disagree, as I feel you have underplayed the significance of the 1980s revival, which causes many to view the 'golden age' of film collecting to be roughly the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. I'd acknowledge that the impact of video meant that sales of each title then would not have been on the same scale as in the 'mass market' era that peaked around the end of the 1970s, but the fact that Derann, in particular, had deals which resulted in great releases from 20th Century Fox, Disney, Orion, Rank, etc, causes me to say that the term niche market doesn't fully do justice to this period.

If you look at a Derann catalogue from around the early or mid-1990s, the range and number of titles then offered was staggering if compared to most earlier catalogues from studios or package movie companies. It's true that this vast array of releases is far less 'visible' than 1970s product on dealers lists and on ebay, but I'm sure that's largely because the quality of the prints, and their low fade colour, means that collectors are far more likely to hang onto them.

[Joseph Banfield]

I believe Blackhawk was around in the 1950's.

[Lee Mannering]

UK wise Ade is totally correct adding to that its was not all about Derann either! Filming in the Perrys Movies store and S8 printing laboratory in 1989-1991 ish the phones were rarely quiet and the film printer was regularly running fulfilling many orders. A magical time in the UK with Derek at Derann very busy with his team of experienced staff, it was all very special.

Things may have changed somewhat as far as the quantity of new releases but we are seeing a massive effort with new S8 film prints for our collections on this beautiful new film stock and having watch part 1 of a very sought after Derann feature against one of the new prints the new ones win hands down for image quality. Amazing times for S8 collectors and more to come....
Super 8 wise my S8 late 1960's films look good even yet and whats that over 50 years of pleasure from the lovable film gauge.

Also remembering the forgotten smaller UK S8 distributors, but we save that for another day and yes we had many spanning at least 20 years or more.

[Osi Osgood]

Yes, the main age people remember was the 70's thru 83, (Empire Strikes Back last print run on LPP, was late December, 82), but when it comes to quality, I'd say the golden age was 83 to early 2000's, as Derann and other UK distributors, (bless the UK for keeping super 8 alive!), the quality was far above what was produced in that early era. I do think the modern releases are pretty good, but also have they're faults. I bought "Revenge of the Sith" and was really disappointed with that yellowish acetate stock and I am so glad that the labs of today have switched to that better Kodak stock!

[Maurice Leakey]

Here is a copy of the Derann sales listing from about 2004. You can click on any entry including their new Super 8 films for sale.

Wayback Machine (archive.org)

[Winbert Hutahaean]

I believe Blackhawk was around in the 1950's.

Joseph, I am talking specifically super 8mm and super 8mm was released in 1965. So I believe at that time Blackhawk was selling standard 8mm films.

Guys thanks for your input. Yes you are probably right about Derann, Perry etc but because I live in Asia, during that time we did not know anything about it since I remember in the beginning 1980s we already fully moved to Betamax. For home movies yes we still shot super 8mm until 1985.

[Mark Williams]

Joseph, I am talking soecifically super 8mm and super 8mm was released in 1965. So I believe at that time Blackhawk was selling standard 8mm films.

Guys thanks for your input. Yes you are probably right about Derann, Perry etc but because I live in Asia, during that time we did not know anything about it since I remember in the beginning 1980s we already fully moved to Betamax. For home movies yes we still shot super 8mm until 1985.

Utter nonsense!!

In the UK & USA the Super 8mm package movie had a far longer life than just 20 years, as Adrian Winchester said the Derann revival in the early 90’s prolonged the popularity in the UK for many,many years and it certainly wasn’t a flash in the pan like the short term formats such as Betamax,Laserdisc etc.

[Dominique De Bast]

Film Office started super 8 in the mid '60s, soon after the new Kodak gauge introduction on the market, not in 1972.

[Osi Osgood]

I would be amiss if I didn't mention Kempski's incredible prints in the 80's, which are so good you would swear you were watching a good 16mm!