Anonymous wrote:It may come as a surprise to many of you, but here in Scandinavia (which in this case means Denmark, Norway and Sweden) we have had a convention for many years. The location where the convention is held "travels" between the countries. Last year it was in Denmark, this year it will be held in Sweden (in October) and next year in Norway.
In Norway it is the "Norwegian Film & Video Collectors Club" who is responsible, and it is usually held in Oslo.
On these conventions you can buy anything related to FILM/VIDEO, from Regular 8mm to 35mm films, all kinds of gear, cameras, projectors, books, magazines, DVD, Laserdiscs, VHS etc. etc. You name it.
There are separate clubs in each country, but once a year we all come together to get rid of what we don't need anymore, and find some long, lost treasures.
So if anyone "in the neighbourhood" wants to know more, just ask.
I'll be attending the British Film Collectors Convention on May 17 in London. They have a web site: http://bfcc.biz/
Do the orgainzations you mentioned have web sites, too?
Could anyone come to them?
Roger, I like the idea of an informal get together at a central place like Austin. It would be a four hour drive for me but I can make it over a long weekend (Labor Day maybe?). I would like to meet other filmmakers and I would have some animations to show by then.
I'm up for the informal meeting as well. If things get bogged down in details it may never got done due to the minute bureaucratic crap. I say let's book a suite of rooms at some cheap Best Western, get their conference room, have a mini trade show during the day then screen films we made at night.
Jess, you say there is not much in the way of local labs? So there is no same day service? I ask because I'm wondering if we had a four day fest we could at least show in-camera footage on the last day...hell, we could always UPS to Dwayne's and get it back in time...
It's been decades since I lived in Austin but back then I could walk downtown and drop off a roll of 16mm Plus-X and pick it up the next day. The School of Radio, Television and Film at the University of Texas supported several labs and services then. I don't know what it's like now but Houston has hardly any place to process movie film. I have to send my Fomapan to Franklin to be processed now.
As far as I know places in Austin that process motion picture film. There do seem to be a number of labs that do specialty 35mm processing, maybe we need to start hitting one of them up to add some services.
It looks like UT may currently have some setup where they will mail film off for you, but it is to out of state labs.
Austin really needs to have someone step up and open a motion picture lab.
This lab in Austin was down Congress street in view of the state capitol building. They did both color and black and white movie processing. I know they did 16mm and possibly 35mm. Equipment for processing movie film is different than that for 35mm still film. So getting a local lab to offer it would be difficult since there might not be enough business to justify the risk in buying more equopment. I know Franklin has built their own processors but they stick to doing black and white.
Now if someone was to bring their Lomo tank we can process film on the spot. Just bring your film and chemicals. It just so happens I'm ordering several of those tanks myself.
Herb Montes wrote:
Now if someone was to bring their Lomo tank we can process film on the spot. Just bring your film and chemicals. It just so happens I'm ordering several of those tanks myself.
This is kind of what I was thinking. I haven't gotten around to playing with processing my own films yet so I cant be of much help, but if some other people are willing to do it that would be great. Maybe someone could give a small demonstration on processing your own films and the different methods and equipment available?
When I'm at a film festival and/or trade show/convention it's remotely possible that I might want to shoot something to project later at home just for a record of the event, but it's of no importance at all to me to be able to have immediate film processing capabilities at the event itself. While I'm there I'm so busy watching other people's films and walking around the trade show looking at equipment the last thing on my mind is to try to cover it with film, rush out to get it processed, rush back to pick it up, and hurry to my motel room or some other spot to screen it. Isn't there enough going on already to keep me occupied?
I vote for a location where there are enough people willing to set things up for the get together. I think a location where a car is not needed to get around would be nice for those flying in to the event. Maybe a downtown location where a person could leave the hotel to walk to a nice restaurant. Be nice to fly in, attend the gig, and fly out if it's any distance to attend. Any art venues, theater, museum, other places of interest in these locations? I'd get burnt with nothing but small gauge films for four days straight and nothing else to do. When I attend a car conclave, I do not sit in the parking lot for the entire event. I go out and do other things in that area. If I go someplace I have not been, I like to know ahead of time what else there is to do. I think that starting on a thursday and ending during the day on sunday would be best. People could make it a four day weekend and be back home for the following monday. If people wish to arrive early and leave late, that is always a personal option. A venue - location that has some interest to visit would attract more people than a motel in the middle of a farm field somewhere. My personal preference is not to go someplace just to visit the motel. If I can hoof it or take a reasonable taxi ride to a theater show, museum or do some site seeing at the same event, that would be an attractive bonus. Might be worth pulling the camera out and cranking out some frames. A filmfest might be a good place to make that commercial being discussed in the other post.
What is with this? I'm positive I logged in for the post second above this one....the one about having one-day film processing at a film fest/convention/trade show being a priority...yet, it shows me to be a guest. This has happened several times. I don't understand it....and just when I thought I was getting computer literate....
Unless the convention was held in Chicago I would be flying, so I checked prices to various locations including Austin, Houston, LA and London. The prices to any of these locations were similar except for London which was around $100 more. So I don't care where we have it, I will be there!
Roy, if you're talking London, England here then you're in luck. The next convention is Saturday 17th May and the biggest one in the 8mm calendar. We have even more dealers attending this event than the last one so there should be an ample supply of cameras, projectors, editors, rewind arms, films, screens and just about everything to do with the 8mm world. We're also having seven film shows on the 24ft Cinemascope screen (in a 400 seater cinema for the day) and celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cinemascope; an anniversary that seems to have escaped the rest of the filmic world. We're even rolling in a 70mm projector for the last show and running a 35mm four track magnetic sound show just like people enjoyed in the fifties.
Jurassic Park will be featured on Super 8 running with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.
Mikey B posted a link to this topic post on my Super-8 forum so I thought I'd chime in.
Flicker's attack of the 50 foot film reels was well received last November at the Hollywood Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood Ca. Flicker filled a 600 seat theatre to capacity at $10.00 a ticket, and then filled the screen with 26 Super-8 films. Unless one sat in the first few rows, the super-8 films, when properly exposed & focused, looked significantly better than Mini-DV originated material even though the super-8 films were being projected with a high quality video projector
The Convention could center each night's activity around a screening of super-8 films that have been transferred to BetaCam SP. Those that want to shoot with Kodachrome would have to do their projects ahead of time. Those that want to shoot during the convention can shoot the various other stocks.
The convention buzz could be based on three types of super-8 production.
The best of the professionally shot Super-8 films could be shown one night. These are the films that have made it to broadcast as either music videos, commercials or documentaries.
The "in-camera edited" one cartridge Super-8 film, (aka "Attack of the 50 feet film reels" the Flicker event from last November) could be screened on another night.
The last night could be devoted to film projects that started when the convention began and are shown on the final night.
This approach leaves the daytime available for either filming or meeting up with others. Picking the Days of the week are trickier. I think starting on a Tuesday and finishing on either Thursday or Friday could work.
Corporate Sponsorship could include Yale, Kodak, Apple, & Super-8 Motels. From what I understand, and this is just a vague knowledge of the situation, Flicker and Pro-8mm didn't see eye to eye because Pro-8mm can't have their negative stocks projected.
But once the field is opened up to Super-8 films that have been transferred to video, they too could be a player.
Sounds like a lot of fun people. As an event producer, I can tell you that it all depends on vision and money. Something seemingly basic can become extremely huge overnight.
One suggestion. If you guys/gals wanted to make this thing big--or, more realistically, build for a bigger day--you may want to consider jumping on the coatails of a pre-existing film convention. They hold these all over the country every year.
However, to keep it basic and get mostly members form this forum involved would be realitively simple. As well, it could provide a foundation for an "official" conference in the future.
Therefore, I agree with Roger. Decide on an easy meeting place--if the Parsons thing is to happen, make sure they can lock down processing time for a larger-than-normal job. Get to know each other and pool resources. Develop a plan and execute. I think it is important to get the word out if Super8 is to endure what Panasonic and the like are about to unleash on film (not that this is a war, but the Con's importance lies in presenting film options to new and old users alike).
As for the international community being involved, I think the phrase, "think globally, act locally" might be the most fitting at this point. Have a local meeting in each, repective geographic are first; build a foundation locally and then plan for all parties to meet. Iceland is a great idea.
Don't lose sight of the goal. A large and important Super8 conference can happen. Take small steps.
That's my two cents. Whatever comes of our ideas, let's at least do something...the rest will happen.
I'm a regular volunteer with Flicker here in Austin, and see no problem with the Pro8 guys. At our screenings, along with projecting film, we also project vhs copies. The only stipulations are that the movie originates on film and runs less than 15 minutes. Also, there is no entry fee. We screen 6 times a year at the Alamo Drafthouse downtown and our next is May 21st, so our fall screenings will be in September and November.....In case it shows me to be a guest, I'm JIM DUNN.
