What is a Super 8 Wedding Film?
What a real strip of Super 8 looks like.
The rise of AI content is propelling a parallel rise in bespoke media in the luxury market, and Super 8 has never been cooler. It’s easy to see by looking at Super 8 that it’s different than most video we see online, with pronounced grain and a slower frame rate; so, we already know we love the aesthetic, but what IS Super 8 really?
The History of Super 8
Super 8 is a film format released by Kodak in 1965. Kodak at this point had a long history of bringing somewhat inaccessible professional mediums to a wider market by packaging them in a more useable format, and that’s exactly what they did for motion picture film with the Super 8 camera. Unruly film spools were transformed into a single-use cartridge, making the format particularly portable. Today Super 8 is distanced from its home movie beginnings and is mostly used by boutique professionals and enthusiasts. However, that original design intended for ease of use and superior portability makes it a particularly good choice for weddings and other fast events, as your filmmaker can spend most of their time filming you instead of winding film in a dark bag.
Why choose Super 8 for your Wedding?
The strengths of Super 8 are mostly in its aesthetic. If you love the look of real film, you will love Super 8. Digital can’t fully replicate the look because a Super 8 filter is only a look applied over top of the footage. Real film literally IS the footage; the look is completely baked in because the film is a physical object which responds much differently to light than a digital sensor. For online playback, that film strip is scanned into a computer on a specialized machine. Super 8 looks great on social media, as long as you choose a filmmaker experienced in Super 8 who knows how to color grade, export and crop for socials. It’s a stylish alternative to the traditional digital heirloom wedding film.
Does Super 8 have sound?
Super 8 doesn’t have sound. Film is only a coating on plastic, and can’t record audio like magnetic tape or digital. When I make Super 8 films, I use audio from your ceremony, an interview, music, and/or ambient audio to sound design your film. It is possible to sync audio with film footage, but since Super 8 is built to be more variable than a professional movie camera it doesn’t usually work well- and requires a sound guy.
Why choose a Super 8 filmmaking specialist?
Because of the renewed love for authentic aesthetics, Super 8 is gathering steam with trendy weddings. Many luxury photographers now offer it as an add on to their services, but remember, with a photographer you are mostly going to get back a short assortment of clips with a music track, as they are spending most of their time capturing and editing photos. When you choose a Super 8 specialist like me, I spend the entire day focusing on shooting Super 8, and edit it carefully into a narrative film with sound design.
If you’re considering a Super 8 film for your wedding, I’d love to show you how I fashion Super 8 into narrative films with sound design. I make Super 8 wedding films in Oregon, Washington and beyond. Browse my films or reach out to learn more.
Super 8 FAQ
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Yes, Super 8 film is made of the same film stock used for major motion pictures.
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Yes, in many people’s opinion. A digital video with a filter can’t fully replicate the look of film and can risk feeling inauthentic.
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Super 8 doesn’t record sound, but a Super 8 film can be sound designed with music and separately recorded audio.
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My films typically vary from 4-8 minutes. Super 8 is more expensive than digital, so very long films are expensive and impractical for most couples.
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The exact number of rolls of Super 8 depends on the package or custom consultation, but usually at minimum three rolls, which equals about nine minutes of raw footage.
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Yes, all of my films are scanned and delivered digitally.
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Any analog medium requires expertise to shoot. Also, Super 8 is expensive to shoot on its own, averaging about $60 per minute of raw footage after the cost of film, processing, scanning and mailing.
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Yes! I offer digital and Super 8 hybrid packages that allow you to get more coverage and length while keeping the grainy aesthetic. Everything is edited into a single film.