I like Super 8 because it reminds me of my youth making super 8mm cine films with a small group of like minded friends. It reminds me of reading Fangoria, Gore Zone and watching horror films rented from the local shop that were certificate 18 (I was 13 when I was renting them).
I still love Super 8mm cine filmmaking. In the days when I started I could buy super 8mm film from the local Boots for £3, processing included. These days it’s more like £60 to buy 3 minutes worth of film and get it processed. 3 minutes worth of footage seems to go a lot quicker when it’s costing £60!
I’m making a number of projects at the moment in the super 8mm format. These days the film is telecined and edited on Final Cut Pro. Back in my day (like in the film) I actually cut and spliced edits directly onto the super 8mm print, using little bits of tape.
Below is one of the few films that survive from a childhood made up of shooting a film every weekend.
So, 86 films to go!
Matthew Cooper has written for Emmerdale, Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Family Affairs. He was winner of the first ever Lloyds Bank Channel Four Film Challenge and the Oscar Moore Screenplay Prize. His first short film starred a then unknown Ewan McGregor and was picked up by Channel Four when Matthew was 19 years old. He’s been a script writer for hire and filmmaker for hire for over 20 years.