In this so-called 'digital age', there is still something magical about the 8mm film format Kodak developed in 1932, as a solution for home movies.

It was called 'Standard 8mm' back then and was actually 16mm film with twice as many perforations (as regular 16mm) along each side. The film was loaded into a camera, exposed along half its width, flipped and exposed along the other half. In processing, the film was slit down the middle; the result was two lengths of 8mm film, each with a single row of perforations along one side - and four times as many frames as 16mm film.

My research in preparation for the launch of KODAK Ektachrome 100D Color Reversal Film in the Super 8 mm format led to a trip down nostalgia lane. As you’ll recall, 100D Film is a daylight-balanced 100-speed film, incorporating bright saturated colors and fine grain with excellent sharpness. It features some of our latest technological advances, and all of our internal testing show that it is an ideal candidate for Super 8.

As I scanned through some old press releases, it became apparent that Kodak has consistently touted the fact that many of today's great cinematographers and directors began their careers at the counter of their local photo shop, buying a cartridge of Super 8 film. In its own way, my experiences with Super 8 helped lead me to this point. During my early teenage years, my best friend and I toyed with the idea of bringing our vision to the screen. We brainstormed a few ideas, sketched out a plan, grabbed a Super 8 camera and went out shooting. We tried our hand at a few short comedy routines along the lines of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. We even tried some simple animation. These poor attempts at comedy make me cringe as I think back on it. In our few public showings, we certainly generated some laughter, but I suspect that most of it was at our expense. Although we had a blast making the films, the results suggested that we were both better off pursuing other careers. As summer came to conclusion, we put away the camera and moved on to other activities.

Patti McCarthy, MFA, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Film Department at the College of the Pacific, University of the Pacific (UOP). In the following conversation she discusses why and how her students are honing their artistic instincts and craftsmanship by learning with Super 8 film:

QUESTION: Will you tell us about the University of the Pacific?McCARTHY: It's a private, liberal arts university in Stockton, which is in Central California. The school has a very low student-to-teacher ratio. The school was chartered in 1851. It's the oldest chartered university in California. Our students come from all over the world. We have excellent students who get a very strong liberal arts education.

Patti McCarthy, MFA, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Film Department at the College of the Pacific, University of the Pacific (UOP). In the following conversation she discusses why and how her students are honing their artistic instincts and craftsmanship by learning with Super 8 film:

QUESTION: Will you tell us about the University of the Pacific?McCARTHY: It's a private, liberal arts university in Stockton, which is in Central California. The school has a very low student-to-teacher ratio. The school was chartered in 1851. It's the oldest chartered university in California. Our students come from all over the world. We have excellent students who get a very strong liberal arts education.

by Julia Askenase

Devotees and First-Time Filmmakers from Syracuse to Strasbourg Keep Super 8 Alive in the Digital Age

Under a bright afternoon sky in mid-March, Brendan Rose stood on the walkway of his sister’s Syracuse, N.Y. home fiddling with a borrowed Super 8 camera. His sister, Vanessa, eased herself onto the front stoop holding her infant daughter Akira in her lap, and then gazed back at her brother. “You kind of have to self-focus based on distance,” he explained, inching forward and back on the concrete until he reached his desired location.