All About Digital Super 8

So you’re looking for wedding vendors and you’ve heard people throwing around the term “digital Super 8.” You love the look of Super 8 and you’re intrigued by the possibility, especially because it’s so much cheaper and more reliable than film. So I’m here today to explain the ins and outs of Super 8, including all about digital Super 8. We’ll cover what it is and isn’t, bust some myths about film vs. digital, and help you decide if Super 8 is right for your wedding.

What is Digital Super 8?

Your time is valuable so here’s the tl;dr version:

It’s a lie. A gimmick.

Digital Super 8 is a catchy gimmick that Camp Snap and others have come up with to describe what is, in reality, a subpar digital video recorder.

It would be very easy to tell you what I mean but instead, let’s dive in to some comparisons so I can show you what I mean.

Comparing Super 8 and the Camp Snap Digital Super 8

I shoot Super 8. Actual Super 8 video. With a film camera. On film that gets developed by a lab.

So when I saw the Camp Snap, I thought “hey that might be neat!” Unfortunately, the actual product is…. well let’s just be honest, it’s beyond disappointing. Let’s explain why by manner of show and tell.

This is what Super 8 footage looks like.

There’s a beautiful grain to it showing that it’s clearly been shot on actual, honest-to-God film. It looks old because it IS old. This was shot on a camera from the 1970s, one manufactured long before I was ever even born. It was captured on a Super 8 film cartridge, giving it that beautiful grain. The video is snippets of an elopement day because that’s how Super 8 footage is filmed: in snippets.

This is what Camp Snap footage looks like.

Let’s dive in:

First, where’s the grain? If this is a Super 8, where’s the film-like grain? You’d think if you were marketing your camera as Super 8, you could manufacture some grain into the footage. That’s Camp Snap’s whole deal, right? That it’s manufacturing that timeless, grainy, nostalgic footage. Listen, we’ve all gotten the ads for it. I get so many on the daily of influencers using this camera that it’s slowly driving me insane.

Second, yes, it’s low-quality, but it honestly looks like the home movies my mom and I would film in the 90s. On our old camcorder. The things that replaced Super 8 cameras, as those were, in essence, the original camcorders. Super 8 cameras allowed regular people to be able to film their lives, from weddings to family vacations to Christmas mornings and everything in-between. Once the technology advanced, they were replaced by camcorders that used VHS tapes, then by digital video recorders.

Which is what this is. It’s just a shitty digital video recorder.

All the footage you see where it looks timeless and grainy? Filters. The camera has filters to make it look more sepia-toned, but even then none of it comes close to actual Super 8. Anything you see that does? Post-production filters. Much like an Instagram filter. Camp Snap pays influencers to make those videos to make you think the footage looks like Super 8 but, as we can see, it doesn’t look anything remotely like Super 8.

So, Why Market Digital Super 8?

A thing I’m seeing more and more from other wedding vendors who don’t shoot film is that they offer “Digital Super 8.” And I want to be clear about what that means.

How Super 8 goes from film to digital

When I shoot Super 8 film (on a real film cartridge in a real film camera), I send it to a lab (Pro8mm, if you’re curious, though I also love and adore The Negative Space). That lab then develops and digitizes the film. The lab then sends that file to me and I edit it into teasers and cinematic films for you. Like so:

Now, all that being said, let’s get into the marketing gimmicks for “digital super 8.”

All About Digital Super 8 and Its Marketing

Because we all grew up watching “Mythbusters,” let’s tackle this “Mythbusters” style.

Myth #1: Film regularly gets lost in the mail

It’s absolutely true that sending film in the mail comes with risks. As does sending literally anything in the mail. And it’s also true that administrative cuts to the USPS mean that despite its literal Constitutionally-mandated existence and funding, sending stuff in the mail is more of a pain than it used to be.

HOWEVER

Each time I send film out, it is sent with an AirTag so I can track its progress in addition to tracking the tracking number. The film takes about a week to get back to me and then I spend a few weeks editing it. I also then get the film rolls back with the AirTag so I can do it all over again.

Any Super 8 videographer worth their salt makes sure your footage is safe throughout the transit process. We also get updates from the lab when it gets there which we’re happy to share with you if you’re worried.

Just like when I shoot digital footage, I always record it on two memory cards at once in case one gets corrupted. I never delete the files until I’ve sent them to you and you’ve downloaded them. All good wedding vendors will have systems in place to ensure your memories are protected. Again, if you’re at all worried: please ask. And don’t trust anyone who doesn’t have these systems in place.

Myth #2: Super 8 is unreliable

Here’s the truth about Super 8: each roll is 3 minutes long. That means that we have to get it right and capture it the first time.

You may have heard how Kodak slightly changed the cartridges for Super 8. This has been frustrating for a lot of Super 8 videographers, me included. I’ve had to buy a totally new camera that loads from the side as my back-loading camera wasn’t working with the new cartridges.

But just like we do when we send your film or record your digital memories on two cards, we test every roll. We do what’s called a “sharpie test” where we make a dot and then see if the film advances. If it does, great! We can use that roll. If it doesn’t we can test another and see if that roll needs some work (banging on the cartridge to loosen the film) or if there’s a problem with our camera. If it’s the former, we loosen the film, test again, and either it works or we don’t use that roll. If it’s the latter, we test in our other cameras. And yes, we have many Super 8 cameras.

Super 8 cameras are, as I mentioned, quite old! Sometimes they break! But just like a digital photographer shooting with two cameras and two memory cards, we always have a backup. We know how precious these days are and, as a vendor, there’s no excuse for not being prepared on a wedding day.

Myth #3: Digital is the only sure thing

BZZZZZZT WRONG

Film is not as unreliable as you think. Digital is not as reliable as you think. Again: digital memory cards can get corrupted. Hard drives can crash. I’ve had both happen to me, just like I’ve had film rolls come back blank. That’s why we have systems in place to ensure everything is recorded and backed up to the full extent we are able.

Final Thoughts

Anyone who’s trying to convince you that digital is the only way to go when you love the look of film is misinformed.

Anyone who’s trying to exploit your worry about film getting lost in the mail or Super 8 cameras being old is preying on your insecurities.

This is a huge reason why it’s so important to vet your vendors. Do you want to work with someone who’s using your worries as a way to convince you that they’re your only option? Or do you want to work with someone who’s going to be fully up-front with you about everything, whether that’s digital video or film video? Do you want to work with someone who’s marketing one thing and delivering another?

Words matter. How we market ourselves and how we talk to our clients matters. I answer questions all the time from potential clients about what film is and isn’t, why I shoot Super 8 instead of digital, and the limits of both. Digital video is an entirely different animal than Super 8 and we need to be honest about what we’re marketing and delivering.

If you love the look of Super 8, please don’t feel like you have to settle because you’re worried about unreliability. If you want film videos of your wedding, you should get actual film videos of your wedding. Filters distort memories. Film captures everything exactly as it happened. When the cake is eaten, the guests have gone home, and you’re looking back on your wedding, all you’ll have are memories. Make sure they’re captured exactly how you want them captured.

I’d love to chat about Super 8 for your wedding or elopement. Fill out the form below or use the one on my contact page.