Why we are Falling in Love with Super 8 (and should you book it for your wedding?)
(Super 8 from Sára & Luke’s beautiful wedding in Indianapolis Indiana at Newfields)
The Backstory:
My dad is a collector of vintage cameras, loves anything analogue or more than 20 years old, and used Super 8 cameras in college while studying TV & Film. He was equally excited and confused when I purchased my first Super 8 camera, wondering why the grainy film would interest me enough to buy a camera from Germany on E-Bay. I believe he said something along the lines of … “do they even develop that anymore”.
(They do dad. Shoutout to Pro 8mm for keeping the art alive, we love you.)
For me, I loved the flickering light, the square frame, that glowing sprocket hole, and the little bit of out of this world magic that came from the old school film stock. Sometimes something just speaks to you.
Ok but first, what is Super 8?
Super 8 is an analogue film format, originating in the 60s! Which means it’s truly old school (sorry dad) essentially stitching a bunch of little film photos together in a video. It’s got this very iconic rectangle ^ format, and is sent off to be scanned & developed after your wedding day!
Originally, Super 8 was a created to be an easier to use home movie camera, and kinda sky rocketed in the 60’s & 70s. And maybe that’s why we love it! Nostalgia really comes through the frames, it’s sole purpose to preserve a memory.
(Ps: any other This is Us [the tv show] fans out there? Remember those Super 8 scenes? Ugh. Magic.)
Is Super 8 for me?
The better question - does it speak to you? Does it give you that nostalgic feeling? Does it add to the romance of a memory? If it doesn’t, honor that! The beauty of this big creative world is that we are truly all different. The way we choose to document and preserve these special occasions is different, and I love that.
And if it does speak to you, trust that! I think you probably know (;
Is it just a trend?
Look, I am not a big fan of decision making based on trends. But I also don’t want to run from something just because it’s trending, haha. Let’s keep that question “does it speak to you” at the forefront. Because who cares if the trend fades? If it tells your story in a way that makes you go “ah. what a magical day.” then do it.
And personally, I think the Super 8 is having it’s moment for good reason. It touches on what I love about telling the story of your wedding day, authentically. That unposed home video goodness. A visual that feels like a dreamy memory.
How will you incorporate it into my wedding film?
So many options here! I love incorporating Super 8 into my digital wedding films to better tell the story of your wedding with that touch of nostalgia I’ve been talking about. However, if you prefer to just have it as a separate film, we can do that! Maybe you want a fully modern wedding film and a more vintage feeling clip for fun, and that’s great!
I also have some clients that just commit to full Super 8 coverage of their day and no digital, which is another really sweet & pure way to document a wedding. I would love to chat with ya, hear your vision for the day, and come up with a plan that makes sense for you!
(from Emma & Riley’s wedding in Cicero, Indiana. Shot on Super 8 and 35mm film)
Are you about it? Let’s make some magic together.
