Super 8mm turned 50 this year! The film was first sold in 1965 as an improved “super” format to address the challenges of standard 8mm (often referred to as Regular 8mm) which was introduced by Kodak in 1932. With the invention of the 50-foot cartridge, Super 8 made filmmaking more accessible for amateurs. A lot of well-known filmmakers actually got started making Super 8 movies at home, including Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, and Tim Burton.
Lānaʻi and Maui Vistas, HKG Pilot Project Collection : Lānaʻi Culture and Heritage Center
We have several Super 8 films here at ʻUluʻulu in the Hawaiʻi Home Movies Collection, Joe Fumio Konno Collection, and HKG Pilot Project Collection among others. Click on the above image to get an idea of what footage shot on Super 8 film looks like – it’ll direct you to the Lānaʻi and Maui Vistas video clip on our website. The film, donated by the Lānaʻi Culture and Heritage Center, includes various footage of Lānaʻi and Maui shot on Super 8. Contact us to watch the full video as well as others in the archive that were shot on Super 8!
… You may very well have home movies on Super 8 film at home! Check your collections or talk with family to try to locate them. And, remember to keep and care for the original films – even if you’ve already digitized them. Feel free to contact us for advice and other help caring for your films 🙂
Happy Birthday Super 8!
ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawaiʻi 