To talk about the differences between Super 8 and 16 and 35mm means to address quite a big subject. All three formats can be used to make programmes. Super 8 is primarily a product for the consumer, however, there is a small but growing band in this and other countries that use Super 8 for professional reasons. Nevertheless, 16mm - often used in Super 16 for television or blow-ups - and 35mm, are still the format of choice for recording film images.

Filmwaves: What are the differences among the three formats?
Peter Milson: A lot of people using S8 use Kodachrome, which comes at a speed of 40 ASA and is a fairly high contrast stock. This stock is meant to be shot and then projected, it is therefore not only an origination medium but a projection one too. From that point of view when you expose it the film does not have the latitude that you'd find on a negative, you are looking at +1/2/-1/2 stop. But it is a very fine grain product, so, although it is a small format people can use it for telecine.

FW: Why there is more latitude on a negative rather than on a reversal?
PM: To determine the speed and the contrast of a product you take a density wedge with usually 21 steps on it which goes from black to clear base, usually in one stop increments. Then you expose the film under controlled conditions, you process that, read the results with a densitometer and then you plot the densities you have achieved against the exposure that you gave the stock. Some products like colour negatives are low in contrast. Kodachrome is a high contrast product and the information on the straight line portion of its curve has little leeway. With negative film I can move up and down that curve and still get a good result. In fact, with Kodachrome my ability to under or over expose is very limited. If you overexpose Kodachrome you'll end up with burnt out highlights and black shadows, and this is one reason why negative has become more and more the medium of choice for motion pictures.

However, Super 8 is a way of getting into shooting film. It enables people to shoot on film at a very low cost, to see how film reacts and to get to the feel of film. And if you stop and think at the number of people who started out in film by borrowing their dad's Super 8 cameras it's amazing.

FW: What are the issues surrounding film stock if you decide to shoot in Super 16 instead of 35mm?
PM: In Super 16 camera people tend to use the slower speed stock. Cinematographers say that what in 35mm they would shoot at 500 in S16 they would shoot at 250, basically they take a stop or two out. S16 is a format used primarily for television, for quality and future proofness. It is not usually used for theatrical release. If you want the top quality you should shoot in 35mm but if you want a cost effective alternative you certainly could shoot S16. It doesn't give you exactly the same quality but still a very good quality.

FW: Apart from originating programmes for television, S16 also gives you the chance to blow up to 35mm.
PM: This really goes back to the reason why S16 was invented. Super 16 was invented as a way of getting into low-budget features. However, when you have a successful TV programme and you want to make a theatrical release of it, you blow it up. It happened over the years and continues to happen. You have the people who have shot the television programme and you have people wanting to make a feature film and cannot afford 35mm. Sure, the stock, the processing and hire of the camera is cheaper. What people tend to forget is the cost of the blow-up. Do not think that shooting in Super 16 is 50% cheaper. Because of the cost of the blow-up it could be a mere 20% cheaper - just for stock and processing and to get to a duplicate negative...

Why is it so expensive to blow-up?...
How about cutting two different film speed together? Will you notice the difference?...

Tips on Kodak colour stock...

For details on Kodak film stock you can ring Kodak on: 01442 845 945