Appendix 1

Appendix 4
Current Film Formats
Super 8
Super 8 is an archaic fi lm format created for use in “home movies” in the 1960s. The format was
based on an even earlier format, 8 mm. Super 8 differs from 8 mm in frame size. The super 8 sprocket
hole is smaller and subsequently has a larger frame area. Although no cameras are being made,
thousands are still around and fi lm and processing are available. Other services are also available,
including telecine. Some people love the grainy look of this format and it is occasionally used as a
shooting format in music videos and other productions where its down-and-dirty look is a plus.
16 mm
Also intended as a “home movie” format, 16 mm is a shooting and projection format that soon
evolved into a professional format and became a low-cost distribution format. It was used for years
in schools for educational fi lms and distributed to independent or “underground” theaters. Before
videotape and portable video cameras, it was used for the distribution of television shows and commercials
and was used in news cinematography and documentary fi lmmaking. True fi lm lovers often
had their own 16 mm home theater and collection of 16 mm prints. With the development of home
video formats as well as affordable portable digital video formats, 16 mm has all but vanished. It is
never used for news gathering anymore and rarely used in documentary production. 16 mm is still
widely used as a professional shooting format for short fi lms and commercials to be fi nished digitally
or blown up to 35 mm; however, few people still use it as a projection format.
Super 16 mm
Super 16 mm is a shooting-only format. It cannot be projected because the area of the 16 mm frame
normally used for the sound track in 16 mm is used for picture to increase the frame size. In the
standard 16 mm camera, this sound track area is used for a second row of sprocket holes. So, while
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