This Is Your Tarantino Moment

Kodak is bringing Super 8 film back to the people

By The Editors
January 7, 2016 9:00 am

So the whole amateur directing thing didn’t work out for you.

It wasn’t an issue with shot selection (inspired), dialogue (Sorkin-esque) or the sheep scene (an edgy artistic choice). It was the equipment. To be more specific, it was the film, or lack thereof.

For which there is an easy fix: wide-format, real-deal Kodak Super 8 film, as shot on your new next-gen, real-deal Kodak Super 8 Camera, all part of the Filmmaking Revival Initiative (emphases on the “film”) announced this week at CES.

By jacking up its classic Super 8 camera with modern touches like a digital viewfinder, improved microphone and plenty of other newfangled tech, Kodak is attempting to change the game for professional and amateur filmmakers alike. The new cameras will record on an actual film cartridge that can then be converted to digital or a traditional, projector-friendly 8-millimeter film copy.

The initiative has drawn support from Quentin Tarantino (who just shot The Hateful Eight in Ultra Panavision 70mm), Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan.

Expect a cost of around $400-$750 for the camera, with a fall release date likely.

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