How to Clean, Preserve and Convert Super 8 Film
Super 8mm film technology emerged in the 1960s as an affordable way for people to create home movies and preserve family memories. For many aspiring film makers in the '60s and '70s, the Super 8 film format was their first experience with the world of film production. Whether your collection consists of family memories or serious works of art, Super 8 films approaching 50 years old need to be preserved and protected. You can clean your films and convert them to a digital format for many more years of enjoyment.
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Things You'll Need
- Methyl chloroform or perchlorethyline
- Soft, lint-free cloth
- Super 8mm telecine transfer system
- Video camera with recording media
Instructions
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Use your Super 8 film editor to thread your film onto the take-up reel.
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Apply enough methyl chloroform or perchlorethyline to dampen your cleaning cloth. Carefully crank the take-up reel to allow the film to pass through the cloth as you gently press the cloth onto both sides of the film. Pinch the film between the cloth just hard enough to apply the cleaning solution and still allow the film to pass through the cloth as you wind it onto the take-up reel.
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Mount your video camera on a tripod and focus the camera on the condenser lens of your telecine projection system. Position your telecine so that the condenser lens is level with your video camera.
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Focus your video camera on the telecine condenser lens. Adjust your zoom lens so the entire projected image fills the frame of your viewfinder.
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Project the film by moving the telecine projector into the forward lamp position.
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Press record on your video camera.
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When the film is finished, remove and label the recording from the camcorder. If you are transferring multiple films to the same video tape or DVD, note what films were recorded for future reference.
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Tips & Warnings
Telecine transfer systems can be costly. You may want to consult a local video production business to see if it provides telecine transfer services. If you have a large collection, consider purchasing a used telecine system.
The quality of your converted films depends on the quality of video camera you use. If possible, choose a 3 CCD video camera with a precision glass lens.
The archive format will be the format used by your video camera. Some cameras record directly to DVD. DVDs provide a low-cost archive solution.
Do not clean your Super 8 films too often. Overuse of the cleaning chemicals can destroy the emulsion layer of the film. Degradation of the emulsion layer will cause a loss of image quality.
