When the Super 8 craze began
After seeing Paris, Texas for the first time at the Tara Theatre last year, I was struck by Wim Wenders’ use of a Super 8 camera to evoke a deep sense of nostalgia and propel the story further. You don’t typically see 8mm film used in major motion pictures because it was marketed as a cheap alternative to make home movies, but it fit perfectly into the film. The overarching mystery was trying to figure out what happened to Travis. Why was he wandering around in the desert? Why couldn’t he remember anything? The scene in which we see the 8mm footage is when Walt is showing home videos to Travis to help jog his memory. One of my many neurotic fears is that I’m going to forget all my good memories one day. In a valiant effort to prevent that from happening, I keep up all my family’s photo albums, recipe books, and my Dad’s writings. So watching this scene planted the idea that I need to start making videos, preferably on Super 8 because I love analog cameras.
Super 8 scene from Paris, Texas
Extra footage not used in the movie
Other sources of inspiration
Native Georgian now LA transplant Orion Carloto is a writer, photographer, and Youtuber. Three months ago she posted a video entirely done in 8mm with a poem as an intro. The film showcases moments from her summer and half of it was filmed in Georgia! It’s so neat seeing a place twenty minutes from my house featured in the video. She also did an Ad for Tommy Hilfiger that was a combination of 8mm and digital.
The Year of Two Summers by Orion Carloto
Tommy Hilfiger Ad
Ideas coming to fruition!!!!
My photography group is taking a week long trip to Taos, New Mexico in may so I thought to myself this would be the perfect opportunity to try something new with someone to guide me. I found a Super 8 that would be a good starter and immediately set up a payment plan. Everything was going as planned but unfortunately my professor had to pull out due to illness. However the plane tickets were booked and hotel rooms reserved so the show is still going on but with minor changes. From what was going to be group short film with funding is now me and my Mom with the money I make from my crappy little job. But nevertheless I still have full faith that is going to workout.
The Project
Without the funding I have decided that I am just going to do something less plot based and casually film my adventures in New Mexico with my Mom. One thing people view as a disadvantage on a Super 8 is that it can’t record sound but I think this opens up more possibilities for music. When I think of Taos the first song that comes to mind is Bob Dylan’s Billy 4. While Pat Garret and Billy the Kid wasn’t filmed in Taos many of great westerns were. Later I’ll list some of my favorites. Any Bob song that is really resonating for me on this project is Fourth Time Around but the version by Yo La Tengo for I’m Not There. Waylon Jennings also sang about Taos in a song respectively called Taos, New Mexico.
Some of the places I have marked to go
Rio Grande Bridge
Valle Vidal
Dennis Hopper’s Grave
Great Sand Dunes
Rancho de Taos
Taos Pueblo
Ghost Ranch
Plaza Blanca
Abiquiu
Some of my favorite movies filmed in Taos
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
Easy Rider
Natural Born Killers
Thelma and Louise