Single-8 film, one of the more rarely used stocks. This was Fuji's version of Super 8. So, to explain this a little, Kodak originally created S8 to be extremely easy to shoot for home movie purposes. It came in a cartridge so there was no threading at all. It was just like sticking a cassette into a tape deck. They, of course, patented this cartridge so that no other company could manufacture the stock and therefore most camera companies made Super 8 cameras.
Fuji decided to make their own version of the cartridge and did so in such a way that you could do one or two of the functions that was impossible with the Kodak cartridge - namely run the film in reverse (this might seem simple and unnecessary, but can come in handy for camera tricks). This warranted the need for Sinlge-8 cameras, which were only manufactured by Fuji. This stock and cameras were really only popular in Japan.
As a film stock, Single-8 is identical to Super 8 except for the cartridge (and Fuji film has a polyester base where Kodak mostly has an acetate base). So, once your film was processed and returned you could still use your Super 8 projector to run Single-8 film.
Last year Fuji discontinued the final stock of Single-8. This was a time when I was struggling financially and therefore I could not purchase any film, sad to say.
Single-8 and me:
A couple years ago I met a generous and elegant filmmaker named Sky David through my involvement with the iotaCenter. He told me he had quite a bit of film equipment that he wanted to get rid of and that included Sinlge-8 camera. So he inquired if I might know anyone who would want it. I jumped at the opportunity and exclaimed that I would. He quickly mailed me this extremely complex Fujica ZC1000.
So, I'd just been given my best working camera and film. It took me some time, but I'd decided to finally shoot the rolls of film. Some on my roof top (with an amazing skyline of downtown LA) and some in other places. But then I was in a predicament. I didn't know where I could process the rolls.
I'd contacted Retro8.com in Japan, but they'd quoted me something to the effect of $50/roll for processing. So, $200. No thanks. I looked into Rocky Mountain Film Labs, which normally is extremely helpful, but not in this case. I searched and searched online for any processing information, but to no avail. So, I just hung on to the rolls for almost two years - exposed, but unprocessed.
Eventually, I'd decided, for some reason, that I was going to try hand processing using the E-6 technique. I got a small kit from Freestyle Photography in Hollywood and I did a snip test including these rolls and some other 16mm film I had in my arsenal.
To my surprise the only rolls that worked were the Fuji Single-8 film.
This ended up being some of the best stock I'd ever shot. Specifically the Fujichrome R25N, which has a greenish tint to the stock. Of course, you can see there are color shifts due to the old date of the stock and there seems to be some mold or something that animates about half way through, but it looks amazing! I was in love....
Kodak usually ends up being more of an orange colored stock, but the R25N being green was really breath taking. There was only one roll of RT200 and that ended up being kind of blue as well. So, I was not as keen to that stock, but it was still fun to shoot.
The breakup:
From this experience it renewed my interest and desire to shoot some more film and as the Fuji camera was my only working camera I'd decided to get some more Single-8. The only place I can still find some Fuji film and specially in the Single-8 cartridge is from Retro8.com based in Tokyo.
In November I decided to use this film for my current project with my residency at the Echo Park Film Center. However in dealing with Retro8 over the past 3 months I've so many delays and frustrating occurrences with them that I can not use Single-8 film and finish the project on time.
Originally, I'd decided to get one of their variety packs. I wanted to test each of the stocks that they had and then pick one to make my project with. This consisted of the R25N, Cinevia 50, Cinevia 100 and Retro-X (b/w) all reversal stocks and some of them were custom made.
In particular the Cinevia 100, which I tried shooting and shooting and shooting, but something was wrong. Eventually, I decided to test the stock to see if it was moving in the camera at all and I found out that the take-up side of the spool was not pulling the film through.
So, I had to send it back to Retro8 to fix. Which took a few unanswered emails to figure out what to do and get it done (I even included a nice note in returning it and a Kodachrome pin I'd gotten from EPFC as a nice Japanese style gift, but that didn't seem to help).
This was back in early December and now 6 weeks later I have received nothing. I was told that the cartridge was shipped before Christmas and I keep emailing Retro8 for updates, but they are always reluctant to respond and demanding that they shipped it off with no interest in trying to make this ordeal any better.
So, again, I have 3 rolls of exposed, but unprocessed film. I paid $250 for these four rolls and that included processing. So, I still have to go through the same BS when I have them processed.
Unfortunately, I payed them via paypal, which only gives you 45 days to dispute a charge.
And now it's too late to use the film for my project, which makes me very sad. At this point I don't think I'll want to use Single-8 film again. It's sad cause the moment I fell in love with it was also the moment that it became out of reach. It's like a one-night-stand. Leaves you happy, but wanting more and now they won't return my phone calls.
The only thing I'm trying to figure out is if I can recycle the old cartridges from the films I hand-processed. That way I can use any film (and I have a roll of Kodachrome in a S8 cartridge - unexposed) and insert it into the Single-8 cartridge. It seems doable, but I can't figure out how to pry the cartridge open without damaging it. Then I'd also have to correctly put new film into it....in complete darkness.
Seems tricky, but I still want to try it.
