Vukodlak Productions- 8mm

(09/03/09- Now in Standard NTSC DVD quality)
One day awhile back I came across a local Craigslist ad for a vintage 1955 Kodak Brownie movie projector and camera setup for $40. I'm a total sucker for anything hardcore vintage and had the seller deliver it to me in person at the surplus store the following day. After what turned into a full day of cleaning with QC electrical contact cleaner and Q-Tips and buying a special *and expensive* replacement bulb on eBay, I had a working rig capable of viewing any standard 8mm film. Sadly but fortunately, there is still ONE reliable place the purchase and development of standard 8mm film in Parsons Kansas called DeWayne's Photo. I immediately ordered two 25' rolls of the only color filmstock they have available anymore, EktaChrome 100D Daylight, since Kodak KodaChrome is now officially dead. While I waited for the film to arrive I also landed a steal of a deal on the most vintage 8mm movie camera I could get my hands on, a 1938 Zeiss Ikon Movikon-K8 made in Jena, Germany during WWII. Truly a masterpiece of both mechanics and optics and a testament to fine German craftsmenship even after 70 years. After receiving the two cans of film I wrapped them aluminum foil and put them in the refridgerator for two weeks until my Mom's 60th birthday party on June 11th of this year, 2009. While everyone else was taking snaps with their snazzy digital cameras, I was winding and adjusting my lense to get the right f/stop aperture settings. Both cameras were used during the party but the hike down to the Arkansas River was filmed exclusively with the 38' Zeiss Movikon-K. Back home, I experimented more with the Kodak Brownie, having realized that I hadn't flipped the roll over after reaching the end of the first side. My Jesus latch-hook rug flourescent lightbox turned out to be a fantastic subject and I was very pleased with both the Brownie lense's optical quality and the lighting conditions I improvised, using a simple 100Watt incandescent lightblub over my head in one hand while filming with the other. Other footage shown includes my Dad and I at the ORU Campus under renovation construction right down the street, my turtle Herman and cat Leslie, and a brief shot of where I work at the Oklahoma Army Surplus with it's flagpole out front. This has been an amazing project from beginning to end and I plan on doing much more in the future with new formats and techniques brought back from the grave. Special thanks to Phil Cirocco of CMS for his track "Falling In" from his mind-blowingly original album "Music of the Electron", an album made entirely with the world's only fully restored Hammond Novachord, which is the world's very first polyphonic subtractive synthesizer. I would also like to think God and my family for being there for me through all these years, especially my Dad. Also to my sister Brooke, for being the only who could film me at the Arkansas and keep a straight face. To my girlfriend Milica for giving me the inspiration and spirit for this entire project and to all my Seriban friends for standing behind me when no one else here will. God bless all of you
~ZmajSnoshaj

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Vukodlak
• Productions
• Noah
• Benzing
• 8mm
• Zeiss
• Hammond
• Novachord
• Phil
• Cirocco

[ct92404]

...by the way, isn't it cool how 8mm movies have a "vintage" look to them...even though you shoot them in modern times! You can also still get Super-8 movie film, but I personally just prefer using Regular 8mm because I like working wtih the spools, and Regular 8mm cameras are older and just seem to be more solid and better made. Brownies are cool little cameras, but you should also look for the Bolex K2. It's a really nice 8mm camera. It shows up on eBay sometimes.

[ZmajSnoshaj]

Yes... we're cut from the same cloth.

I think it's kind of neat how the 1938 Zeiss is in very close chronological alignemnt with the 1939 Hammond Novachord used for the score...

I strive for modern vintage.

[dadhiltonmps]

11/14/09

good experience seeing your work here, ZmajSnoshaj. I plan to see more of your films in regular 8 mm.

My dad owned a Keystone regular 8 mm camera in Ohio. We made family films back then.

Thomas

[olengivens]

I really enjoy you work here, may God bless you with time to continue on, your gifted.

[MILLANNNNNNNNNNNNNNN]

Nice video, bro!

[Fancylooks]

My father was a 16 mm, 8mm and Super8mm amateur film maker because also my grandfather was so, and he has films about his life since he was two years old...he is 81 now. Watching this great video of yours has reminded me of my family's films and all the nostalgia around them, specially the sound of the projector... thank you very much for this.

[prowokator]

That's one neat piece of technology!

[ct92404]

Weird, but interesting video! I just wanted to let you know that Dwayne's Photo is NOT the only place where you can order Regular 8mm movie film and get it developed. There are a lot of other places, just do a search on Google. There's another place I know of, called Spectra Film and Video, in Hollywood, California. Ektachrome 100D is the only COLOR Regular 8mm film I know of, but there are many different kinds of B&W film available.