The advent of 8mm film marked the beginning of amateur home movie making as we know it. Less then a decade after it brought 16mm film to market, the Eastman Kodak Company introduced 8mm film in 1932. To address the impending concerns of cost during the Great Depression they modified their existing 16mm film stock to produce a more affordable and user-friendly alternative.
8mm film was initially sold in 25 ft. spools of 16mm wide film and had twice as many perforation on its edges then its predecessor. The film passed through the camera and exposed one half of the film’s width. The film was then subsequently flipped and exposed on the other side. When the film was processed, the 25 ft. of film was spilt down the middle. The two length of film were then spliced together and yielded 50 feet of projectable film. This type of film is commonly referred to as double-8 film.
The smaller gauge 8mm film format allowed consumers more filming time at an affordable price. Making amateur filmmaking more accessible to generations of everyday Americans. For the first time it allowed families the ability to record important moments in their life. 8mm film became the standard format for the home film market and proved to be a commercial success in the decades that followed.
If you still have a collection of old film that contains important family memories, you should consider an 8mm film to digital conversion before the footage deteriorates. With every passing moment they sit in storage, they’re slowly fading away. Icehouse Pictures is Massachusetts leading film conversion service with decades of experience. By transferring your home movies to digital you can ensure that your memories will last a lifetime.
