Category: Oklahoma State Fair

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New Super 8 Film added – State Fair 2013

I added a new film to my Vimeo channel last night. This one is from the Oklahoma State Fair this year and features my fam at the livestock barns and at the midway. This was the first time I used my “nicer” camera at the fair. I used my Canon 814 XLS 814XLS_3to shoot the footage. I shot on Kodak 500T Color Negative film. The soundtrack is from live recording at the fair using my Edirol R-09.

Taking my Super 8 camera and filming a roll or two has become a new tradition for me. I have been doing this for 7 or 8 years now and it makes me wish that I’d been doing it since my first visit there. I think the color and movement of film really captures the authenticity of being there.

This was also the first footage I’ve edited using Final Cut Pro X. I just downloaded the trial version yesterday and was able to quickly cut together the footage and the soundtrack without any real problems – which was great. I was a little hesitant about the interface to begin with but it turns out it was more intuitive than I originally thought. I didn’t search any help documents, just went right to work. Granted, there were no real edits within the film as I like to keep the film “whole” and as uncut as possible. But I did add titles, credits, and a layered audio track. Looking froward to playing around with FCP-X some more. Migration from FCP-7 looks imminent.

Oklahoma State Fair 2013 from Aaron Gibson on Vimeo.

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My Dad, Super 8 Film and a Well Site


This film is in remembrance of my dad who died April 11, 2002 – tomorrow is the 6 year anniversary of his death.

I would like to share this Super 8 film. This one is from a batch of films that I had telecined several months ago. I really like this one because it’s an experience I remember – our visit to an oil well site that my dad was involved with. Honestly, I don’t know what involvement my family had with oil – maybe this was a friend’s site, maybe family. That’s a question for my mom I guess.

The film shows my brother Ryan (the first little boy you see) and I playing around on dirt piles and dangerously close to the drilling rig. I don’t see my dad in the film so I have to assume that he is the cameraman.

I have him to thank for my love of moving pictures, story telling, humor, and adventure. My dad spurred and encouraged all of those values in my brothers and I and we are each better people for it. I love him and still miss him.

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2006 2007 black and white Oklahoma State Fair super 8 film

Super 8 Films – Oklahoma State Fair

I’ve been talking about this for some time so I’m finally getting some Super 8 films that I’ve shot out here. I’ve got 8 films total and I probably won’t put them all online but I am going to get all the State Fair ones out here. Keep in mind that none of these have sound. Super 8 film is silent. That is, unless you have a Super 8 *sound* camera AND sound film. It’s not the sound cameras that are so difficult to find but the sound film can be difficult and expensive. Not to mention that to transfer both the film image and the associated sound would cost – well, I don’t know how much it would cost but I’m sure it wouldn’t be cheap.

All film was transferred at mymovietransfers.com – and from what I see of the films I had transferred I am really excited about using them again for future projects.

So, a little bit about this first film (shown above):
This film was shot in Sept 2006. Every year my wife and I go to the State Fair and every year we make it a point to ride the giant slide. This year was no different. This film was shot by both of us. My wife shot the portion of me going down the slide – that’s me in the hat and glasses smiling at the camera after racing down the slide. The rest of the footage, I shot. This was B/W film and shot on my Zeiss Ikon Movieflex S8. It was a bright and sunny day so much of the images are a little overexposed. I’m sure I could up the contrast a bit in Final Cut (editing program) but I chose to keep it in it’s original unedited form.

This next film is from the State Fair – Sept. 2007.

I really like this one. It is the essence of what S8 film is all about to me. Rich colors, fluid picture, handheld camera feel, up close and real – filled with personality. This was also shot on my Zeiss Ikon Movieflex S8, this time using Ektachroome 64T film.

This film features several different elements of the state fair – the “freak” show tent, the unusual State Fair cuisine; fried Twinkies and Oreos, and a few of the lighted midway rides at dusk.

The two people in the film are Chris and Leah. Chirs is taking his first delicious bite of a fried Twinkie and then offers Leah a bite. I would note that Chirs went on to finish that Twinkie and followed it with a couple of fried Oreos. Shortly after that he was moaning with a stomache.

I especially enjoy watching the ride footage at the end and will probably shoot some more footage of rides in future films.

Hope you enjoy these two films.

~Aaron