In a world dominated by high-definition videos, there is a certain allure to the vintage charm of super 8 wedding films. The grainy texture, nostalgic colors, and whimsical feel of these films add an element of timelessness to any wedding. In this blog post, we will delve into the unique characteristics of super 8 wedding films and explore why they continue to hold a special place in the hearts of couples around the world.

The Vintage Aesthetic:
Super 8 wedding films capture the essence of the bygone era with their vintage aesthetic. The nostalgic colors, soft focus, and grainy texture recreate the feeling of watching old family movies, instantly transporting viewers back in time. Discuss the emotional impact of this vintage look and how it helps create a sense of warmth and intimacy for the viewers.

A Cinematic Experience:
Super 8 wedding films have a cinematic quality that sets them apart from modern videography. The nostalgic charm of the film reel, combined with carefully curated shots and storytelling techniques, elevates the wedding footage to a cinematic experience. Explore how the limited shooting time and the use of natural light contribute to creating unique and captivating visual narratives.

Embracing Imperfections:
Unlike digital videos, super 8 wedding films celebrate imperfections. The occasional flicker, light leaks, and vignettes add character and authenticity to the footage, making each frame feel like a piece of art. Discuss how these imperfections can capture the spontaneous and unscripted moments that make weddings truly special.

Conclusion:
Super 8 wedding films offer a nostalgic and cinematic experience that captures the timeless charm of weddings. Their vintage aesthetic, cinematic quality, and celebration of imperfections make them a unique and cherished choice for many couples. Whether capturing the vows, the first dance, or the heartfelt moments in between, super 8 wedding films tell a story that transcends time.

Getting married in the Hunter Valley almost guarantees you stunning landscapes and in the film you'll see one of the go-to favourites for local photographers. You've probably never heard of Mistletoe Lane, but it can provide some unreal golden hour moments. This wedding was shot entirely on Willow Tree Estate which is lucky enough to be located on this golden strip. Teenage lovers Olivia and Hayden courted for more than 10 years, having two kidlets along the way before finally deciding to make it forever. Here's our take on their big day, another story-driven film that will be cherished forever.

I've long been a lover of Super 8 film. Over the years I've edited a lot of wedding films to include this dreamy, nostalgic format and my couples have fallen in love with it. When editing one of my 10-minute films I go through a dynamic process where being creative is only limited by my own imagination. Sometimes I am stuck for days looking for that perfect fit, searching through all of the footage and dialogue to make sure I am happy with your film. And that's where Super 8 breaks the mold and sends me to another place. It's not "the done thing" and it's not for everyone, and that's what I love about it. Every couple who has included Super 8 into their wedding day have no regrets, and they are couples who love being imperfectly perfect. And that's how your wedding day should be.

When having a videographer involved on your wedding day, it's obviously important to do your research. Remember not to base your choices on price alone. I know that weddings are expensive and that everyone works to a budget, but keep in mind this is, for most of us, a one-off life moment. There are plenty of videographers out there but the approach or "style" of each videographer varies greatly.

The way we see it, there are three categories of videographer and it's up to you to decide which type you connect with most. So, here are the three categories as we see it:

1. Slow motion - This is a video of your day which is entirely in slow motion.
2. The quick cut - This is a video of your day where it is edited in tonnes of short clips.
3. Story-driven - This is a video of your day that is edited more like a cinematic film.

We put enormous effort into our story-driven approach. Throughout the day, we aren't just shooting endless amounts of footage, we are doing two things. Firstly, we are  choosing intentionally when to record, and second, anticipating moments. We are also listening to what is being said so that we pick up on dynamics.

Unless you meet with your videographer countless times and tell us your entire history (which, let's face it, isn't practical), then we arrive on your day with some knowledge of the timeline, but it isn't until the day unfolds that we can better see the big picture. I've shot a lot of weddings, and as the cliche goes, no two weddings are the same. This is both true and untrue. The reason for us thinking that way is because my films have a structure and are edited in the same way we approach your day. With intention.

For us, a wedding has always been about a story. And to be honest, it's the most difficult of all categories to edit. This is why we have a structure to each of our films and you can see this when you watch them. I'm not saying that any of the other categories listed aren't any good, I'm only distinguishing the differences to help you find what works for you. ​

By Brad Black
Lead shooter + Editor
GMTMT Films

​Amber and Joshua were married in the iconic King Edward Park, Newcastle, and their reception was by the beachfront at Merewether Surfhouse.

In 2018 I gained my drone licence and operator's certification. The reason I did this was to ensure I was meeting the legal requirement associated with drone use at weddings. Most people don't know, but without having both RePL and ReOC it is illegal to take photos or video at any wedding or event in Australia.

What is airspace law? If you can imagine our roads and highways flipped upside down and placed into the sky, then you can imagine why airspace also needs rules. There are rules about where you can fly, how high you can fly, how close you can fly to people or buildings. You need to consider the weather, things like wind or rain can cause problems when you're flying a drone.

Most east coast wedding venues are located within airspace which requires clearance from the RAAF and National Parks, even councils follow CASA regulations. Here's a notable example; a wedding held at Tocal Homestead in the Hunter Valley is located within restricted airspace and requires specific flight approvals. The property is in a flight corridor for the RAAF, civilian and commercial aircraft. To fly over that property, you will need initial approvals and then follow-up phone calls to the control tower 30-minutes before your flight, and again once you have landed.

It's well known that we are Super 8 frothers and here's the imperfectly perfect example why we love it so much! Shooting in super 8 is unlike any other format. It's raw and unforgiving. You can't simply delete something and do a second take. Once you pull that trigger on the camera, that shot, that very moment, is there forever. When you watch this film you will see many flaws, but you will also see truth. To us it's like telling a dream. A sequence of moments stitched together where there's no need to be perfect. There's a certain lack of in-your-face shooting that makes Super 8 the perfect choice for anyone who is camera shy, or more so, anyone who knows perfect shots simply don't exist.

Here's proof that you can break (almost) every tradition when getting married. Amy and Jared opted for a simple day for their wedding in Palm Beach NSW. Staying close by in a gorgeous beach house they both prepared for the day together. This breaks "the done thing" of the Bride and Groom getting ready in separate locations and creates a beautiful experience for the couple. It's super intimate and relaxed. It also meant their 18 month old son Chase could have a nap and wake up just in time for the ceremony.

Once Jared was ready he helped his future wife with the final touches buttoning up her stunning wedding dress and the scene was set. They walked down the aisle together as a Family, which was magic, and worked a treat for the small amount of guests watching on. Chase also handed over the wedding bands to Mum and Dad. There was also a special reading from a Dr Zeus classic.

Just  look at this image below. It's beautiful. We get so used to seeing the Bride come down the aisle with her father or Mother, but it's such a rare moment when a complete Family walk down together. And there's Grandad on the right watching two generations of his own flesh and blood walk right by him. Although I'm sure he doesn't even realise how great a moment this is at the time.

Remember to ALWAYS make it about you guys, and what suits you the best. This is the formula to having the kind of day you always wanted. Forget traditions. Design it yourself. Anything is possible when you line up the best suppliers as well, a team who will work best for you.

Once the ceremony was over we explored the area, only a short distance, and grabbed some wonderful photos. There's no need to get into cars and drive around for an hour to find the magic. As these photos prove, you don't need to go far from base to capture the essence of the location where you became husband and wife.

We took just 40 minutes to get all of the portrait images nailed and then Amy and Jared headed off with their guests for an afternoon tea by the spit before heading for a dinner to unwind and celebrate their day. We weren't asked to cover the dinner party, and that's absolutely fine. It's all about doing it the way which suits your best. Be sure to check out the full gallery here.

This is a very common misconception. Some photography companies will try to sell you extra shooters when the truth is, on 99 percent of weddings I've shot over the last 10 years, an additional shooter would have been handy once. When the guest list was around 300 people. Given that most weddings in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley at least, are capped around 80-130 guests, unless you want something very specific, you do not need a second shooter. This applies to videography and photography.

When you take a look at my films and photography galleries, you may think there were more than one photographer or videographer there on the day. But there wasn't. Every wedding you see on my website was shot by one person. And everything was covered perfectly.

If you find yourself being bailed up into a corner, being pressured into spending extra money on something you don't need, then it's a good sign that photographer isn't in it for the right reasons. And on the wedding day, it will be evident in their attitude.

Save yourself the money and spend it where you will get value, or save it for after the wedding day.

Below is a photo of me, at a wedding, not stealing your money. 

After shooting 250 plus weddings, I've seen enough and experienced enough to know the reason why having the same company cover your marriage with both film and photo. Don't get me wrong, I can work alongside anyone, but sometimes the flow between videography and photography isn't easy. Some have different approaches and run different timelines. Some are just downright ego-maniacs and impossible to work alongside. Remember, you will be sharing yourselves with both video and photo on your day, and it's essential to have synergy. If you decide on choosing your videographer and photographer from a separate company, it's a good idea to arrange a meeting with all parties to ensure it will work. Either meeting in person or over video calls will ensure that everyone is on the same page when your day arrives.​

When shooting photos, I pack a small backpack, and that's it. Inside the backpack are a drone, spare batteries and memory cards. Maybe a flash or lighting depending on where and what time the wedding is happening. It's easy. Well, to me, wedding photography is easy.​

When shooting video, I pack a large kit. Two run bags in fact and they contain everything from tripods, lighting, spare batteries, recording devices, cables through to tripods and extra camera bodies needed to make my films. Honestly, there's too much to list and I want to keep this post on the advantages of booking videography and photography form the same place.​

​Let's discuss your options when you're looking to get both videography and photography for your wedding day. Can we do this? The answer is yes! When you want the same company covering your wedding, then get in touch with us. Here's why.

When I first started, I began as a wedding videographer. Then, as time passed, I honed my skillset to understand the process of wedding photography. I learnt early on that video and photo are two completely different things with two completely different workflows. I'm so glad that I learnt videography first because it is the master of disciplines. What I mean is that when a wedding day starts to flow, shooting video is exceptionally demanding. You carry a lot more gear and need to think about audio and how you're going to ensure you get great audio. Because without audio and dialogue, a cinematic wedding film isn't going to have an impact. And you aren't going to hear your story. I can talk all day about the gear I carry when shooting video. But I'll leave it for another post as it deserves to be told on its own.

When shooting photos, I pack a small backpack, and that's it. Inside the backpack are a drone, spare batteries and memory cards. Maybe a flash or lighting depending on where and what time the wedding is happening. It's easy. Well, to me, wedding photography is easy.

I'm saying here that I have learned the hardest of the two first, videography, and I am now an experienced wedding photographer. So booking both video and photo with us for your wedding makes sense. You can save in so many ways by getting both at the same place—travel fees, coordination, initial costs on the package price as well. And the most important thing is that your day will run seamlessly. If I feel the wedding is too big for me to shoot alone, I have associate shooters I know and trust join in on the fun. We work in tandem and understand each other, and we know how to work together, so you get the best experience possible. Because for our couples, wedding video and photo are precisely that, an experience. And I want my couples to have a great experience. So I guess that's the actual outcome when you book a combined film and photo package with the one company, a great experience. 

So when you're considering both wedding videography and photography for your wedding, think about the experience on the day above everything else. Because ultimately, that is going to make getting photos and film of your day fun.

A long time ago, almost ten years now, I started shooting with Super 8mm cameras. In the beginning it was experimentation with the different types of cameras, various films, scanning into digital formats. Now, I feel like I've grown even more fond of this vintage format. There's nothing quiet like the feeling it gives me, and the feeling of uniqueness it offers. While digital images are stunning, the images on film are so raw and authentic. Like some who prefer playing a vinyl record over a digital recording, Super 8mm is my visual equivalent. It's thicker. Grittier. The colours and imperfections can't be mistaken.

Janessa and Luke had there elopement wedding in the Stockton sand dunes, north of Newcastle. We photographed and filmed this beautiful day.

Is it easy to shoot a wedding using Super 8mm? No, it isn't. For starters, each cartridge of Super 8mm film has a finite length. And shooting at 18fps means you'll get around 3 minutes of footage. Unlike todays mega memory cards where you can store hours of footage onto a single card. Secondly, there's no monitor screen. You don't have the luxury of taking a quick look at what you've shot. One's you pull the trigger on the camera it's filming, so you need to carefully frame each shot.

Bianca and Aaron eloped in the Blue Mountains. We photographed and filmed it all on Super 8 cameras

There are also different stocks of film depending on the environment you are working in. Each stock has it's own form of beauty. Using 50D, 200T or 500T films will generally be the normal. While Tri-X is used for black and white exposures and the re-birthing of Ektachrome 100D is also an option. Which brings us to the next, probably key element when using Super 8 for your wedding day, the camera. There are literally hundreds of cameras available trough eBay and whatnot which means you can pick one up fairly easily, but given these cameras are at least thirty plus years old, their conditions and functions vary greatly. I recommend film testing any camera you plan to use to film a special day.

Cassie and Trent opted for a beach wedding, at Caves Beach, which we shot entirely on Super 8 film cameras

Make sure the light meters work and you understand all of the functions of your Super 8 camera before you pop a cartridge in the chamber or pull the trigger. Don't waste your film. It's expensive to purchase and develop and scan. Frame your shots. Expose them correctly. Otherwise you may well end up with a few rolls of useless overexposed film to give to your Bride and Groom. And that won't be a good day.... for you. On the other hand let me film your wedding using tried and tested cameras, I have many, and I'll guarantee you will have the best wedding video ever!

Christopher and Sean had their wedding in Newcastle and it was all shot by me on Kodak film

​Whether you are planning to elope, or have a full blown showstopper wedding, having it shot in Super 8 will give you the warm and fuzzies. Naturally I'd love to be the one you choose as your videographer and or photographer. Having a Super 8 wedding video will blow your guests away. I'm always stunned at the amount of people who approach me and ask " what is that?" I like to call it "escaping the done thing". Get in touch if you want to find out more about this retro-vintage trend setting way to make your day fun and truly candid.