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My fascination with film goes so far back I can not remember a time in my life when it wasn't on my mind. My earliest memories are of a little hand-crank 8mm projector that we had in which we ran endlessly back and forth some Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons. As far as anyone else in the family that was interested in moving pictures, I recall my uncle was into film, and tried video tape as soon as it became available for the home market.
Soon we (the home movie enthusiasts) graduated to projectors that you didn't have to crank, then onto Super 8mm film from the regular gauge 8mm, the reels of film got bigger and finally ....that great day when sound arrived! Unfortunately, for me, it coincided with the advent of the video cassette. I was interested in laserdisc technology, but that was still a bit 'high-end' and not as popular as the video tape. I hated the video tape, especially VHS. I simply did not think it delivered the quality film did, or even Super 8mm could when processed well.
Before all of that, however, came the day when I was blessed with a gift at Christmas from my parents of a Super 8mm camera purchased from Montgomery Ward. It had an 'electric eye' that was able to automatically compensate for the current lighting situation. It took silent film cartridges. I was very excited and ready to shoot. Over the next four years I would enjoy using it to record some events in my family. As time progressed I enjoyed trying improvements with my filmmaking, like graduating to the use of a tripod for example, taking longer more interesting shots of things and throughout, always attempting some type of animation one way or the other, with thoughts of Ray Harryhausen and Willis O' Brien somewhere in the back of my mind, I suppose.
I think the films did get 'better' as I progressed through the next four years, but probably and ultimately more boring, which makes this first reel so interesting to me now. Some of it is terrible, but I relish today remembering how I was trying new things with each shot, and most importantly, being able to catch people participating in the fun which from this moment on would occur less and less.
I do like taking static pictures, pictures of nature and interesting places, but I seem to find the photos I've taken, like these films, always interest me more when they are of loved ones, whether they are being involved with the process or simply being 'caught' and recorded just as themselves. I suppose then, while this reel is technically not so good, ironically it has become the most fun to work with, and the music simply makes it.
- John Stoskopf
You can watch the entire Reel #1 (including a special 'bonus' video at the end) through this playlist link on YouTube.
The following is a break-down of each individual section of film which makes up the entire Reel #1. I knew that I could not post the film in it's entirety, no one would watch it all the way through. It was a natural, however, to be broken down into perfect YouTube 'bite-size' pieces which I could easily see stood on their own. After all it was put together from bits and pieces in the first place over the period of Christmas 1973 to sometime later during the year of 1976.
What I have transferred from film is virtually the way it has always been, edited by a teenage version of myself.
There are some slight changes. For example, as far as opening the film, I felt I had a real situation of losing my audience from the beginning, hinting that this first part is a bit weak. In fact the best part of it is the new opening credits, and that music. My criteria for background music was simple: Just make it something that was contemporary from that time period.
Somehow I thought of the Carpenters and picked "Yesterday Once More" only because it was released in 1973, and I knew it would sound good. The thing about projects like this one, and in fact this entire blog has been this way, is that it seems to take on a life of its own when putting it together, and when listening to this record at the beginning of the film, those lyrics really fit way more than I'd ever intended. I thought this film might be fun to work on, but it never entered my mind it would bring out a tear as well.
The opening shot I used for this presentation was actually taken later that Christmas day in 1973, as I had already been experimenting with my new camera. This was also of another wonderful gift my parents gave me for Christmas that year of a little shuffle board/bowling pin game, which also became my first prop I could play with trying to animate something on film. I can't remember whatever happened to it.
Dad making his first appearance.
Thinking here, I had a real cool angle shot.
Home Movies Reel #1 "Christmas 1973"
Soon we (the home movie enthusiasts) graduated to projectors that you didn't have to crank, then onto Super 8mm film from the regular gauge 8mm, the reels of film got bigger and finally ....that great day when sound arrived! Unfortunately, for me, it coincided with the advent of the video cassette. I was interested in laserdisc technology, but that was still a bit 'high-end' and not as popular as the video tape. I hated the video tape, especially VHS. I simply did not think it delivered the quality film did, or even Super 8mm could when processed well.
Before all of that, however, came the day when I was blessed with a gift at Christmas from my parents of a Super 8mm camera purchased from Montgomery Ward. It had an 'electric eye' that was able to automatically compensate for the current lighting situation. It took silent film cartridges. I was very excited and ready to shoot. Over the next four years I would enjoy using it to record some events in my family. As time progressed I enjoyed trying improvements with my filmmaking, like graduating to the use of a tripod for example, taking longer more interesting shots of things and throughout, always attempting some type of animation one way or the other, with thoughts of Ray Harryhausen and Willis O' Brien somewhere in the back of my mind, I suppose.
I think the films did get 'better' as I progressed through the next four years, but probably and ultimately more boring, which makes this first reel so interesting to me now. Some of it is terrible, but I relish today remembering how I was trying new things with each shot, and most importantly, being able to catch people participating in the fun which from this moment on would occur less and less.
I do like taking static pictures, pictures of nature and interesting places, but I seem to find the photos I've taken, like these films, always interest me more when they are of loved ones, whether they are being involved with the process or simply being 'caught' and recorded just as themselves. I suppose then, while this reel is technically not so good, ironically it has become the most fun to work with, and the music simply makes it.
- John Stoskopf
What I have transferred from film is virtually the way it has always been, edited by a teenage version of myself.
There are some slight changes. For example, as far as opening the film, I felt I had a real situation of losing my audience from the beginning, hinting that this first part is a bit weak. In fact the best part of it is the new opening credits, and that music. My criteria for background music was simple: Just make it something that was contemporary from that time period.
Somehow I thought of the Carpenters and picked "Yesterday Once More" only because it was released in 1973, and I knew it would sound good. The thing about projects like this one, and in fact this entire blog has been this way, is that it seems to take on a life of its own when putting it together, and when listening to this record at the beginning of the film, those lyrics really fit way more than I'd ever intended. I thought this film might be fun to work on, but it never entered my mind it would bring out a tear as well.
The opening shot I used for this presentation was actually taken later that Christmas day in 1973, as I had already been experimenting with my new camera. This was also of another wonderful gift my parents gave me for Christmas that year of a little shuffle board/bowling pin game, which also became my first prop I could play with trying to animate something on film. I can't remember whatever happened to it.
Dad's younger brother, Gordon.
Youngest cousin, Bill.
Dad's youngest brother, Bill.
A quick glimpse of cousin, Janice, first of four children of Uncle Gordon & Aunt Edith.
My very first attempt at trying to 'animate' something on film as the bowling pins appear, one by one, only to be mowed down by a puck.
This was actually the first footage I took using my new camera of a very miniature train set we'd put up every Christmas. It has always provided a visually slow start and I dreaded using it as an opener so it was relocated slightly to this part of the presentation. One of the biggest problems with it is that I didn't realize my 'auto focus' on the camera didn't work for close-ups. It was a disappointment, but even still I've never had the heart to just cut this part out.
I had nothing else in mind for the music for this section other than Elton John's "Step into Christmas". I'm not a big fan of the song, actually, but knew it would provide a good background and set the tone for the Christmas sequences in the film.
Because there is so much Christmas in this film and that theme really ties the whole thing together, it is almost completely a "Christmas Movie".
This was going to be a 'grand and sweeping' tracking shot starting from afar and swooping in right onto the train set.
What happened was I first started the train, going backwards!
Then it kept decoupling losing all of the cars behind it.
Very difficult to see here, but then the 'offending' cars fell off the track and I just took a shot of the train without those cars, and then finally gave up.
The linking Christmas tree and common thread throughout.
Christmas frogs! We were fortunate kids to have so many different kinds of animals for pets over the years.
We did birds, dogs, hamsters, fish, turtles, a monkey, and as you can see here, frogs.
This is all I have from my bedroom, with my dear character friends on the closet sliding door along with drawings I used to make at the time. Looking at this reminds me of when we lost Lon Chaney that year of 1973. I can not remember why I've also lost all of my drawings.
Behind cousin Bill (in mask) a drawing I made of a martian from "The War of the Worlds" a top favorite film of mine.
Cousin Deb's hand playing monster with prop.
Cousin Debbie's hand portraying the character that lives under my bed.
This is a close up of a lamp that was in my sister's room. Being out of focus, it's a bit difficult to make out so I took my time with opening this part of the film using a freeze frame of it.
This is probably the best section in the film and the music that was used, in my opinion, fits perfectly. It is from the Eagles' first LP from 1973 called "Twenty-One". When I listen to it now with the film it seems to reflect the youth and a freedom and security in ourselves we had at that time adding a dimension to these next couple of minutes you can't quite get without it.
The very opening had a nice straight shot of my mother which cut to another couple of seconds with her acting up before the camera. Almost all of the editing in this film occurs 'in the camera' meaning it just happened to be filmed that way. Mom was always a fun subject to work with and it was never difficult getting something out of her and she also showed quite a range of personality, I think.
Because of the slow paced feeling at the beginning of this part of the film, I felt I had to put something calm and beautiful to listen to in front and couldn't think of anything better than music from George Martin. So a short clip from "A Beginning" which he recorded in 1968 was used. He eventually released it on "The Beatles Anthology 3" in 1996
As we travel over the river and through the woods, we wind up from our house to my cousin's home in Southeastern Michigan and it is still Winter. Cousin Debbie (shown here) is the third child from my Uncle Gordon & Aunt Edith. She is a few years younger than me.
This is a very short glimpse of my Uncle Gordon and Aunt Edith working on something in the kitchen as, I believe, Edith's mother is walking by.
What is nice about doing snapshots is that, especially with this reel of film, I can capture what may only be seen for a split second, and it may be something you wouldn't even notice otherwise. Also, I'm able to work on the frame of film making it look a little better, something I couldn't do myself unfortunately for the entire transfer.
Sign of the times. [In one of my cousin's bedrooms.]
There I am. 13 years old and playing with a yo-yo. I do believe I was into yo-yos during this time.
Wrestling around with Cousin Bill who was 7 at the time. I believe Cousin Debbie had the camera at this point.
My brother Dave who was almost 19 when this was taken.
My sister Shirley in a rare moment with my brother. She was 17 at this time.
This became the only film in which all three of us would be together. [There is a later film but my appearance is so brief I almost missed myself.]
Cousin Janice is a couple of years older than me.
Cousin Jim is 7 months older than myself.
Always a happy ending.
There was a long stretch of time between the last and this next segment, which was filmed sometime in 1974. My dad became ill that year and had to undergo a kidney transplant, which accounts for some of that delay. I believe I did some short animated films as well during 1974 which I have put on the 'Bonus Reel'.
All in all 1974 was actually one of the worst years in my life, and I find it amazing we were able to have so much fun here. A lot of it probably had to do with a having a huge sigh of relief as Dad had made it through his ordeal and was now even able to visit with relatives as you will briefly see in the film.
This particular interlude was another attempt at 'animating', here using the sky itself as the sun was going down and the moon appeared. I think it turned out pretty well, especially since my camera (as many of kids my age with the same ambition would learn) was not equipped to film one frame of film at a time. Cameramen, like myself, had to learn how to make the 'quick squeeze' of the trigger and hope we didn't expose too much film for each animated frame, and not shake the camera up too much either in the process.
For this small segment (as the moon slowly appears) I did not need to look far for background music, using John Lennon's "Beef Jerky" off of his "Walls and Bridges" LP of 1974. It fits perfectly, I think, for this strange opening to our 2nd "music video" of the series. (Or more accurately, "music film".)
Another easy choice for background music was John Lennon's 1974 "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" even though I knew the famous #1 single version of his (with Elton John) was still not exactly what I was looking for. This was remedied by finding an earlier take of the song provided by Yoko Ono on her "John Lennon Anthology" collection. Again, I thought it was a perfect fit as the song is played slightly slower, maybe a little more funkier, and it presented an opportunity for me to use something sounding familiar, but yet slightly different and more rare and unique to listen to.
I love this film. It seems to represent the times so well as there was so much of this type of filmmaking going on at the time. As we cut/zoom up to a close up of my cousin Bill, I'm reminded of something from the Television show "Laugh-In"
Riding bikes with my Cousin Jim somewhere in Southeastern Michigan with camera in one hand, the other on my handlebars trying to steer.
I wonder how much as changed in 40 years? One thing I did not mention earlier was that even though John Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" fit perfectly in this segment, I still had some extra footage left that needed sound added to it. To fill in the silent space in-between the opening of this portion of the film and John's music I added a small piece from another studio out-take of his for "Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)" which also appeared on the "John Lennon Anthology". This recording was also made in 1974.
Here shown was a little tractor ride with cousin Janice, sister Shirley, Mom & Dad (seated) with Uncle Bill.
Uncle Gordie was the driver.
Then us kids hop on with cousin Jim at the wheel.
My Aunt Edith.
Cousin Jim gets a nice fire going.
Keeping the dog away from a baby bird.
Sister Shirley and cousins Jim and Janice.
We definitely 'got into' making this film more so than the previous one.
Like I always say, "You can't keep a good corpse down!"
There was a lot of fun captured here and I think it came off well. I remember we were more conscious of what we were trying to do in front of the camera, but it was natural too and watching it today leaves me wanting more. That was not to be, however, as this playfulness would not be duplicated in the future. Still it's a good send off to many happy years together.
Jim, Shirley, Janice & Bill in what I think was the idea of a human train moving about on the lawn, but evidently we got tired of that idea pretty fast.
I'm flying high. I'm flying low.
Well we made it through 1974 and now it's Chirstmas time again. Once more, I didn't have any doubts in the music selection, using George Harrison's "Ding Dong" from that year to play along as I approached my sister & her future husband, Carl Peters, my camera in hand coming down the stairs into the basement of our house.
Caught a bit off guard but being quite the good sport.
Showing off Mom's plant. Myself behind the camera and Mom turning the pot.
In front of our house.
Catching my brother and Dad discussing something from a magazine about cars.
My mother can be a very funny lady. This next minute catches her at her best and it was all, once more, edited in the camera, or filmed exactly this way. I was wondering to myself, what kind of music would I put here? The answer came with remembering some of the soundtrack used for the "Our Gang" and "Laurel & Hardy" comedy films, and I simply love a record that was made by the Beau Hunks which captures so much of that great music and reproduces it perfectly. The title chosen here was called "Bells" and appears on their record, "The Beau Hunks Play The Original Little Rascals Music" which was released in the 1990s.
Now what mom would allow their kid to 'animate' her going down the stairs on her bum? A cool mom!
I think she was shining shoes here.
Quite the little actress. She leaves me wanting more.
This piece of film was indeed a part of my original edit of this reel, stuck right here, from 1975. As short as it is and out-of-focus, I think it's pretty cool and a welcome piece as the rest of this segment is pretty boring compared to what came before.
I can not remember where I got these puppets of the Wolf Man & the Mummy and they are long gone now. As this portion seems so arbitrary I felt compelled to add something to it at the beginning and end so titles were created.
It didn't take long to find some music to go over this very short piece. One of my favorite soundtracks from the Universal 1940s series of supernatural films was of "The House of Frankenstein" and its "Main Title" was lifted from the re-recording of it on the Marco Polo Film Music Classics record "Music for Frankenstein" by the RTE Concert Orchestra. Music by Hans Salter, conducted by Andrew Penny.
Then onto a film of our trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was always a great place to go to for the best roller coasters in the country, but the film is only of our car ride there with myself in the backseat looking at the back of my Dad's head....
...and Mom's...
...sweeping over...
...to a quick glimpse of my brother Wayne, whom I've known since 1965. I'm so glad I've got something of him on film as there really isn't much of the two of us recorded anywhere. Truly he's my 'oldest and my best friend' as the background music of Bob Seger's "Beautiful Loser" (1975) attests.
This small segment was originally at the beginning of this portion of the film, but I relocated it to the end, making one more small change from the original edit.
My brother was knee deep in experimenting with his car and it was morning, probably on a weekend, and I felt like getting creative with my camera in documenting his efforts.
Camera angle ideas picked up from watching "Bride of Frankenstein" and "Batman" on television.
Another year, another Christmas and again I'm walking about outside in the neighborhood taking pictures. It's a nice memory, being able to do that. Looking around and seeing all of the decorations, who did what and how they did it. This frame starts with myself standing on our front porch showing one of our evergreens adorned with white lights.
Another shot of our house. The tree on the right is what was shown in the previous frame. Last year's walk produced a close up of the tree on the left, which was a Japanese Maple.
For the music, I cheated a bit on this segment as the Eagles' single, "Please Come Home for Christmas" was actually released in 1978 and not 1975, when this film was made. Oh well, it wasn't their original song anyway.
I remember my intent was to get outside and photograph the heavy snow which was falling at the time. What happened, I think, was the camera's 'electric eye' malfunctioned (maybe it froze) and way too much light got in washing out all of my film. At least now I can work on the frames and attempt to show you what cannot be seen on the film today.
Our next-door neighbor waves as her husband and dog enter the picture.
Dad showing me his watch.
Mom making a batch of Stove Top stuffing, maybe?
A study in warped glass? The bottle sits on the railing overhanging the stairwell from my upstairs bedroom.
Shirley visits for some opening of gifts.
Husband Carl watches over.
Some surprise silliness from Mom, probably the best part of this whole segment.
One of the gems found in these films is footage of my Grandma Martha Findahl. We enjoyed so much with her through the years and yet do not have many photos of her from the 1970s. I'm not exactly certain when this was taken in 1976. Perhaps, Mother's Day?
Dad and Dave out back doing something with the car.
Once more the music used for this portion of the film just kind of fell into place. I knew I wanted something from a different artist, but who to pick from? I finally hit on the idea of using something from the band Chicago. Looking up on the internet I refreshed my memory as to what album they had out that year, found a copy in the basement at home and put it on the record player, listening for a moment to each track until I heard "If You Leave Me Now" and immediately knew that was what I wanted. For a randomly selected song, it turned out again to be more on target than was meant to be.
Shirley & Carl arrive.
The rainbow over us.
Mom waving.
A new boat.
I enjoyed the song "If You Leave Me Now" so much, yet it went on a bit longer than what footage I had left for it to play over. Immediately, I hit on the idea of simply using it as well for a short set of ending credits completing the film. Since it really was my film, I didn't mind putting my face back on it at the end.
I do hope it was enjoyable to watch. I wanted it preserved somehow, even with its flaws, because it's all we have left from that time when I had "...no cause to be afraid; or fear that life will ever fade; 'Cause as I watch the rising sun; I know that we have just begun." [Eagles lyrics to "Twenty-One"]
This past summer [2014] I made a little slide/video of summer photos taken of the family through the generations and entitled it "Bahama Sound" after the song of the same name by George Martin. This is the Winter & Chirstmas counterpart to that video and, even though it has nothing to do with my home movie, I thought it a nice ending to this mostly Christmas show.
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"Home Movies: Reel #2 [1977]" - Coming October 2016
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