London, United Kingdom – Introducing a high-end video app to appeal to cinephiles and the app community at large. straight 8 and Widebeam Digital today present straight 8 (v1.0), a totally unique in-camera-edited movie making app for iOS devices. Professional, amateur and first-time film-makers will be brought together as a community making and sharing films made in the unique ‘straight 8’ way.
The straight 8 app enables you to shoot a simple or sophisticated film up to 3 minutes in length in full HD. Each shot is taken in story order. A variety of filters and effects may be added and you choose to include or exclude the live sound recording from each shot. All of these decisions are taken as you go along. At the end you can choose to add rights-cleared music from the awesome in-built music library – all of which is supplied by a growing array of professional composers and music acts. You then simply set the overall sound levels and add an onscreen title and director credit. Finally, still all from the device itself, on 3G, 4G or WiFi, you can easily immediately upload your professionally compressed, finished film to your chosen social platform and/or to the straight 8 app community, whilst saving a full HD version to your camera roll.
Since 1999, the international short film competition, straight 8, has challenged anyone anywhere to make a film on a single cartridge of super 8mm cine film, editing only in camera and allowing no post-production. This has meant only one take of each shot and all shots being taken in chronological order. There’s no cheating since straight 8 has your cartridge processed at the lab for you. Sound is supplied separately and the first time successful films are seen even by their makers is at their premiere! The best straight 8’s have been shown annually at straight 8’s Cannes Film Festival screenings for 10 years and showcased online and on TV. Super 8mm is a film medium created in the 1960’s. Each cartridge lasts 3 minutes 20 seconds and the processed spools were usually viewed using a projector.
straight 8 embraces ‘linear film-making’, celebrating the ‘happy accidents’ in creativity and the attitude of ‘going with the flow’ – all of which result in short films with unusually palpable charm! Some of the best celluloid straight 8’s made to date are showcased within the app too. The straight 8 app represents a new digital alternative to the annual celluloid straight 8 challenge and the exciting joining-up of celluloid and digital film-making communities. (This is NOT another super 8 style filming app!)
There are a host of built-in ‘pro’ camera controls, with more on the way. A simple ‘auto’ setting too, means that the straight 8 app should appeal to the most hardcore of filmmakers and the rookie who wants to fire up the app for some filmmaking fun – be it a party, weekend trip, lunch at the pub with friends or whatever!!
The built in Looks Packs offer a range of creative ‘looks’ to apply to your film as you shoot. These looks have been created by Simone Grattarola, Head of Colour Grading at top London post-production company: Rushes.
The app’s in-built music library features, amongst others, artists from across The Domino Recording and Publishing Companies and from Toydrum of Underscore Collective. The app and the films produced within it will provide cross-fertilisation for filmmakers and musicians and we hope to grow the music library along with the app’s filmmaking community.
A competition feature for the app is planned, to emulate the original super 8 competition of straight 8. Bespoke custom-built brand competitions can be created too.
Ed Sayers, straight 8’s founder, says: “The spirit of straight 8 is in this app. It offers a unique filmmaking challenge – almost a filmmaking ‘game’ – with a few new twists on straight 8’s tried and tested celluloid challenge. I hope people will take it up, make great films with it and try the analogue version too. We want to see the two communities in one harmonious one together!”
Joe Morsman, Widebeam Digital founder: “Having come from a film and television production background, both Paul [Beard] and myself jumped at the chance to be involved in the straight 8 app especially as individually we have been participants in the past. We really love the straight 8 ethos so being part of evolving it into a digital pocket format has been a both a challenge and a rewarding process. We are eager to take it much further, as the potential for where it can go is practically endless.”
straight 8 app is also made in collaboration with Rushes:
Rushes is an award winning international VFX company based in the heart of Soho, London, which produces outstanding work for the feature film, advertising, broadcast and digital media markets. The team is uniquely talented and covers all aspects of Production, Grading, CGI, VFX and Motion Graphics; utilising the most up-to-date creative technology and software.
Joce Capper, Managing Director of Rushes: “Rushes are proud to have been supporting straight 8 for 10 years, during which our creative relationship has been ongoing and we continue to support and love this unique genre of film-making.”
straight 8 music library contains music from Domino Records: The Domino Recording and Publishing Companies remain wholly independent record company whose characteristics are best represented by its artists: individuality, originality and a total immersion in music’s worlds of possibility.
straight 8 music library also contains music from Toydrum / Underscore: Pablo Clements and James Griffith are Toydrum. They have been working together since 2007 as part of the creative force behind UNKLE. As Toydrum they are the lead creatives behind the Underscore Collective. Underscore offers a cohesive ‘one-stop’ approach to the process of creating music for all forms of visual media including film, TV, commercials and games.
About straight 8:
straight 8 is the international super 8mm short film competition started by Ed Sayers in London, UK in 1999. straight 8 entrants make a short film of up to 3 minutes 20 seconds on a single cartridge of Kodak super 8mm cine film, using single takes, in-camera edits and no post-production. The first time successful entrants see their work is at a packed screening. These premieres have regularly taken place at Cannes Film Festivals and a host of others, on TV’s Channel 4 in the UK and with special online screenings. Notable past entrants include Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Steve Oram and Alice Lowe (Sightseers) and more.
Device Requirements:
* iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, and iPod touch
* iPad Wi-Fi, iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Wi-Fi, iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular
* iPad mini Wi-Fi, iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular
* Requires iOS 6.0 or later
* 30.1 MB
Pricing and Availability:
straight 8 (v1.0) is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category.
Widebeam Digital
straight 8 (v1.0)
Download from iTunes
Screenshot
App Icon
Press Kit (zip)
Widebeam Digital specialises in cross platform app development on Apple iOS and Android. Drawing on their roots in film and television production, they have become experts in adapting popular television shows, characters and products into the ever growing app market. Achievements include a #1 UK paid app, also the 21st most downloaded UK app ever. Accolades including a Broadcast Digital award for innovation and a Sunday Times top 500 app. All Material and Software (C) Copyright 2013 Widebeam Digital. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.