This Year’s Challenge? Filming It All on Super 8

Why I’m Spending a Year with a Super 8 Camera to Push My Creative Boundaries and Tell Better Stories

I’ve always had a knack for picking challenges that sound cool in theory but quickly spiral into chaos in practice. Case in point: my latest endeavor to film my entire year on a Super 8 video camera. That’s right—this isn’t just nostalgic; it’s downright impractical. If you’re not familiar with Super 8, imagine strapping yourself to technology from the 1960s and lovingly hand-feeding film into a camera while constantly worrying it's jammed. It’s quirky, it’s unpredictable, and it sounds like the kind of thing people say they’d try but don’t, because they like their sanity. Naturally, I dove in headfirst.

This isn’t my first rodeo with self-imposed creative chaos. The year prior, I limited myself to only shooting in black and white. Why? Mainly because I thought it’d look artsy and mysterious—spoiler alert: most of it just looked like I forgot how to use my camera’s settings. But the experience was illuminating in its own way. Throw in a few comedy standup gigs from last year, and not only was I out of my comfort zone, I had triple-somersaulted out of it. Somehow, I survived. Which brings me to this year’s challenge: embracing the grainy, cinematic imperfection of Super 8 as a way to push my storytelling further.

Let’s be clear: I’m not trying to become some kind of auteur filmmaker or cinematography wizard. I’m not even aiming for “good.” The goal of all my creative shenanigans—from photography to standup—is to simply become a better storyteller. Whether it’s a joke that lands with a laugh, or an old-timey film reel flickering with nostalgia, it’s all about the story. Super 8 just happens to be my tool of choice this year, mostly because it forces me to slow down, plan ahead, and worst of all—be patient. Do you know how hard it is for someone who’s constantly late to be patient? It’s like asking a cat to enjoy a bubble bath.

So here I am, armed with rolls of film and more optimism than is probably advisable, documenting the year in all its unfiltered glory. Some shots will turn out poetic. Others shaky and overexposed because I forgot to adjust the light meter (again). But the beauty of Super 8 isn’t the perfection—it’s the grit, the charm, the unpredictability. Will this project be another epic saga stretching way beyond its original timeline? Absolutely. But that’s kind of my brand at this point, isn’t it? Stay tuned—this reel’s still spinning.