EVERY THIRD THOUGHT

The track, the video, super 8 film, and Paris, TX.

SUPER 8 FILM

When I was young, my parents would make home movies of our family events on Super 8 film—evidence of vacations, backyard gatherings, loving moments with family, mom and dad—a cinema of memories.

I can clearly remember the loud hum of the projector, the smell of the lamp’s heat, the sound of the film moving through the sprockets, the air particles dancing in the beam of light, the surreal magic of life’s events illuminating the screen, and the sound of the tape slap, end of scene. 

In 1965, Super 8 film was released and was quickly adopted by many amateur film-makers. It featured a better quality image than standard 8mm and was easier to use mainly due to a cartridge-loading system that did not require reloading and rethreading halfway through.

PARIS, TX

Super 8 film had a hauntingly gorgeous quality, and its look helped define a generation. A perfect example of the qualities and emotional power of Super 8 exist in one of my all-time favorite films, Paris, TX. The footage, backed by Ry Cooder’s “Canción Mixteca,” reveals moments of a tragic relationship. Love, regret and longing. A gorgeous, tear-inducing scene psychologically propelled by the physical characteristics of Super 8.

EVERY THIRD THOUGHT

One night in NYC my friend Becca Ayers—the spoken word artist who appears on Short Stories Redux—showed me some of her family’s home movies. The super 8 footage was gorgeous, beautifully composed, and completely engaging. I asked her if I could use the footage for a video for “Every Third Thought,” the third track on the grassy knoll’s third album III. 

The track features Thurston Moore (guitar), David Revelli (drums), Carla Kihlstedt (violin), Jane Scarpantoni (cello), and Roger Rosenberg (bassoon).

Of final note: The footage was originally shot on Super 8 film. Years later it was transferred to VHS video tape. I converted the footage into digital files so the video could be edited and created in Final Cut Pro. Hence, there is a loss of image quality from the original footage.

Thank you for reading, listening, and watching.

Thoughts? Comments?