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THE 8.75mm GAUGE -
A CHINESE MYSTERY

By Alan Lott

Originally published in the winter 1998 industry compiled by Donald D. Kennedy, a
edition of Amateur Cine Enthusiast (UK) member of the Australian film industry during
magazine, this article is reprinted with the his visits to China in 1973 and 1974.
kind permission of both ACE magazine and the
family of the late Alan Lott. The greater part of his detailed account deals
with the professional side of the Chinese film
With the resurgence of interest in filming and industry and its methods of production of
screening on film, this interesting article, now feature length films. By this is meant films
somewhat dated, is reprinted here. It is with a running time of between 1 1/2 and 3
interesting to compare the Chinese approach hours. All the films can be classified as
and their more economical use of the original "educational"; at the time of Kennedy's visits
35mm film to that of Kodak with their Super-8 films were not made for entertainment. Details
format. are given of how film crews were organised;
clearly on a different basis to Western practice.
T he world of cine can be relied upon to At that time China had started the manufacture
produce the unexpected from time to time
and the discovery of the wide spread use of a of its own colour film raw stock distributed
film gauge of 8.75 mm in The People's under the name of Dai Dai Hung. All shooting
Republic of China in the 1970s and probably at major studios was done on 35mm, and
in later years is one of those surprises. 35mm was used for reduction printing on to
16mm and 8.75mm. Print runs of between
Ref. 1, is a fairly complete and interesting 3,000 and 6,000 copies were not unusual. The
account of the Chinese professional film use of 8.75mm was (is?) probably the only
non-western standard used in China. The
great majority of films in China had to be
shown to all the workers and even those in
remote areas had to see a film at the same
time as those in major cities. The use of
narrow gauge film for the large number of
small widespread communities amongst
China's large population spread over an
immense area was the sensible economic
choice.
Left: The Chinese 8.75 mm projector

Images: 8mm Forum webpage

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