FAQs on Film Transferring
What types of film can be transferred?
We can transfer all silent regular-8mm and super-8mm film and silent or magnetic sound 16mm film.
How much will it cost to transfer my film?
Both 8mm and 16mm film are $0.15/foot of actual film, plus $10 for each DVD master. Each DVD can contain up to 2 hours of footage.
How do I know what type of film I have?
- Regular 8mm film has square sprocket holes on the side of the film, placed centrally beside each film frame.
- Super 8mm film has rectangular sprocket holes, smaller than Regular 8mm, and are placed in between each film frame.
- 16mm film is twice as wide as 8mm, about 1" wide, and may have sprocket holes on each side of the film or only on one side. Sprocket holes on both sides of the film is silent 16mm film.
How do I know how much film I have?
By using the chart below, you can easily add up the sizes of reels to calculate how much footage you have and how many DVDs you will need.
| Size of Reel | Reel Length | 8mm / Super8 time | 16mm time |
| 3-inch | 50 feet | ~ 4 minutes | ~ 3 minutes |
| 4-inch | 100 feet | ~ 8 minutes | ~ 5 minutes |
| 5-inch | 200 feet | ~ 16 minutes | ~ 7 minutes |
| 6-inch | 300 feet | ~ 24 minutes | ~ 11 minutes |
| 7-inch | 400 feet | ~ 32 minutes | ~ 14 minutes |
| Size of Reel | Reel Length | |
| 8mm / Super-8mm film | $0.15 per foot | |
| DVD (up to 2 hours each) | $10 |
|
| miniDV (up to 1 hour) | $15 |
|
| Hard drive* | $25 |
|
* Files will be digitized as DV-formatted .AVI files or .MOV Quicktime files, if necessary. Hard drive must be provided by client and formatted for Windows NFTS. Hard drive must not contain any files; we cannot be held responsible for any loss of data to files already on the hard drive.
In what order are the film reels put on the DVD?
Each film reel will be digitized and placed on the DVD in random order unless each reel is sequentially numbered either with permanent markings or, at the very minimum, Post-It notes on the reel and the box.
What is the process to transfer film to DVD?
Our 8mm and Super-8mm transfers use a direct, frame-by-frame scanning process. The film is first cleaned, inspected and placed into our sprocketless scanning unit. Damaged film with ripped sprockets are not affected by the transfer process because sprockets are not used to pull the film. The film is then scanned, frame-by-frame, using the sharper emulsion side of the film using a camera with three 1/2-inch-chip CCDs through the enlarged gate of the mechanism, allowing a full, 100%-size scan of the image, not cropped as used in most telecine transfers. The film is lit using an ultra-cool LED light which is much gentler on the film than most high-temperature bulbs. Each progressive-scanned image is then pieced together via customized software to create a speed-accurate motion image, no matter what frame rate the film was originally shot at.
Our 16mm film transfers use a sprocketed telecine unit, also using camera with three, 1/2-inch-chip CCDs and digitized at the same high-quality as all of our other transfers.
Can I mail my film reels to you to be transferred?
Yes, however we suggest you use a shipping service where tracking information and insurance is provided. We cannot assume responsibility for original materials damaged before we receive them. We can also ship your original reels and master DVDs back to you via insured UPS with an additional shipping fee. Please visit our Contact page for our shipping information.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, check, debit and all major credits cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
What if I have other questions?
Please call us! We will try our best to answer any of your questions regarding film or video transfers, the process we use, or about video services in general. Please see our contact page for our email contacts or to call us.
