Film Conversions - Inclusions & Timeframes

Clean+Convert Service: This is our high quality conversion service direct to USB as Full High Definition 1080p (or optionally 2K or 4K) mp4 files. These are the most common video file format on the planet, easy to share with family & friends.

Our transfer process is a completely safe clawless, frame-by-frame, cold (LED) lamp transfer, so we cannot burn your film, nor scrunch or tear it's sprocket holes.

Because DVD is not a good long-term storage medium, and DVDs are not high definition, we can supply DVDs as an add-on extra only.


What you receive:

• Price includes a physical pre-transfer cleaning of the film itself, so your film is transferred in its best possible state. Also included is new leader tape as needed, repairs to broken tape splices or fresh breakages.

• All film (except vinegar syndrome affected film deemed too fragile) will pass through our innovative wet-gate, reducing base-side film scratches, small damage spots to the base-side, and marks caused by spidery mildew.

• A very high quality Frame-by-frame transfer process, in Full High Definition 1080p (minimum resolution) with the option to upgrade to 2K or 4K scanning.

• Safe-for-your-film clawless, frame-by-frame, cold (LED) lamp transfer technology.

• Post production editing, including basic film-grain/picture-noise reduction, tidying up obviously unwanted footage such as film leader & blank sections, as well as basic colour correction, and basic exposure adjustments.

• 6 months FREE backup of your digitised media with RetroMedia's 3VAULT triple redundancy archiving service is included with ALL transfers. This helps form part of the 6 month warranty on your transfers.

• Supply & loading of selected models of USB sticks, or hard-drive of required capacity.


Not included but available:

• Video editing of your material for pace/interest (removing boring bits)

• Titles & subtitles

• Scene-by-scene application of colour correction, exposure adjustment, grain reduction

• Underscore (background music).


More about add-on Sound Film Pricing:

As mentioned, frame-by-frame scanners do not convert sound. For film with sound, we offer 2 solutions.

1) We can firstly scan the film frame-by-frame, and then do a second additional projector-based pass to capture the sound, which we then sync together. The extra sound pass plus editing to sync the sound together doubles the applicable rates for silent film scanning of that format (on reels of up to 600ft capacity). We offer a discount on sound capture/sync rates for very large reels larger than 600ft capacity.

2) A second option can be that we scan the film & leave the sound unrecorded - not such a bad option as in some cases the audio hasn't weathered the years as well as the film has, being a thin magnetic strip in the case of Super 8 & 16mm with mag sound. We are beginning to sometimes see the sound strip lifting off the film at this point in time. We'd be likely to catch such a problem at the film cleaning/inspection stage, so a decision could be made at that time.

This is also the best approach when you're unsure of the value of the content to you. Once you receive the initial silent conversion you can decide on whether or not you will convert the sound based on the importance of the content to you, and the quality of the content. There's no overall price disadvantage to waiting & getting the sound done at a later stage.

It's also important to note that not all film with a film stripe actually has sound recorded. Sometimes sound film was purchased in error, or because that was all the store had in stock.

Lastly, while we can convert magnetic sound for Super 8, as well as magnetic & optical sound for 16mm, and present them to you in perfect sync, the film needs to be in a physically projectable condition. In cases where the film has shrunken or curled in such a way that the perforations can no longer be aligned with a projector's pull down claw, then we would not be able to play the film on a sound projector. Therefore we cannot convert the sound in such cases.

Such a high quality, perfectly synced audio capture/sync process as we offer is very labour intensive, but we do offer bulk discounts on large reels holding 600ft of film or more.

Finally, sound conversion & the sound syncing process takes some time, and will usually significantly lengthen timeframes.



Timeframes:

Depending on your quantities, we’re quoting from approx 3 weeks at the moment for a silent film conversion project of 1000 ft or less, not including shipping time. Most jobs will be in the 3-6 weeks region, but some big jobs can take longer than that, because all digitising occurs in real time, and there are always jobs in the queue. Also, as mentioned earlier, sound film will take longer than silent film as it is a two pass process, with significant editing to re-sync the sound. If you’re in a hurry and need it sooner than these timeframes please let us know, and we may be able to accommodate you. A rush fee may apply.


Terms:

• We ask for a part payment (deposit) at commencement, of approx 1/3rd of the estimate for your project. 

• To keep things fair, for regular timeframe projects your job will go into a queue of work and will be attended in turn. Please note that predicting timeframes is not an exact science. It's simply not possible to precisely allow for unforeseen issues that may occur with obsolete media, either in your job, or in the jobs ahead of yours in the queue. So we aim at estimated turnaround targets. If you have a looming deadline or event, please let us know, and we can discuss options with you.

• Original media is available for collection upon full payment. Unless prior arrangements have been made, we ask for payment to be made within 7 days of invoicing. Storage fees may be levied on jobs not paid for &/or collected within 30 days of invoicing.

• We like to be as flexible as possible. We’re happy to work with you before commencement of the job to come to a mutually acceptable arrangement. But we do ask that if we have not made alternate arrangements with you before commencement, that you will honour our terms.