Film formats are typically identified by the physical width of the strip. But each iteration of the format can also be identified by the sprocket/sound strip layouts.
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With Sound
Some of the most iconic moments in history are capured with all of the trademark aesthetic that Film carries. Inconsistent frame-rates, scratches, active grain, and light leaks, all perceived flaws which have become synonymous with a historical archival look and feel, unique to film.
While it's less common today, there are yet new projects leveraging these antiquated formats in arts & entertainment industries. But even though the projects may be contemporary, Film new and old stilll needs to make it's way into a digital space before it can benefit from advanced video production or become accessible in our digital first society.
All film is handled with care, marked with a unique number associated with a client order ID, and processed one reel at a time.
Films are processed on a sprocketless digital scanner, equipped for PTR (Particle Transfer Roller) cleaning. Depending on client specific project requirements, the film may be run through our wet-gate process. All reels are supervised by a dedicated editor who manually engage the process, and oversee for any technical issues that may arise.
Post scan will see each reel undergo a standard set of post-processes inclusive of colour correction, and frame sampling.
As our method uses a true frame-by-frame scan, reels are ingested as a number of still images - a single image for each frame - and processed out into a video. Frame-by-frame scanning ensures a greater level of control upon export, including setting an exact frame-rate, and the ability to export the entire reel as images. In addition, a true frame-by-frame method, opposed to less accurate methods of reproduction, negates motion blur that would appear if scanning a live video, allowing film yields to look crisper, and better suited for contemporary displays.
Dust and Grain are synonymous with Film, and while some may prefer to retain these traits, there is a process by which we can significantly reduce the visibility of dust and grain on the film. The end result, paired with frame sampling to smooth out the video motion, lends itself to something that seems more in-line with contemporary video footage.
The success rate of this process is largely dependant on the state of the film reel upon receipt. Reels with more severe cases of dust, while they will still benefit, may see less of a perceived jump in quality from their initial state.
Over time colour film will start to fade, causing reels to appear primarily pink, green, or blue. This happens as the molocules in the dyes comprising the colours begin to breakdown. Often times, the green and blue will fade first, which will lead to a film reel that appears pink.
Luckily, it's not uncommon for there to be just enough blue & green colour informaiton remaining in such a film - which in some cases, can be enough for us to work with in our aim to restore the content as close to true as possible.
Our colour and contrast correction relies on existing colour informaiton in the film.
As we continue to advance our technology, displays are continously seeing an increase in size and resolution. Scanning at 4K ensures the film content will meet the display requirements of a contemporary display. This is crticial for preservation - as low resolution videos suffer a loss of clarity, as higher resolution displays struggle to present the content in a coherent likeness.
Our scanner provides a wetgate option for all formats of film. When a scratch or vertical line in the film emulsion is filled with fluid, light will travel through the film with less refraction. This results in less visibility of damaged parts of the film. We use standard film cleaner, Isopropanol 99.9%. The high percentage of alcohol ensures that the fluid will evaporate before it winds up on the reel again.
To further bring your content up to speed, we pass your content through a stabilization, sharpening, and frame sampling process to assist with the inherit choppiness associated with film fomats. The end result is a smoother, more natural render of the source content.
| frames per second | 100ft | 200ft | 300ft | 400ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
18 fps |
7 mins | 14 mins | 23 mins | 29 mins |
24 fps |
5 mins | 11 mins | 16 mins | 22 mins |
| frames per second | 100ft | 200ft | 300ft | 400ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
18 fps |
7 mins | 14 mins | 23 mins | 29 mins |
24 fps |
5 mins | 11 mins | 16 mins | 22 mins |
| frames per second | 100ft | 200ft | 300ft | 400ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
18 fps |
7 mins | 14 mins | 23 mins | 29 mins |
24 fps |
5 mins | 11 mins | 16 mins | 22 mins |
| frames per second | 100ft | 200ft | 300ft | 400ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
18 fps |
7 mins | 14 mins | 23 mins | 29 mins |
24 fps |
5 mins | 11 mins | 16 mins | 22 mins |