How Do We Convert Film to Digital to Preserve Your Memories?

Typically when people look to convert film to digital, it is because they want to preserve memories. Transfer technicians can typically clean and repair 8mm or super 8 film by hand to convert film to digital DVD format or onto a hard drive. Film footage from years gone by can be seen with clarity and ease that is not always possible with regular film. Learn more about the conversion process and what to expect when taking those precious memories in for evaluation.

Competitive Film Transfer

The first step in a film transfer order is to clean and repair the film. Bad splices will be re-spliced to ensure a smooth transfer. Depending on the age of the film, condition and type of stock being transferred, the cleaning process may differ but every inch of film is typically cleaned. This may take longer than the actual transfer so expect around 2 weeks for a typical order. The cleaning process is usually essential for this type of service. Once the film is prepped, it is ready to be transferred.

Determining Length

Home movie film is typically measured by the foot. To get approximate footage, it must first be measured as to the reel diameter. Most consumer format reels are about 3 inches in diameter, which are 50 feet long.

Title Slides

Convert film to digital by enhancing the experience with title slides, or short clips inserted into the video. These can be inserted at any scene in the video and provides a title and/or description before the scene starts. This also allows for breaks to be inserted between scenes that add production value to film transfer.

Cellulose Triacetate Degradation

When a families bring precious memories in to go through the process to convert film to digital, it may have been stored in a can or some other place for quite some time. A strong odor of vinegar may emanate from the film. This is what is called ‘vinegar syndrome.’ It helps to quarantine these from the rest of the film to prevent spreading it to other reels. The film industry began using cellulose triacetate as the main material in manufacturing film but it does not last forever. Film collections may degrade over the years without realizing the damage has occurred but the film may still be salvaged with the help of experts.

Keepsake Solutions is a family owned and operated business serving the Columbus community for over 15 years. We are the experts in film transfer using state of the art technology. We will clean, condition, and repair your film then digitally scan it frame by frame. We can help edit your film to movies set to music that you will love for years to come. Call us to find out about our film transfer services and more!
 

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