Film Restore - Unshrink or Deshrink

Overview We have a few films that require unshrinking.  Reintroducing plastic into the films base is the idea.

Steps

1)   Mix up solution.

2)   Place solution in bottom of 35mm film can (metal).

3)   Place wire rack in can to provide "shelf" to hold film above solution

4)   Place film on rack.

5)   Close can and leave for 2 to 4 weeks?

Process

The higher the temperature the faster the process.  For example at 10 C it will be months and at 30 C it will be weeks.

Solution

1:1:3 of....Acetone, Gylcerol, and water.  The mixture will evaporate easily so it must be kept in a closed container.

You can also change the mix and it may work a little better.....see the reference below.

Adding camphor for nitrate based film or methyl phthalate (both plasticizers for nitrate and acetate bases respectively) may help in the process.

Testing and Results

(info to be added when testing)

Objective is to test the basic solution without the extra plasticizer.

How much solution do I need?  .....................

June 18, 2015 - placed 50ml of acetone and glycerine and 150ml of filtered water in 35mm can with 2 8mm films (Piedrahita)

References

Restoration Of Motion Picture Film pg 252

Methyl phthalate best deal to purchase

Royal Society of Chemistry website...good info

Synonyms:  Monomethyl phthalate; phthalic acid monomethyl ester; 2-(methoxycarbonyl)benzoic acid; 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1-methyl ester

Good website about: Methyl Phthalate etc

Brumberger Stereomounts for 3D Slides

These were 35mm stereo slide mount made of metal and glass.  Very high end.  We looked at taking them appear to scan and clean.  The top and bottom of the mount each have two holes where the inside of the mount pushes a bump through.  We looked at prying the inside and outside of the mount but found there is VERY little space to pry.  Also, there a warnings about glass mounts that the film may be stuck top the glass and this may cause a problem....either the image gets damaged or you may need to soak the glass and image in distilled water (must have NO minerals otherwise more issues). Here's an image of the mount:

http://www.digitalstereoscopy.com/kaiser/m214n215.htm

Here's instructions and image of putting these mounts together:

http://www.digitalstereoscopy.com/kaiser/m248n249.htm

Retro Film Output Formats

Currently here is the list of output options from the Retro units:

• Sequenced jpg's
  • 1920x1080, 0.5MB
• MP4
  • Sony AVC/MVC 1920x180-30p 16Mbps
  • Use this setting to create the highest quality 16:9 file suitable for uploading to Internet sites. Audio: 128 Kbps, 48,000 Hz, 32 Bit, Stereo, AAC Video: 29.970 fps, 1920x1080 Progressive, YUV, 16 Mbps Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.000
• AVI
  • NTSC DV Widescreen progressive 30Mbps
  • Widescreen NTSC DV video files compatible with Sony Video Capture. Audio: 48,000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo, PCM Video: 29.970 fps, 720x480 Progressive, NTSC DV Wide Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.212
• MXF
  • HD422 1920x1080-24p 50 Mbps
  • Audio: 48,000 Hz, 24 Bit, Stereo, PCM Video: 23.976 fps, 1920x1080 Progressive, MPEG HD422 Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.000

Film Audio Transfer - Super8, 8mm

Purpose & Overview This describes the procedure to transfer audio from Super8 sound film and from 8mm sound film.  The general process is to run the film through a projector that can read the audio track and transfer the audio to the computer.  Once on the computer the audio can then be merged with the video.

Overview Connections

Projector (currently the Elmo) connects to the Echo Layla box via a 3.5 stereo cable should be plugged into the rear of the Layla box in position "line input" 7.  Layla box plugs into Layla PCI card in Audio Capture system/computer.

8mm Equipment Required

8mm/Super8 sound projector. Eumig Mark S 710D. Now using the Elmo Projector.

• power transformer for 120v 60Hz to 220v 50Hz conversion.

Super8 take up reel.  Sankyo reel is a good one (not with the Elmo).

Echo Layla box.

The XP PC called "Music" to record the audio onto.

3.5mm stereo male to 5 pin DIN cable to connect the PC (via the Echo Layla) to the projector.  This cable could replace the one that is plugged into the Echo Layla box.

Super8 Equipment Required

Super8 sound projector. Yashica Sound P820. Now using the ELMO.

Super8 take up reel.

Echo Layla box.

The XP PC called "Music" to record the audio onto.

3.5mm stereo male to male cable cable that should be already connected to the Echo Layla and should be plugged into the projector's "monitor out" jack.

Summary

Play the  sound film through the  sound projector and record the output audio onto the PC.  In post the audio files are merged with the video that was transferred using the Retro units.

8mm Steps

1. Set up the Eumig projector near the Echo Layla box in the recroom.
2. Mount the take up reel on the projector
3. Connect "Music" to the projector using the 5 pin DIN to 3.5mm stereo cable.  There will be a 3.5mm cable already plugged into the Echo Layla box....replace this cable wit the 3.5mm to 5 pin DIN cable.  The 3.5 stereo plug should be plugged into the female 3.5mm/1/4" adaptor plugged into the Layla and the 5 pin DIN plug should be plugged into the DIN socket labeled with a "play" symbol (side of the projector with the knobs and switches, nearest the front of the lens).
4. Open Sony Vegas on Music and create a new audio track.  There should be a 2 track sample in the RAW folder.
5. Make sure the audio input is set to line-in..... a) Record input: "Line-in VIA High Definition Au (Default)" b) .... this is set  under options / preferences / audio device (tab) / Default audio recording device (field) c) If this is not set correctly on the track info, then you may have to change it under the preferences and you may have to delete and recreate the audio track to set it correctly. d) If you are not getting the audio...you may have to check the settings in VIA HD Audio Deck (found in icon tray) to make sure that the "line-in" is set correctly.
6. Mount the film on the projector's long arm.
7. Clockwise rotate the projector's run switch to the first position (load).
8. Just below the lens is a black "push-switch"....push this and hold it.
9. Feed the film into the front slot above the lens.  Once it catches it should start feeding through the film pathway.  Watch the film and make sure it does not jam or bunch up in the pathway.  IMMEDIATELY turn knob to OFF if jam occurs and then rewind the film.
10. When the film reaches the take-up reel it may catch nicely or you may have to stop the film and manually make it catch.  You can also let go of the "push-switch" once the film appears at the back of the projector.
11. Make sure the projector's volume control knob labelled with a Nike swoosh is set around 10:30 o'clock (you may want to test this setting).
12. Test if Vegas is getting the audio by.... a) creating an audio track b) clicking the "arm for record" (in the track header info) and setting up where to record c) running the projector and watching for the audio bars in Vegas to react
13. Once your satisfied with the audio levels in Vegas.... a) Rewind projector to start b) click the "record" button in Vegas c) start the projector
14. Clockwise rotate the run knob to either position to run the film.
15. When the film is done, hit the "stop" on Sony Vegas, and rotate the projector's run knob to the "off" position.
16. Thread the film back into the original reel and rotate the run knob to reverse (first position - counter clockwise).
17. Repeat the above for all the films.  It helps if the audio file numbering matches the film video numbering.
18. Match up the audio to the video.

Super8 Steps

1. Set up the projector near the Echo Layla box in the recroom.
2. Remove ELMO cover off the projector (pull straight out) so that one can see the film's path
3. Mount the take up reel on the projector
4. Connect "Music" to the projector using the 3.5mm male-male stereo cable.  The 3.5 stereo plug should already be plugged into the Echo Layla that in turn is connected to "Music".  The other end of the 3.5mm plug cable should be plugged into the "MONITOR-OUT" jack at the back of the projector.
5. Open Sony Vegas on Music and create a new audio track.  There should be a 1 track TEMPLATE in the F:/RAW folder.
6. Make sure the audio input is plugged  into the MONITOR OUT jack..... a) Record input: "Line-in VIA High Definition Au (Default)" b) .... this is set  under options / preferences / audio device (tab) / Default audio recording device (field) c) If this is not set correctly on the track info, then you may have to change it under the preferences and you may have to delete and recreate the audio track to set it correctly. d) If you are not getting the audio...you may have to check the settings in VIA HD Audio Deck (found in icon tray) to make sure that the "line-in" is set correctly.
7. Mount the film on the projector's long arm.
8. Make sure the projector control labelled "volume" is set around 12 o'clock.
9. Clockwise rotate the projector's run switch to the last position to the right as this includes audio capture.
10. Just above the lens is a green "PUSH" button on top....push and hold this (it will not stay down).
11. Feed the film into the green front slot.  Once it catches it should start feeding through the film pathway.  Watch the film and make sure it does not jam or bunch up in the pathway.  IMMEDIATELY turn knob to OFF if jam occurs and then turn the knob left to rewind the film.
12. When the film reaches the take-up reel it may catch nicely or you may have to stop the film and manually make it catch.
13. Test if Vegas is getting the audio by.... a) creating an audio track b) clicking the "arm for record" (in the track header info) and setting up where to record c) running the projector and watching for the audio bars in Vegas to react
14. Once your satisfied with the audio levels in Vegas.... a) Rewind projector to start b) click the "record" button in Vegas c) start the projector (all the way to the right (clockwise))
15. Clockwise rotate the run knob to the furthest point (play audio).
16. When the film is done, hit the "stop" on Sony Vegas, and rotate the projector's run knob to the "off" position.
17. Thread the film back into the original reel and rotate the run knob to reverse (first position - counter clockwise). Or just take the reel off and use the manual winders.
18. Repeat the above for all the films.  It helps if the audio file numbering matches the film video numbering.
19. Match up the audio to the video.

Editing And Syncing Audio - Super8

Assume that when the audio is captured via the projector, the projector is run at the right speed for that particular film and therefore the audio should be correct and not require much if any adjusting.  The adjusting should be done to the video.  You'll find that the video and audio will never match at first.

If the audio requires adjusting then it will need to be adjusted by doing a time stretch:

• right click the audio track and select the properties.
• "Audio Event" tab should open.
• Under the "Time Stretch / pitch shift" update the Method: drop down to "Classic"
• Check the Pitch change: Lock to stretch box and fill in the ratio with:
  • 1.45 in the Super8 film is 18fps
  • 5.00 if the Super8 film is 24fps (the projector is run at 18fps)

Sometimes the ratio may need to be adjusted a little to fit perfectly.  One can also stretch the video a little to fit too (in addition to setting the ratio first).

Issue Existing With 8mm Audio

We still have a hum in the audio.  I tried moving the "disc"s around and optimized the hum but did not eliminate it.  The projector's power plug has been altered and the Euro plug replaced with a two prong America plug.  This plugs in the transformer.  The original plug had a ground and I thought this may be an issue for the hum and Peter Knight told me that a ground would NOT change the hum.

============================================================================================

Elmo Sound ST-800 Super8 Projector with Audio

Purpose & Overview

This describes the procedure to transfer audio from Super8 sound film and from 8mm sound film.  The general process is to run the film through a projector that can read the audio track and transfer the audio to the computer.  Once on the computer the audio can then be merged with the video via Sony Vegas.

Overview Connections

Projector connects to the Echo Layla box via a 3.5 stereo cable that should be plugged into the rear of the Layla box in position "line input" 7 (top position).  Layla box plugs into Layla PCI card in Music (audio station).

8mm Equipment Required

8mm/Super8 sound projector. Elmo Sound ST-800

Super8 take up reel.  An 800' Elmo reel is included in the Elmo kit.

Echo Layla box.

The PC called "Music" to record the audio.

3.5mm stereo male to 5 pin DIN cable to connect the PC (via the Echo Layla) to the projector.  This cable could replace the one that is plugged into the Echo Layla box.

Super8 Equipment Required

Super8 sound projector. Elmo Sound ST-800.

Super8 take up reel.  An 800' Elmo reel is included in the Elmo kit.

Echo Layla box.

The PC called "Music" to record the audio onto.

NOTE:

3.5mm stereo male to male cable cable that should be already connected to the Echo Layla and should be plugged into the projector's Monitor jack!! Note: this is completely opposite from the Yashica Sound P820 used previously. The Aux Out jack will NOT produce the sound from the film's audio track!! Also NOTE: When the cable is not plugged into either the Aux Out or the Monitor Out you will be able to hear the audio from the projector's on board speaker.

Summary

Play the  sound film through the  sound projector and record the output audio onto the PC.  In post the audio files are merged with the video that was transferred using the Retro units.

8mm Steps

1. Set up the Eumig projector near the Echo Layla box .
2. Mount the take up reel on the projector
3. Connect "Music" to the projector using the 5 pin DIN to 3.5mm stereo cable.  There will be a 3.5mm cable already plugged into the Echo Layla box....replace this cable wit the 3.5mm to 5 pin DIN cable.  The 3.5 stereo plug should be plugged into the female 3.5mm/1/4" adaptor plugged into the Layla and the 5 pin DIN plug should be plugged into the DIN socket labeled with a "play" symbol (side of the projector with the knobs and switches, nearest the front of the lens).
4. Open Sony Vegas on Music and create a new audio track.  There should be a 2 track sample in the RAW folder.
5. Make sure the audio input is set to line-in..... a) Record input: "Line-in VIA High Definition Au (Default)" b) .... this is set  under options / preferences / audio device (tab) / Default audio recording device (field) c) If this is not set correctly on the track info, then you may have to change it under the preferences and you may have to delete and recreate the audio track to set it correctly. d) If you are not getting the audio...you may have to check the settings in VIA HD Audio Deck (found in icon tray) to make sure that the "line-in" is set correctly.
6. Mount the film on the projector's long arm.
7. Clockwise rotate the projector's run switch to the first position (load).
8. Just below the lens is a black "push-switch"....push this and hold it.
9. Feed the film into the front slot above the lens.  Once it catches it should start feeding through the film pathway.  Watch the film and make sure it does not jam or bunch up in the pathway.  IMMEDIATELY turn knob to OFF if jam occurs and then rewind the film.
10. When the film reaches the take-up reel it may catch nicely or you may have to stop the film and manually make it catch.  You can also let go of the "push-switch" once the film appears at the back of the projector.
11. Make sure the projector's volume control knob labelled with a Nike swoosh is set around 10:30 o'clock (you may want to test this setting).
12. Test if Vegas is getting the audio by.... a) creating an audio track b) clicking the "arm for record" (in the track header info) and setting up where to record c) running the projector and watching for the audio bars in Vegas to react
13. Once your satisfied with the audio levels in Vegas.... a) Rewind projector to start b) click the "record" button in Vegas c) start the projector
14. Clockwise rotate the run knob to either position to run the film.
15. When the film is done, hit the "stop" on Sony Vegas, and rotate the projector's run knob to the "off" position.
16. Thread the film back into the original reel and rotate the run knob to reverse (first position - counter clockwise).
17. Repeat the above for all the films.  It helps if the audio file numbering matches the film video numbering.
18. Match up the audio to the video.

Super8 Steps

1. Set up the projector near the Echo Layla box at the Audio Computer Station.
2. Removal of the Elmo  cover from the projector (pull straight out) exposes the film's path to ensure that it does not get jammed along the way
3. Mount the take up reel on the projector
4. Connect the "Audio Computer" to the projector using the 3.5mm male-male stereo cable from the Layla.  The 3.5 stereo plug should already be plugged into the Echo Layla that in turn is connected to the "Audio Computer".  The other end of the 3.5mm plug cable should be plugged into the "MONITOR OUT" jack at the rear of the projector.
5. Open Sony Vegas 10 on Audio Computer that creates the audio track.  There should be a single track sample generated in the RAW folder created for that specific client.
6. Make sure the audio input is set to line-in..... a) Record input: "Line-in VIA High Definition Au (Default)" b) .... this is set  under options / preferences / audio device (tab) / Default audio recording device (field) c) If this is not set correctly on the track info, then you may have to change it under the preferences and you may have to delete and recreate the audio track to set it correctly. d) If you are not getting the audio...you may have to check the settings in VIA HD Audio Deck (found in icon tray) to make sure that the "line-in" is set correctly.
7. Mount the film on the projector's long arm.
8. Make sure the projector control labelled "volume" is set around 12 o'clock.
9. Clockwise rotate the projector's run switch to the third position (run with audio).
10. Just above the lens is a green "PUSH" button....press this once while threading the film, or until the film appears at the take-up reel.
11. Feed the film into the front slot on the green thing.  Once it catches it should start feeding through the film pathway.  Watch the film and make sure it does not jam or bunch up in the pathway.  IMMEDIATELY turn knob to OFF if jam occurs and then rewind the film. If it does not come back out while attempting to rewind you may need to manually release the film from the thread path to start again.
12. When the film reaches the take-up reel it may catch nicely or you may have to stop the film and manually make it catch (the reel should take up the film while rotating clockwise, ie. the film is taken up from the rear of the reel).
13. Test if Vegas is getting the audio by.... a) creating an audio track b) clicking the "arm for record" (in the track header info) and setting up where the file is to record to c) running the projector and watching for the audio bars in Vegas to react
14. Once your satisfied wit the audio levels in Vegas.... a) Rewind projector to start b) click the "record" button in Vegas c) start the projector
15. Clockwise rotate the run knob to the furthest point (play audio).
16. When the film is done, hit the "stop" on Sony Vegas, and rotate the projector's run knob to the "off" position.
17. Thread the film back into the original reel and rotate the run knob to reverse (first position - counter clockwise).
18. Repeat the above for all the films.  It helps if the audio file numbering matches the film video numbering.
19. Match up the audio to the video in Vegas (not the City, the program).

Editing And Syncing Audio - Super8

Assume that when the audio is captured via the projector, the projector is run at the right speed for that particular film and therefore the audio should be correct and not require much if any adjusting.  The adjusting should be done to the video.  You'll find that the video and audio will never match at first.

If the audio requires adjusting then it will need to be adjusted by doing a time stretch:

• right click the audio track and select the properties.
• "Audio Event" tab should open.
• Under the "Time Stretch / pitch shift" update the Method: drop down to "Classic"
• Check the Pitch change: Lock to stretch box and fill in the ratio with:
  • 1.45 in the Super8 film is 18fps
  • 5.00 if the Super8 film is 24fps (the projector is run at 18fps)

Sometimes the ratio may need to be adjusted a little to fit perfectly.  One can also stretch the video a little to fit too (in addition to setting the ratio first).

Issue Existing With 8mm Audio

We still have a hum in the audio.  I tried moving the "disc"s around and optimized the hum but did not eliminate it.  The projector's power plug has been altered and the Euro plug replaced with a two prong America plug.  This plugs in the transformer.  The original plug had a ground and I thought this may be an issue for the hum and Peter Knight told me that a ground would NOT change the hum.

BlackMagic Motion JPEG Codec

Overview The BlackMagic (BM) Motion JPEG codec is the codec that is used to create the AVI files generated during the film capture through the BlackMagic Intensity Pro capture card from the Sniper units.  The codec is maintained in the final file that is generated by the Cinecap VelocityHD program.

Issue

When these AVI files are ingested into the various NLE programs, these programs need to be able to translate the AVI files.  Customers have reported that Adobe's Premier Pro (CS 4 or CS5) does not natively ingest these files.  One person with a new system (quad-core PC, 8GB RAM, Win7 64bit) and CS5 and our website sample download got the dialogue box that said:  "The project file appears to be damaged"....he could however play it using a player on his system.

Install Codec

However, it cannot hurt to have the BlackMagic Motion JPEG codec.  Here's the instructions on how to install it:

It appears that they've repackaged things and the codec  can now be downloaded in something called "Desktop Video".  The other person that downloaded this had no problems and even found a cool utility to analyse his drive configuration for editing HD footage.  The direct link to download it for windows (xp, vista and 7) is here:

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/support/detail/?sid=3947&pid=3989&os=win&leg=0

Otherwise here's the route:

1) http://www.blackmagic-design.com/support/

2) Then select the OS, the Product Series is "Intensity", and the Product is "Intensity Pro" ... then click the <Search> button.

3) Under the downloads title, select the <Download> button for "Desktop Video 9.0 for Windows"

Film Transfers - Cleaning and Preparing

Overview: Just some notes on preparing and cleaning film before transferring.

How Should the Film Appear On the Rewinders

When one is standing in front of the rewinders, the film should:

• Be mounted on the right rewind post.
• The take-up reel (the empty one) should be on the left rewind post (the drive post with the handle)
• The sprockets should be on the far side of the film.
• The film should be coming off the top of the reel to the top of the take-up reel
• The emulsion side (the duller side) of the film should be facing up (we are talking about the black film and not the leader....may need to unwind the film a little to see the actual film)

Basic Rewinder Process

1. Rewind the film from the “dead” post ot the “active” (on your left).
2. Clean the film with a lint free cloth with a spot soaked in Solvon.
   1. Pinch the cloth around the film as you move the film
   2. I pinch the film near the “dead” post for two reasons:
      1. i.      The film has a longer period to dry before winding onto the take-up reel
      2. ii.      I can brake the “dead” reel easier if I’m near it (needed if you suddenly have to stop)
3. When the film has been moved and cleaned....
4. Move the reels from one post to the other keeping the reels in the same orientation
5. Now thread the film from the bottom of the right reel to the bottom of the take-up reel (the original reel)
   1. The film between the reels should be the glossy side up
   2. The film on the reels should be the emulsion side up

Situations or Problems:

When cleaning and preparing the film for transferring you can come across a few situations.  Here’s a list of them and the solutions:

• Upside down and backwards:
  • How can you tell.  The film will come of the reel with the shiny side (non-emulsion side) facing up.
  • Solution:
    • We have the original reel, call it reel A, and the spare take-up reel, call it reel B
    • Mount reel B (spare take-up reel) on the left post
    • Rewind film from the top of the reel A (original reel) to the bottom of the reel B
    • Reel B will now have the dull side (expulsion side) up
    • Remove reel B from the post
      • With the reel oriented such that the sprockets are near you, the film will now be rolling off the right hand side
      • Mount reel B on projector and scan
      • Replace reel B with reel A (the original reel) and rewind the film back onto reel A
• Splices Only On One Side
  • How can you tell:
    • Examining the film at the splices.
  • Problems this can cause:
    • When scanning 8mm film, the film will tend to get stuck in the track and jam causing the film to bunch up and wrinkle!!!
    • For 16mm film this can cause the film to jerk sharply at the top of the film path and this is turn may cause the projector to stop or the film to break or just to jerk during the scan.
  • Solution:
    • When winding the film through the rewinder keep and eye out for changes in film where a splice has occurred.
    • Generally the splices are at the end of 50 foot films that have been spliced together
    • You can usually feel the splice when cleaning it
• Film On Reel Backwards
  • How can you tell:
    • Look at a film frame closely. The top of the frame should be toward the head of the film (or the top of the frame should be toward the leader).
  • Problems this can cause:
    • When scanning the film (8mm or 16mm), the film will be scanned upside down and backwards.
  • Solution:
    • Rather than winding the film onto the cleaning reel and back onto the original reel before scanning we need to wind the film (while cleaning it) onto a temporary reel.
    • Then mount the temporary reel on the Sniper unit.
    • Scan the film as you normally would.
    • When the film is on the take-up reel, replace the temporary reel wit the original reel and then rewind the film onto the original reel.
    • The film should now be scanned and the original reel should have the film with the head facing out.

Vegas - Adjusting Film Side Bars

Overview:On a Vegas film project template we use two separate video tracks that create black bars on the left and right of the image to hide the sprockets and film edges.   One video track creates the bar on the left and the other video track creates the bar on the right.  Every now and again these bars do not cover these areas correctly. Here's how to change them.

Adjusting the Bars:

1. <right-click> with the cursor placed on the video track that needs adjusting.
2. <select> "Edit Generated Media"
3. The generated media is a "Sony Color Gradient".  There are three "control points" that make up the gradient.  Typically when you open the Color Gradient it will show a number "1" in centre of the color gradient window.   The "Control Point Properties" window on the right will start with the "Distance" parameter.  We need to be IN ANOTHER DISPLAY".
4. Under the "Control Points" window there are six buttons (+, -, <-, ->,...etc).  Click on the "<-" button.
5. The "Control Point Properties" window should now start with a "X:" and "Y:" boxes with the values of 0.500 in them.
6. Adjust the "X:" value to change how far or how little the bar moves across the image.  For example, 0.4 will occupy a sliver along the edge of the image, whereas a value of 0.85 will cover almost half the image.

Film Transfers - Negative Films

Overview: Negative films (both 8mm and 16mm) require white balancing otherwise the finished film can be off in colour. I also found that if the white balance is off not only the colour can be impacted but so can the clarity of the image. I had one film that I incorrectly white balanced and the film had a green milky look about it. The milky look cleared up once the film was correctly white balanced.

White Balance - How:

1) Set VelocityHD to process NEGATIVE. 2) Load the film into the scanner and cue it up to a "white" section at the start of the film. Usually the best section is a clear piece of film at the beginning. 3) Push the menu button on the camera. 4) Toggle to the white balance and push the toggle in. 5) Run an 10 or 20 second test. 6) Process the test clip and view it. 7) If okay, proceed to the next step, otherwise repeat steps 2 to 6 on a different clip. 8) Re-cue the film to the start and scan it. 9) At the end, don't forget to RESET to WHITE BALANCE ..... set to white balance using no film in the gate.

Note

Setting the white balance on the capture camera WILL stay set even if the camera is turned off.  What will NOT stay set is the exposure setting.  If the camera is turned off the exposure setting will have to be re-calibrated (set it using the same method as before)

More Reference:

Here's a link to moviestuff's instructions on negative exposure.

Film Transfers - How Long Does It Take

16mm Film Scanning:   6 minutes per 100 feet

Processing (Negative):  19 minutes per 100 feet

Scanning and processing:    26 minutes per 100 feet

Cleaning: extra time

8mm Film:

Scanning:   5 minutes per 50 feet

Processing:  15 minutes per 50 feet when processing a file on N to C on Flag

Processing:  18.5 minutes per 50 feet when processing a file on N to N on Flag

Scanning and processing:    20 to 24 minutes per 50 feet

Cleaning: extra time

Film Transfers - Extreme Exposure

Overview Sometimes a film can have an extreme exposure.  For example I just had a 16mm film that was shot in B&W and the subject was highlighted by a "bright" light and the rest of the frame was black.....(you know, sort of like the interrogation under the bright light routine).

Problem:

Using the automatic settings caused the subject to blow out and the black to go gray and grainy.  Not good!

Test Solution:

When you have a film that you know is going to be difficult, test and process a small section so that you can view the result.

Solution:

In summary, the solution is to go manual on the camera exposure settings and/or the LED light source.

I tried using the LED light source and bringing the brightness down to just above off.   The processed film showed horizontal rolling lines in the black.   This is probably due to the LED's not working well at such a low level.  The blacks and contrast looked good though.

Next I tried setting the camera's exposure on manual and knocking it down to -3 of -6.  At the same time I also put the LED's on manual and turned them down a little.  It was a balancing act between the LED's and the exposure setting.  I tried not to turn the LED's too low to make sure i did not get the horizontal rolling lines....I just took the edge of the light.  I did a test section and viewed the results before doing the whole film.

Here's a link to moviestuff's instructions on manual exposure.

Film Cleaning and Prep Pointers

Overview: This article is on pointers regarding film cleaning.

Tools:

Rewinder, film cleaning fluid (Edwal bottles have Solvon), cleaning cloth, splices, splicer.

Basics:

• The rewinder should be placed on the table with the handles facing the operator.  The left rewinder should be the drive or geared rewinder and the right rewinder the slave.
• The film should be mounted on the slave.
• Film reel orientation:
  • for 8mm and 16mm sound, the sprocket holes should be on the far side of the reel
  • for 16mm silent, the sprocket holes are on both sides so they cannot help in orientation
  • BEWARE 16mm leader can be incorrect....ie. I've seen silent leader on sound film (the film has sprockets only on one side)
  • typically the film will come off the top of the reel to the top of the take-up reel
  • the film's emulsion side will be facing up
  • 16mm film frames are facing heads-up toward the leader.  If the frames are heads-down, then the film is on the reel tail out.
    • tail out film needs to be wound onto the take-up reel
    • while winding the film, clean it
    • when done winding, take the take-up reel and mount it on the projector
      • when the reel has been processed to thru the projector....
        • replace the original take-up reel with the original reel
        • rewind the film back onto the original reel
• soak some of the cleaning fluid on the cleaning cloth
• pinch the cleaning cloth on the film as you wind it onto the take-up reel
• then rewind the film back to the original reel
• if the film is very dirty and long I will refresh the cleaning cloth with more fluid part way thru the cleaning.  I may also clean the film on the return to the original reel

Film Date Codes and Other Film Info

Good website regarding 16mm film stocks and how to id: http://www.paulivester.com/films/filmstock/guide.htm

AMIA the assoc of moving image archivists site with lots of good info including a date code chart:

http://www.amianet.org/resources/guidelinesnologin.php?accesscheck=/resources/guidelines.php

Here's another source with some differences especially for Canada (also in pdf in LHF procedures film info folder):

http://www.filmforever.org/Edgecodes.pdf

Another date code source:

http://historicphotoarchive.com/f1/16ekcode.html

Very good info on multiple types of film and how to id the dates:

http://www.brianpritchard.com/Date%20Codes.htm

Here's another blog with several edge code tables:

http://www.film-tech.com/ubb/f1/t011524.html

16mm Sound Film Pointers

Purpose This article focuses on transferring 16mm sound film.

What Can We Transfer

We can only transfer 16mm film with an optical sound track.

How Can You Identify Sound Film

16mm sound film has sprockets only on one side of the film.  Be aware though that sometimes the leader may not be the same as the film.  I have encountered silent film leader (sprockets on both side of the film) and then the film was a sound film (sprockets only on one side).   An optical sound track runs along the film on the opposite side to the sprocket holes.  The optical track looks like a dark and light wave pattern running along the edge of the film.

Preparation

1. Mount the film on the rewinders with the empty take-up reel on the crank winder.
2. Check to make sure the film is on the reel correctly:
   1. Emulsion side should be facing up...on the outside of the reel.
   2. For sound film the sprockets should be away from the rewinder stands.
   3. Sometimes the leader will say "header" or "trailer"....if it says trailer then the film is more than likely backward on the reel.
3. Check the leader of the film to make sure it has about 3 feet of leader.
4. Clean the film on the rewinders using the Solvon solution and a rag.
5. Rewind after cleaning.
6. Clean the Sniper-16 HD's:
   1. Gate using compressed air
   2. all the other track areas using compressed air
   3. wipe the lens with a lens cleaning cloth
   4. clean the sound drum (big silver drum with a red dot in the middle) with a piece of paper-towel and rubbing alcohol.
7. Set the silent/sound toggle switch to "sound".
8. Check the volume control knob.  It should be set to about 11:00 or 11:30.  Treble and bass are usually at 12:00.
9. Thread the film and run.

Film On Reel Incorrectly - How To Fix

Backward.

Sprocket on the wrong side.

Super8 and 8mm Sound Transfer

Purpose This describes the procedure to transfer audio from Super8 sound film and from 8mm sound film.

Space Connection

A 3.5 stereo cable should be plugged into the rear "line-in" jack (blue)(bottom row of jacks, corner nearest Jason's room) and the female 3.5mm end should be found between Space and Mac.

8mm Equipment Required

8mm/Super8 sound projector. Eumig Mark S 710D.

• power transformer for 120v 60Hz to 220v 50Hz conversion.

Super8 take up reel.  Sankyo reel is a good one.

The PC called "Space" to record the audio onto.

3.5mm stereo male to 5 pin DIN cable to connect the PC's line-out  (rear) to the projector.

Super8 Equipment Required

Super8 sound projector. Yashica Sound P820.

Super8 take up reel.  Sankyo reel is a good one.

The PC called "Space" to record the audio onto.

3.5mm stereo male to male cable to connect the PC's line-out  (rear) to the projector.

Summary

Play the  sound film through the  sound projector and record the output audio onto the PC.  In post the audio files are merged with the video that was transferred using the Sniper units.

8mm Steps

1. Set up the Eumig projector.
2. Mount the take up reel on the projector
3. Connect "Space" to the projector using the 5 pin DIN to 3.5mm stereo cable.  The 3.5 stereo plug should be plugged into the female 3.5mm plug and the 5 pin DIN plug should be plugged into the DIN socket labeled with a "play" symbol (side of the projector with the knobs and switches, nearest the front of the lens).
4. Open Sony Vegas on Space and create a new audio track.
5. Make sure the audio input is set to line-in..... a) Record input: "Line-in VIA High Definition Au (Default)" b) .... this is set  under options / preferences / audio device (tab) / Default audio recording device (field) c) If this is not set correctly on the track info, then you may have to change it under the preferences and you may have to delete and recreate the audio track to set it correctly. d) If you are not getting the audio...you may have to check the settings in VIA HD Audio Deck (found in icon tray) to make sure that the "line-in" is set correctly.
6. Mount the film on the projector's long arm.
7. Clockwise rotate the projector's run switch to the first position (load).
8. Just below the lens is a black "push-switch"....push this and hold it.
9. Feed the film into the front slot above the lens.  Once it catches it should start feeding through the film pathway.  Watch the film and make sure it does not jam or bunch up in the pathway.  IMMEDIATELY turn knob to OFF if jam occurs and then rewind the film.
10. When the film reaches the take-up reel it may catch nicely or you may have to stop the film and manually make it catch.  You can also let go of the "push-switch" once the film appears at the back of the projector.
11. Make sure the projector's volume control knob labelled with a Nike swoosh is set around 10:30 o'clock (you may want to test this setting).
12. Test if Vegas is getting the audio by.... a) creating an audio track b) clicking the "arm for record" (in the track header info) and setting up where to record c) running the projector and watching for the audio bars in Vegas to react
13. Once your satisfied with the audio levels in Vegas.... a) Rewind projector to start b) click the "record" button in Vegas c) start the projector
14. Clockwise rotate the run knob to either position to run the film.
15. When the film is done, hit the "stop" on Sony Vegas, and rotate the projector's run knob to the "off" position.
16. Thread the film back into the original reel and rotate the run knob to reverse (first position - counter clockwise).
17. Repeat the above for all the films.  It helps if the audio file numbering matches the film video numbering.
18. Match up the audio to the video.

Super8 Steps

1. Set up the projector.
2. Remove Yashica cover off the projector (pull straight out) so that one can see the film's path
3. Mount the take up reel on the projector
4. Connect "Space" to the projector using the 3.5mm male-male stereo cable.  The 3.5 stereo plug should be plugged into the female 3.5mm plug coming from "Space" and the other 3.5mm plug should be plugged into the "MONO AUX-OUT" jack at the back of the projector.
5. Open Sony Vegas on Space and create a new audio track.
6. Make sure the audio input is set to line-in..... a) Record input: "Line-in VIA High Definition Au (Default)" b) .... this is set  under options / preferences / audio device (tab) / Default audio recording device (field) c) If this is not set correctly on the track info, then you may have to change it under the preferences and you may have to delete and recreate the audio track to set it correctly. d) If you are not getting the audio...you may have to check the settings in VIA HD Audio Deck (found in icon tray) to make sure that the "line-in" is set correctly.
7. Mount the film on the projector's long arm.
8. Make sure the projector control labelled "volume" is set around 12 o'clock.
9. Clockwise rotate the projector's run switch to the first position (load).
10. Just above the lense is a "PUSH" button on a white thing....push this once (this should stay down).
11. Feed the film into the front slot on the white thing.  Once it catches it should start feeding through the film pathway.  Watch the film and make sure it does not jam or bunch up in the pathway.  IMMEDIATELY turn knob to OFF if jam occurs and then rewind the film.
12. When the film reaches the take-up reel it may catch nicely or you may have to stop the film and manually make it catch.
13. Test if Vegas is getting the audio by.... a) creating an audio track b) clicking the "arm for record" (in the track header info) and setting up where to record c) running the projector and watching for the audio bars in Vegas to react
14. Once your satisfied wit the audio levels in Vegas.... a) Rewind projector to start b) click the "record" button in Vegas c) start the projector
15. Clockwise rotate the run knob to the furthest point (play audio).
16. When the film is done, hit the "stop" on Sony Vegas, and rotate the projector's run knob to the "off" position.
17. Thread the film back into the original reel and rotate the run knob to reverse (first position - counter clockwise).
18. Repeat the above for all the films.  It helps if the audio file numbering matches the film video numbering.
19. Match up the audio to the video.

Editing And Syncing Audio - Super8

Found that the video and audio are never captured at the same speed and therefore the video and audio tracks will never match in edit.  The audio needs to be adjusted by doing a time stretch:

• right click the audio track and select the properties.
• "Audio Event" tab should open.
• Under the "Time Stretch / pitch shift" update the Method: drop down to "Classic"
• Check the Pitch change: Lock to stretch box and fill in the ratio with 1.45

Sometimes the ratio may need to be adjusted a little to fit perfectly.  One can also stretch the video a little to fit too (in addition to setting the ratio first).

Issue Existing With 8mm Audio

We still have a hum in the audio.  I tried moving the "disc"s around and optimized the hum but did not eliminate it.  The projector's power plug has been altered and the Euro plug replaced with a two prong America plug.  This plugs in the transformer.  The original plug had a ground and I thought this may be an issue for the hum and Peter Knight told me that a ground would NOT change the hum.

Restoring Film

Purpose: This is to describe how to handle film that has been damaged by mold or shrunken or whatever.  This article is for major film problems.  For minor contamination, check the article called "Clean and Splice Moldy Film".

Here's a list of some major problems that we can deal with:

• water damage and therefore mold on the film's surface
• minor shrinking (1 to 5% shrinkage can still be handled without doing anything, we are talking about 5-10%?)

Summary:

Basically, we need to handle the film carefully so as not to spread the contamination.  First we prepare the work area.  Then, we soak and clean the film.  And in the process of soaking and cleaning the film, we get rid of contaminated reels and boxes by loading the clean film onto new reels.  We soak the film in Filmrenew and therefore the process can take anywhere from a few days to weeks depending on what needs to be done.

Customer needs to be made aware:

• We CANNOT use the original reel or box and therefore we MUST sell them a new reel.  We will splice and combine as many reels as will fit onto the new reel (ie. a 400ft reel will fit 8 small 50ft reels).
• The process can take anywhere from a few days to weeks depending on the problem.
• The cost is by the hour.

Procedure:

1. Determine the problem and the appropriate solution.  All of these solutions involve using Filmrenew and soaking the film for a period of minutes to weeks:

• Is the film covered in mold? - stop mold growth and clean the film - soak in Filmrenew for 1 to 2 minutes
• Is the film stuck together? - soak film to soften film and clean - soak in Filmrenew for 30 to 60 minutes or longer until film starts to separate
• Has the film shrunk more than 5% and less than 10%? - soak film to soften and relax the film - soak in Filmrenew for days?...not sure how long
• Has the film warped or curled or other mis-shaping - soak film to soften and relax the film - soak in Filmrenew for days?...not sure how long

2. Prepare the work area (work in area with lots of fresh air....usually the carport!):

• change into clothes that can get dirty
• Clear and set up the table
• Put the film winder on the table.
• Get the 35mm cans for soaking the film.
• Get the Filmrenew and film cleaning "cloths" (PEC-PAD non-abrasive wipes or soft cloths)
• Get a bucket of solution (Persue & LOC and water) for cleaning your hands and a couple of rags for drying your hands
• To handle the contaminated items, use clamps to hang two "garbage" bags for  next the processing table.  One bag to handle boxes and another to handle reels.
• Get slicer, splice tapes, and leader film.

2. Organize films that will be spliced together.

• Create a folder for the project on K: and create an xls file as follows:  K:\(nnnnnnn) Film Transfers - AAAAA\files\xls\AAAAA  films - info (edit 1.0).xls
• Copy the xls template from.....
• Examine and document the films - in the excel sheet enter information such as notes on the film box, mailing dates, best before dates, etc
• Number each box of film as per documented
• In the excel sheet note the date order of  the films in the "order #" column and sort the films in ascending date order
• Using the DVD #/reel # column, note the reel number based on how many films on each reel.  For example, a 400ft reel will take 8 - 50ft reels, so the first 8 - 50ft reels will have the same reel number
• Organize the reels in a basket in reverse order, and one basket per new reel (ie. a new 400ft reel basket will contain 8 - 50ft reels).

4. Soaking films.

• place the reels with film in the 35mm canister and pour the Filmrenew in to submerge the film
• soak the film for (soaking longer than needed does not cause any damage): - 2 minutes or so for mold problem - 30 to 60 minutes or so if film is stuck together - several days for wrap-age, shrinkage, or other damage that requires the film to soften and relax - place lid on canister and store safely in the shed

5. Cleaning films.

• Change into clothes that can get dirty
• Lift film out of the Filmrenew solution
• Carefully shake off excess liquid
• Run thru film rewinder (outside in carport) using a Filmrenew dampened cloth to remove excess liquid
• Take the film and lay it out (on its edge) in the shed for drying (on clean paper towels) (should really get a proper drying rack in shed...maybe something hanging from the ceiling, etc)
• After you're done with the canister of Filmrenew, pour the Filmrenew into a container of used Filmrenew.
• After the film has dried (a few days)....rewind onto a clean reel

References:

Larry Urbanski's film cleaning instructions:

http://moviecraft.tripod.com/filmclean.html

Copying Files to a Mac formatted drive in Ubuntu Linux

Today I figured out how to copy files to a Mac formatted drive in Ubuntu Linux for the purposes of a film transfers and why it doesn't usually work. Ubuntu Linux is capable by default to read HFS+ (most common current mac filesystem) and write to it unless journalling (a feature of the filesystem) is enabled. In this case, Ubuntu, or any other system except for OSX can only read the contents of the drive.

The default way to format a drive with DiskUtility on a Mac is to HFS+ with journalling on. Because there is no easy button for toggling it off, most people giving us drives formatted for use primarily with a Mac that have journalling enabled.

Journalling is great - it provides a way for a hard drive to very very quickly find the last known "good point" when it is unexpectedly snapped off due to a power failure or fails in other ways. It can prevent a lengthy rebuilding of the filesystem and have you up and running in seconds again. Journalling is required on any Mac boot drive. NEVER DISABLE JOURNALLING on the boot drive of any Mac.

You may need to disable journalling if you want to use Linux to copy files to external USB & FireWire drives.

Unfortunately, the only way to do this that I have found so far is on a Mac. Even on a Mac, since Leopard (OSX 10.5) the option to disable Journalling in the Disk Utility was removed. The functionality still exists in the terminal interface to diskutil though.

I have tested the following steps for disabling journalling on an external drive on Snow Leopard (OSX 10.6.4)

• Image that we want to disable journalling on an external drive named "Lucy"
• Open Terminal.
• Type "diskutil list"
• You will see something like this.

• You can see that the actual volume named "Lucy" is disk1s2. The preceding volumes in the same list are partition information. Don't mess with them!
• First you need to unmount the drive. You can do this from the finder or desktop by "Ejecting" the drive.
• To disable journalling on Lucy, you would now type "diskutil disableJournal /dev/disk1s2". Obviously replace "disk1s2 with your own volume's identifier.
• If it works, you will get the message "Journaling has been disabled for volume Lucy on disk1s2".
• If it fails, you may want to try the same command as root by adding sudo to the beginning of the command. This may require you to enter root's password.

Unfortunately, we aren't done yet. Typically, we create a folder called "tmmedia" on a customer's drive to copy our files to. Doing this on while using the Mac is the most painless.

When you get to the Linux computer you will use, you will need to start terminal and navigate to the drive. Usually the drive is located at /media/Lucy/ in our situation.

• Type "cd /media/Lucy/" to navigate there in Terminal.
• Now we should already have created a folder called "tmmedia" on the drive.
• We need to change permissions so that we can write to the drive.
• The easiest way to do this is to type "sudo chmod 777 tmmedia" assuming that we have navigated here already and that the folder is called tmmedia.

Now we can finally use the Linux browser to simply drag and drop the files we want to copy.

Once the copy is complete, if we want to re enable journalling to keep our customers' files safer, simply start Disk Utility on a Mac, click on the drive, and then click on the big green enable journalling button in the middle of the graphical user interface.

Process 8mm or 16mm Film

Purpose: This document describes how we process film.  The process includes the following stages:

• Identify and catalog the film.
• Make minor repairs.
• Clean the film.
• Scan the film.
• Render the film into the final format.

Before we start any film transfer we do three main things, identify and catalog the film, inspect the physical shape of the film, and clean the film.

Identify and Catalog

Before we catalog the film, we need to make sure the customer information has been entered into the client log, www.lifetimeheritagefilms.com/clients/.  In particular we need at least the name of the client and the email address.  The email address is required if the film process is deluxe.

In the film catalog file, www.film2hd.com/myfilm/ we fill in the boxes in three steps:

1. Initial information such as the customer name, film id number, and various physical film identification stuff.
2. While scanning the film, or after scanning the film, we can add "tags" that identify the content of the film for future searching of our database.
3. After rendering the film we can fill in details such as the length, fps, etc

First let's identify the film:

1. size of reel (check diameter of reel with film size table) <insert link>
2. type of film a) Regular 8mm (Reg8) - film is 8mm wide with large sprocket holes on one side b) Super 8mm (Super8) - film is 8mm wide with smaller sprocket holes on one side c) Super 8mm (Super8) sound - film is same as silent Super8 but on the edge opposite the sprockets you will find a very narrow magnetic audio strip d) 16mm silent - film is 16mm wide and has sprocket holes on both edges of the film e) 16mm sound - film is 16mm wide and has sprocket holes on one edge and a optical sound track on the other edge
3. any identifying marks on the container such as year, title, what is on the film

Inspect Film

Physically inspect the film for:

1. Mold.  If mold is found <link to process to deal with mold>
2. Check to make sure film is on the reel correctly (ie. backwards, upside down, etc) - film orientation a) The leader should have the shiny surface up (this may have dull surface up and it really does not matter) b) the film should have the emulsion surface up c) film frame will have the top of the frame nearest the leader d) mount the reel on the right rewinder (dead post) e) the sprockets must be on the far edge (away from you) f) the film will come off the reel at the top and toward the takeup reel
3. If no leader, add one.
4. Check to make sure the leader is long enough: a) 8mm film - 2 feet b) 16mm film - 3 feet
5. Trim end of 8mm leader if needed - no sharp corners on the edges at the end

Film Is Not On The Reel Correctly - Fixes

Problem: The film head is okay (top of frame is nearest the leader or start of film), but the non-emulsion side is up.

Solution: Mount the reel as per normal except that the leader will be coming off the bottom of the reel.  Take the leader and feed it to the top of the take-up reel.  Then wind the film as normal and rewind as normal.

Problem: The film is backwards on the reel.  The bottom of the frame is nearest the leader (or start of film).

Solution: Wind the film from the original reel to the take-up reel and DO NOT REWIND.  Take the take-up reel and mount it on the projector.  After scanning the film, remove the take-up reel and replace it wit the original reel.  Now rewind the film onto the original reel.

Clean Film

Clean the films on the rewinders using the Solvon film cleaner (in the little brown glass Edwal film cleaner bottles):

1. Mount the customers reel on the right rewinder and the takeup reel on the left
2. Thread the film from top to top of the reels
3. Grab a film cleaning cloth and the Solvon
4. Open the Solvon, put the cloth on the opening and tip the can until you feel the liquid on the cloth
5. Close the Solvon cap ASAP
6. Where the liquid is on the cloth, pinch the film in the cloth near the left winder
7. Holding the winder handle, slide the cloth to the right reel
8. keep the cloth pinching the film near the right reel and wind the film onto the left reel
9. wind film onto takeup reel
10. Switch the reels from one winder shaft to the other, keeping the reels in the same orientation
11. Now thread the right reel to the left reel (customer reel), this time the film should go from the bottom to the bottom of the reels
12. If the film appeared really dirty on the first pass I sometimes will re-clean the film when rewinding the film back onto the customer's reel

Tips

• Make sure that the cap on the Solvon is closed ASAP because the Solvon evaporates quickly.
• On large reels I sometimes stop the rewind and check the cloth to see how dirty the film is.  If dirty I switch to a clean location and put more Solvon on the cloth.

Scanning Film

1. Place machine in "stop" (16mm) or "rewind" (8mm)
2. Clean machine a) For 8mm machine
   • take cover off film track and spray both cover and track with canned air
   • wipe dust off machine with a cloth

   b) For 16mm machine

   • remove and clean film gate with canned air
   • spray canned air of film track
   • clean audio drum with rubbing alcohol
   • wipe dust off machine with a cloth
3. Mount the reel.  For the 8mm machine you may have to place or remove the Super8 adapter on the reel axle depending on the film reel hole.
4. Thread the machine with film a)For 8mm
   • Thread thru the top of the film track and keep feeding until the film comes out of the back end of the film track,
   • Make sure the start of the film is hooked under the film post just below the front reel.
   • Hook the film onto the take-up reel and manually wind the film around the reel a couple of times

   b) For 16mm

   • Thread the film thru the film wheels
   • Feed the film into the slot on the take-up reel and manually wind the film around the reel a couple of times
   • Make sure that there is a fingers spaces between the first wheel wheel and the film
   • Keep the finger in the loop above the first white wheel and rotate the start switch to 2 o'clock
   • Remove the finger from the loop and pull the film down a little to increase the loop below the gate
   • Move the switch to the play position
   • There should be a good loop above the gate and below the gate
5. Run (use the "Motor" switch) the machine for a few seconds to settle in the film.
6. For the 16mm machine, make sure the "silent or sound" toggle is set for the appropriate film.
7. Also, make sure the switch box behind Flag's monitor is set to the correct machine.

The Software - "CineCap Velocity HD"

Start up the software on Flag captures the video feed from the scanner.

1. Make sure that Flag has enough space on the "N" drive...should have at least 200GB or more free.
2. Start up the software.
3. Check the "settings" tab to make sure that everything is set correctly.  Items to check are:
   • Drive to Capture...should be N
   • Manual Sync .... generally should be unchecked.  (used to be that if the 16mm film was bigger than 1200 ft, it had to be checked and set to -5...not sure if this is the case with the new software).
   • SD progressive .... only check if planning to render to SD progressive
   • Process all film as negative ..... check if needed
   • Lossless High Def ....  generally not checked...if checked,this gains about 5% quality and 4X the file size.
   • High Def Progressive .... usually checked.
4. Switch to the "Capture" tab and the image should be displayed from the scanner
5. Enter the correct "Film Type" and the full "Customer" name (ie. john_smith)
6. Usually the "Auto-name" boxed is checked....sometimes not checked if you want to override the naming.
7. Before "Start" is pushed, the filename number is the next number...after the "Start" is pushed it changes to the next number (not the current number).  Move the cursor onto the "Start" button.
8. Start the scanner and push the software's "Start" button before the film starts to show real images.
9. When the film is done scanning or approaches the end of the real images
   • Click the software's "Stop" button.
   • Then click the "keep" button.
   • Make sure the film has cleared the film track (for 8mm this usually requires a little manual push on the take-up reel)
   • Toggle the "motor" switch to off.
10. Rewind the film
    • Thread the end of the film into the customer's reel.
    • Wind film manually for a few turns
    • Switch the scanner to "Rewind"
    • Toggle the "Motor" switch on
    • Once the film has rewound, toggle the "Motor" switch off
11. Remove customer's reel from scanner and put safely away.

Tips

• Generally all toggle switches on the scanners should be up when the unit is running.

Render/Pulldown via CineCap Velocity HD

Go the "Speed Change" tab and set up the scanned film to be processed.