Northern California Skateboard and Surf Film Collection Preserved to Digital
Redwood Film Transfer recently converted Super 8 and 8mm film to HD mp4 Files for a Santa Cruz skateboard distribution company. This collection of film followed many of the top skateboarders and surfers in the Santa Cruz area throughout the late 80’s and early 90’s. The well-known skateboard company wanted to preserve these old films as well as make them readily available and editable for the future. Thus, Redwood Film Transfer’s HD Film Transfer service was perfect for transferring these old movies to High Definition mp4 Files!
Our 8mm and Super 8 Film Transfer Process:
1) Organize / Prep / Repair
Redwood Film Transfer sorts and numbers your reels either by date or in the order requested. We then prep the film by cleaning it with an anti-static solvent to wipe away bacteria, mold, dust, and any other particles. We also restore broken splices and provide new leader if necessary. This procedure not only revives the appearance of the film, but also ensures that the film will run smoothly through our scanners.
2) High Definition Scanning
Redwood Film Transfer runs each reel through our HD RetroScan Universal Film Scanners for every Film Conversion. These Film Scanners have a 2K sensor and can scan 8mm, Super 8mm, and 16mm films frame-by-frame in high definition 1920 x 1080p! The wide gate on the scanners provides access the entirety of each frame so that no part of the image will get cropped out. These scanners also have a bright, cool-toned LED light source so the colors appear rich and vivid with no risk of the film burning!
3) Enhance / Edit
Once scanning is completed, we create HD mp4 Files for each reel. However, before we do this we adjust the frame rate of each reel to match the original. In most cases, 8mm film is 16fps and Super 8 film is 18fps. Nevertheless, we always double check by carefully watching the motion of each reel. Our scanning software has the ability to match any frame rate from 8fps to 30fps! After we verify the frame rate, we import the files into Adobe Premiere Pro. and digitally attach the reels in the correct order.
4) Output
After the scanning and editing are all completed we are ready to output the mp4 Files. We export them in High Definition (1920 x 1080p, 50 mb/s) using the H.264 Codec. We then place them onto a flash drive or hard drive. Each file is labeled by customer name and reel numbers so your films are completely organized! The HD mp4 files can be played on almost any device including MAC, PC, and Smart TVs.
Check out some of the highlights from this 8mm and Super 8 Film Transfer below:
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