Top 10 Questions to Ask an 8mm Film Transfer Company!
8mm film was the first consumer format in the history of mankind. People couldn’t believe they could make their own movies in the 1930s and 1940s. There are thousands of inventions every day but the introduction of 8mm film was truly an invention that impacted people and families for decades to come. Even though no one shoots 8mm film today, it fundamentally changed how families record their history and it has shaped the design of thousands of devices like tape camcorders, digital camcorders, cameras, phones and many more.
The sad thing is that film doesn’t last forever. In fact, most 8mm film from the 1930’s and some from the 1940’s can no longer be scanned. It is either is too warped, fragile or has solidified together and cannot be unwound.
When you go to choose a film transfer company, especially if you’re looking to transfer your 8mm film to DVD or digital format, you will want to have the right questions at the ready so you can be sure you are dealing with a reputable and trustworthy company. Here are a few important questions to keep in mind:
1 — Are your transfer services done in house?
There is no point in driving 25 to 35 minutes from your home to your local film transfer company if all they plan to do is pack your film reels up and ship them across the country, and yet many small companies do just that. The fact is that if that’s the service you want, you could eliminate the middle man and ship your film off for yourself.
2 — Can I see your film transfer equipment or your film transfer lab?
A company that has nothing to hide will not have any problems giving you a tour of their facilities or showing their workspace. If a company refuses to let your see their lab, you may want to think twice about entrusting them with your film.
3 — Can you do a test transfer?
It is perfectly reasonable to request a test transfer before agreeing to hire a company for a large project. Film transfer services are not cheap and you should feel secure in the quality you’ll be getting before you make a major commitment. A company that believes in their services should have no problem doing a short test for you.
4 — Do you guarantee your services?
Over the years, we have heard countless stories about film transfer companies that simply do not stand behind their work. These companies will do a poor job and when unsatisfied customers call upon them to fix their mistakes, they will either charge them to fix the mistake or even ignore the customer altogether!
The company that you decide to trust with your family memories should give you a guarantee that they will treat them with the respect they deserve and do they job that you are hiring them to do. At HDVStudio, we offer all our customers a guarantee: if you find any mistakes or problems with your transfer within 30 days, we will fix them absolutely free, as it should be.
5 — Do you provide additional formats?
DVD is a great format for your home movies, but it also highly compressed and easily damaged. A good transfer company should offer other, more durable formats like external hard drives, master digitals tapes or anything that is less compressed than DVD. If DVD is the only option, be sure to make backup copies of the discs.
6 — Do you offer authored DVDs?
Some companies will give you an auto run DVD with index marks, which means that when you put the DVD in a player it will automatically start , making it very difficult to find specific scenes in the DVD. An authored DVD makes it much easier for you to find specific reels, scenes, places and dates on your DVD. Chapters marks can be created by reel number, places, events or any other way that will help you better enjoy your DVD.
7 — Do you do exposure adjustments during the transfer process?
Since getting good exposure with older home movie cameras was very difficult, it is important that exposure adjustments be made during the transfer process.
8 — Do you prep or inspect film before the transfer process?
Inspecting film for damage, replacing bad splices and cleaning the film are all essential for a good transfer. However, some companies will charge a separate fee for film preparation services.
9 — Are your film transfers monitored?
No matter how much a film is cleaned and properly prepared for transfer, issues can still arise during the transfer process. This means that an operator should be monitoring transfers in order to make necessary adjustments and ensure the film is safely transferred throughout the entire process.
10 — Will my films come back to me in the same condition they were when I brought them in?
A good film transfer company should treat your films with the same respect and care that you would. A company should be able to ensure that your films are returned in the same condition, if not even better than they were when you brought them in.
Your home movies are important to you. Investing in the film transfer process is a great way to preserve these movies and memories. However, it is worth the time and effort to do a bit of research and make sure you know the right questions to ask before you choose the right film transfer company for you.
