How to get the most quality from a transfer

[Alessandro Machi]

I love how its impossible for you to give a direct or short answer. So you had problems with Fotokem one time, who hasn't? but what does that have to do with anything? And BTW If you knew what your were doing you would have watched the layback and seen the problem on your tape in the session.

 

Don't make any assumptions about me how I work or who I respect. I've been on plenty of low budget shows, as have many other people in the industry, don't assume you can run circles around anyone in terms of problem solving. Its a common skill and people with more experience on more shows and who do it for a living are going to have way more tricks up their sleeves.

 

As for LOST, your comments showed that you have no idea how a camera department is run on a show.

 

So you make your living as an editor and a DP? Why does your profile not state that? And as a professional DP why don't you know how a camera department is run? (Just curious.)

 

My guess is the reasons for all your long winded posts is that you are not a professional editor or DP and you are spraying long and hard to prove that you know something without having to admit that you don't really work in film or TV.

 

You can have the last word, I am more than done here. I feel sorry for anyone who may actually be reading this stupid exchange. I hope like crazy no one is.

 

You chortle that I have no experience, then you berate me and call me longwinded when I give examples of working at different facilities. Perhaps you don't know jack about what REAL low budget is since you use terms like low budget shows in the same breath, real low budget is several notches below that. Take that as a complement actually, perhaps that's to your credit that you've avoided the ultra low budget crowd, but berating me for taking work that perhaps you would never consider comes off as elitist and high brow.

 

Early on I saw a combination of post production mistakes being made on projects of mine that I could not justify going to the client and asking them to pay extra for when it wasn't their fault. On the occasions where a client had made a mistake, such as insisting on using a less often used phone number in their ad and then grumbling about having to pay for new dubs, getting them to take financial responsibility was sometimes an impossibility, so my solution was to set up my own videotape editing studio in the early 90's. Being responsible for the quality of every job that is completed is an amazing way to learn about a lot of technical things that relate to the art and business of finishing a video and having an actual picture lock master.

 

Everyone of your recent posts on this particular topic seems to make at least one assertion that I find surprisingly void of basic knowledge. You think new digibeta decks don't sell for 40K, you seem to think it's easy to just hit play and playback a tape in the middle of a Rank Cintel Film transfer. I actually made this specific request at the Post Group once and the colorist got annoyed because as it turned out, the playback was out of phase with the recording signal and it not only required rerouting the signal to make it phase properly, but afterwards the signal had to be rerouted again to the way it was before so we could continue the actual film transfer, in their eyes it wasted a lot of time that might or might not be billed. For you to not know that that can happen I find shocking, perhaps you've never asked to see a tape played back during an actual film transfer session?

 

My comments about LOST had nothing to do with how a camera department is run. That issue was brought up by others and I didn't argue the points that were made since they had nothing to do with the origial point I had brought up. As for my personal profile on this forum, there is no option that allows one to write in a response, so I keep it blank since the other choices don't fit well.

[Alessandro Machi]

One of the videos I mentioned above "Animals of Katrina" has recently been selected as a finalist to an LA film festival. When I know the exact play date I'll post it.

 

I just discovered that the "Animals of Katrina" video is on YouTube as well. I was the video editor of the project and I had to work with several different format sources including low res email photos & vhs. I re-color corrected several of the shots, including making critical contrast adjustments.

 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsOVjWXi0lw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsOVjWXi0lw</a>

[Mitch Perkins]

However, Frame Discreet is super easy to work with, and i couldn't find a comparable cost anywhere.

 

Since you're already sending it to Toronto, try giving Exclusive Film and Video a call (416) 598-2700. They have many professional clients, and they do an *excellent* transfer, as do we, for around the same price you mentioned.

 

There's really no substitute for sitting in, though...

 

Mitch

[Rick Palidwor]

There's really no substitute for sitting in, though...

Mitch

 

Mitch transferred some B&W footage for me the other day and when we starting to run the footage it looked okay - a little on the dark side but okay - and he suggested that we pump the light a little bit. At first I was resistant because I like my blacks to stay black and when you put a lot of light through there is the risk they will start to speckle a little. But then I said "try it" and with a little more light the images popped to life. The highlights were nicer, there was more depth to the image, and the blacks stayed black (we didn't pump the light too too much, just enough to make a difference).

 

IOW, there is no substitute for sitting in. Or, if you know the footage, giving explicit instructions to the technician.

 

Rick

[Mitch Perkins]

Mitch transferred some B&W footage for me the other day and when we starting to run the footage it looked okay - a little on the dark side but okay - and he suggested that we pump the light a little bit. At first I was resistant because I like my blacks to stay black and when you put a lot of light through there is the risk they will start to speckle a little. But then I said "try it" and with a little more light the images popped to life. The highlights were nicer, there was more depth to the image, and the blacks stayed black (we didn't pump the light too too much, just enough to make a difference).

 

IOW, there is no substitute for sitting in. Or, if you know the footage, giving explicit instructions to the technician.

 

Rick

 

Thanks Rick. That was a SuperDuper8 transfer too - I was pleased to see the grain as sharp on the edges as it was in the middle, thanks to an over-sized field lens.

 

Rick nailed all his exposures, which helps a bunch. Also, while generally I agree that projected film looks better than transferred film, often the rich blacks resulting from the higher contrast [reversal only] is quite pleasing, and the colour seems to get a boost in saturation.

 

Mitch