moviestuff.tv super 8 transfer users???

timHealy · June 28, 2005

I was just wondering if anyone here has used http://moviestuff.tv/ for inexpensive 16mm and Super 8mm transfers to DVCAM or mini DV? Or bought and used their equipment?

Any thoughts? Praises? Caveat Emptor?

I was considering sending them a few rolls of Super 8 to see how it compares to a rank color corrected DVCAM transfer.

Tim

Matt Pacini · June 28, 2005

"... I was considering sending them a few rolls of Super 8 to see how it compares to a rank color corrected DVCAM transfer.

Tim

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Even Roger Evans (Moviestuff) is upfront about the fact it's not as good as professional telecine transfer

MP

S8 Booster · June 29, 2005

check: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1620686,00.asp

s

timHealy · June 29, 2005

check: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1620686,00.asp

s

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Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!

Thanks,

Tim

Anthony Schilling · June 29, 2005

I have a WP XP and it's great. I get some really nice transfers of all my reversal footage to edit for my artwork. Pro telecine for reversals doesn't seem to appear much suppurior. I have to say that the DV transfers in the link above looked horred.

Roger Evans · June 30, 2005

I was just wondering if anyone here has used http://moviestuff.tv/ for inexpensive 16mm and Super 8mm transfers to DVCAM or mini DV? Or bought and used their equipment?

Any thoughts? Praises? Caveat Emptor?

I was considering sending them a few rolls of Super 8 to see how it compares to a rank color corrected DVCAM transfer.

Tim

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Hi, Tim!

Generally speaking, the WorkPrinter is not going to be as good as a Rank transfer can potentially be simply because (due to budget) the camera being used with the WorkPrinter is usually single chip and the operator may not have the necessary color correction tools/skills. However, and this is very important to remember, most people shooting super 8 rarely go into a Rank session with enough money and, thus, often do not take advantage of the total potential that a Rank has to offer. The analogy I use is having access to a high performance race care with only a dollar for gas. You'll never get it up to speed, much less win any races.

The WorkPrinter is an open architecture system. Much of the quality depends on the type of camera that is used as well as the skill of the user. Optically, you are really only limited by the resolution of the camera being used. If you use a really nice three chip camera with the WorkPrinter series, align it perfectly, and are diligent in your color correction with good tools like, say, the Matrox RTX100 or FCP, then the results off of reversal can be very close to Rank quality. Certainly, without having to watch the clock, you can work with the footage until you are satisfied creatively and that has intrinsic value that can not be estimated.

Now, in-house, we use the DV8 Sniper-Pro mentioned in the PC Magazine article. These are the same units used by the Academy of Motion Pictures Film Archives. There is no condenser lens array and only a single precision machine vision lens between the camera and the film. We use broadcast grade 3CCD cameras heads with three 1/2 inch chips. The sharpness is quite stunning and, as seen in the PC Magazine comparison, very much on par with a typical Rank transfer off of reversal. Because we scan frame by frame, we can offer any type of playback speed you wish, 15, 18, 24 or 30fps. The custom software we use implements the exact same pulldown patterns used by the Rank units and we clean, prep and do scene to scene color and density correction on all cuts, whether it is pro footage or home movie footage.

You are welcome to send if for a free test transfer. Just use this form:

http://www.moviestuff.tv/transfers_freetest.html

If you like, please feel free to contact me off list.

My best,

Roger Evans

MovieStuff

http://www.moviestuff.tv

timHealy · July 2, 2005

Hi, Tim!

Generally speaking, the WorkPrinter is not going to be as good as a Rank transfer can potentially be simply because (due to budget) the camera being used with the WorkPrinter is usually single chip and the operator may not have the necessary color correction tools/skills. However, and this is very important to remember, most people shooting super 8 rarely go into a Rank session with enough money and, thus, often do not take advantage of the total potential that a Rank has to offer. The analogy I use is having access to a high performance race care with only a dollar for gas. You'll never get it up to speed, much less win any races.

The WorkPrinter is an open architecture system. Much of the quality depends on the type of camera that is used as well as the skill of the user. Optically, you are really only limited by the resolution of the camera being used. If you use a really nice three chip camera with the WorkPrinter series, align it perfectly, and are diligent in your color correction with good tools like, say, the Matrox RTX100 or FCP, then the results off of reversal can be very close to Rank quality. Certainly, without having to watch the clock, you can work with the footage until you are satisfied creatively and that has intrinsic value that can not be estimated.

Now, in-house, we use the DV8 Sniper-Pro mentioned in the PC Magazine article. These are the same units used by the Academy of Motion Pictures Film Archives. There is no condenser lens array and only a single precision machine vision lens between the camera and the film. We use broadcast grade 3CCD cameras heads with three 1/2 inch chips. The sharpness is quite stunning and, as seen in the PC Magazine comparison, very much on par with a typical Rank transfer off of reversal. Because we scan frame by frame, we can offer any type of playback speed you wish, 15, 18, 24 or 30fps. The custom software we use implements the exact same pulldown patterns used by the Rank units and we clean, prep and do scene to scene color and density correction on all cuts, whether it is pro footage or home movie footage.

You are welcome to send if for a free test transfer. Just use this form:

http://www.moviestuff.tv/transfers_freetest.html

If you like, please feel free to contact me off list.

My best,

Roger Evans

MovieStuff

http://www.moviestuff.tv

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Hey Roger,

Thanks for the free test offer.

I have friends have been colorists for years so I understand the process and abilities of their work, and the differences in your equipment.

My desire for starting this topic was I really love Super 8 and and it's aestheics. However getting it transferred at a professional post house can be ridiculously expensive. I don't use it professionally but I love shooting home movies in film with my nieces and other things. Just like my parents did while I was growing up.

I would like to keep using it, but paying $500 for getting 15 minutes of it to DVCAM or mini DV just seems crazy, while your format, though not the best in comparision to a Rank, is priced much better for someone using it on the hobbyiest level. I would love to own your top level machine, but I can't spend 5000 on something like that. I would rather send you the footage and pay for the service with the best machine you have.

I sent 15 minutes of Kodachrome to Dwaynes and when I get it back I will certainly give your company a shot. I may get this 15 minutes worth transferred at a place using the competition in the article for my own comparision. They are more expensive than your process but not as expensive as pro8mm. And there seems to be dirt issues associated with them.

I would get my stuff transferred with my friends, but according to them they don't have a super 8 gate, and I don't like asking them to do that too often. I ask them once in a while for my own 16mm work, but if I can get S8 done another way, I will.

Thanks,

Tim