Processing Test in London

[Paco Sweetman]

Hey,

 

I recently bought a 400ft magazine for my Arri 16s. I wanted to shoot a 100ft test roll with it to make sure there is no light leaks etc, and the cheapest I could find in London was £75+Vat. This includes telecine to a digibeta.

I already own a 100ft roll of Fuji Eterna 500 that I wanted to use.

 

 

I'm not 'known' in any lab. If this price sounds reasonable to you lot, then so be it.

[John Woods]

I don't know what prices/labs are like in London but if you're sure your camera works, then there isn't really a need to burn a full 100' on a magazine test unless you've got the cash to burn. I'd do a scratch test with short end (5-10 ft) and then shoot maybe 10-20 feet and process it to a negative only & inspect the negative visually. Edge fogging might not show up in a telecine. You could also maybe get a workprint struck which would cost less than a transfer. If you tell the lab its a magazine test they might have a deal to offer on a tiny amount of film or have their lab techs look at it for you and give an assessment.

 

Also if you're set on getting the footage transferred, it'd be better to get it done to a cheaper tape format than digibeta. The tapes are expensive and there is no need for additional expense or the higher quality for what would be waste footage.

[Ian Cooper]

Hey,

 

I recently bought a 400ft magazine for my Arri 16s. I wanted to shoot a 100ft test roll with it to make sure there is no light leaks etc, and the cheapest I could find in London was £75+Vat. This includes telecine to a digibeta.

I already own a 100ft roll of Fuji Eterna 500 that I wanted to use.

 

 

I'm not 'known' in any lab. If this price sounds reasonable to you lot, then so be it.

 

 

£75+VAT sounds about the price of the minimum order value for (what was) ilab. If you check what they're footage cost is, I think you'll find it won't cost you much more than that to have a full 400ft processed/Tk'ed. One of the other UK labs just has a minimum 400ft limit for handling.

 

In the past I've encountered the inflexible "minimum order value" before. I wanted some clip tests done on some old film I'd picked up cheap, the response from the first lab was that they could do it - but they have a £100+VAT minimum charge. So in practice it would cost exactly the same to have it clip tested as it would to just shoot the stuff and get it processed! In the end I found that (the late) Film Lab North would do a clip test for me at more reasonable rates.

 

Soho Film Lab used to offer a process & workprint deal with a minimum quantity of 100ft, but by the time I wanted to take advantage of it the minimums had risen to 200ft. Even so, if you have a projector then it might be a cheaper avenue to explore just for a test. Even if you don't have a projector, you can look at the workprint - obviously you won't see subtle registration issues, but you will be able to see any light leaks, bad scratches, or (with a loupe) any bad focus issues.

 

 

Best of luck with it.

Ian.

[Robert Lewis]

no.w.here (www.no.w.here.org.uk)

 

(no.w.here

First Floor, 316-318 Bethnal Green Road

London

E2 OAG

UK

 

Telephone: +44 (0)207 7294494)

 

is a not for profit organisation which caters for artists and cinematographers.

 

They will process B&W 16mm film and produce a light print at a cost of £30 for a 100ft roll.

 

They do my B&W processing and I recommend them most enthusiastically. They are a fantastic group of people and I am sure you would find them most helpful.