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$2000 for an 11 min 35mm scan to DPX


Phil Thompson

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Check these numbers Ive been quoted.

 

Dear Phil,

 

We charge £0.12/frame. 10 minutes are 14,400 frames = £1,728.00

Specialy for you say £1,440.00 for 10 minutes.

 

WTF! this is to lace up my film and press play and this datacine to spit out dpx files onto a san. how the HELL do they justify that charge? I MEAN

fair play hollywood. But what are the little guys like me supposed to do? Shot on piece of turd digital?!! is this right?? Anyone in the UK can you sort me out?

I can sort you out.

 

Cheers

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Check these numbers Ive been quoted.

 

Dear Phil,

 

We charge £0.12/frame. 10 minutes are 14,400 frames = £1,728.00

Specialy for you say £1,440.00 for 10 minutes.

 

WTF! this is to lace up my film and press play and this datacine to spit out dpx files onto a san. how the HELL do they justify that charge? I MEAN

fair play hollywood. But what are the little guys like me supposed to do? Shot on piece of turd digital?!! is this right?? Anyone in the UK can you sort me out?

I can sort you out.

 

Cheers

 

 

If it's just scanning then you can sort that out waaay cheaper.

I was quoted £400 for 3 400ft rolls of 16mm the other day although to be fair that was a one light I think?

When you say data cine, this is a transfer on a spirit and not a film scanner?

 

One problem you may run into is that places can have a lab minimum.

 

If you can't find it cheaper, have you considered shipping it overseas?

 

These people have a shadow telecine set up. You could ask them how much a full scene to scene is. They used to do amazing work for a very reasonable price. So good in fact I don't think you would miss a 2k scan.

Of course you run the risk of customs problems with usa in theory:

 

http://lightpress.tv/

 

You could also try talking to colour by dejonghe in Europe who seem sane.

 

Wandered up and down wardour street just recently. VERY weird lot of experiences just chatting to companies.

It would appear there might not by any processing done in London anymore for starters. Not sure 100% but it was true of the company I spoke to who also couldn't give me any prices because the guy was away. Come back tomorrow they said.

 

Many other strange experiences too.

 

Suspect it's a little of something from another time.

Overseas they have small labs with people living in the 21st century who are semi organised.

 

You know it could just be the guy who quotes telecine was out so you got someone who made stuff up!

 

 

love

 

Freya

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The original Spirit is just a so-so DPX scanner and the Shadow is just a telecine and it is not the same as what you get from an Arriscan, Northlight, Scanity, Oxberry oor any other "real" scanner which scans each color as a full raster at high bit depth. You can get 1000' of 35mm scanned to 2K for about $250 in the USA and I think the price will be even less shortly.

 

Scanning by the frame is so 1990's it should be done by the foot.

 

-Rob-

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The original Spirit is just a so-so DPX scanner and the Shadow is just a telecine and it is not the same as what you get from an Arriscan, Northlight, Scanity, Oxberry oor any other "real" scanner which scans each color as a full raster at high bit depth. You can get 1000' of 35mm scanned to 2K for about $250 in the USA and I think the price will be even less shortly.

 

-Rob-

 

I know! In fact I think the Spirit even has to have an upgrade to do the DPX stuff, not sure...

However, I'd still consider lightpress because of the skill of the colourists there but I'm one of those people who isn't all about resolution.

 

The thing is that the original posting mentions data cine etc which sounds very much like a scan from a spirit anyway! (as opposed to a real scanner like you mention)

 

Film based companies in the UK have a long and very strange kind of lemming tradition type of thing. Hmmm maybe thats not the right comparison as they are definitely not soft and fluffy...

 

love

 

Freya

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yeah it was using a Spirit. I've had the old style URsa telecine.. Disgraceful quality compared to a 2K scan. The idea of shooting on the pinnacle format then having a dustbin transfer defys me. If you're spending the money on 35m, skimping on a scan is retarded. Thats like buying a ferrari and sandblasting it for a laugh. (crap analogy). Anyway, news. I've found a mate at a certain post house, willing to scan my stuff for a nice lil gift. (i sort him out a couple of Blu rays). He works nights. Just laces it up, press play. DPX DPX DPX DPX. I TB hard drive later HAPPYDAYS!!

 

Still its worth making contacts where possible.

 

Technicolor london still do film processing Freya. They are pretty cheap too. 0.09p a ft! yerrrrrrr

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There are so many scanning/telecine houses out there that are known solely to those professionals that have large volumes. They don't seem to advertise or let the presence be known on the web so I'm always finding new ones.

 

I love Lightpress for their color work as well.

 

What houses in the U.S. have reasonable prices for Arri Scan, Northlight or Scannity? or any price for that matter?

 

&Transfer her in Dallas has a couple of 2K Spirits and amazing colorists. Filmworkers here has a Spirit and a Northlight scanner I believe.

 

What other houses should I check out for 2k scans?

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Spastic prices like I quoted above don't help anyone. HOw the hell do they expect anyone other than the hollywood elite to pay for a quality scan of their footage?I think the Hollywood magicians want to keep the magic to themselves. 35mm is a power spell. And in the hands of people like me, probably very dangerous. GOD THEY PISS ME OFF. i don't care if they spent a bomb putting that gear in. YOu should have a heavily discounted Student rate or something for Indy guys. Rant over.

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YOu should have a heavily discounted Student rate or something for Indy guys.

 

a student rate aside...

 

why indie guys? what qualifies indie?

 

they have to make money, and that's the price they calculated that they have to make. if it's too high, they'll lose business and either fold or they need to find a way to lower costs. maybe they have really knowledgeable guys too that people really trust.

 

lots of factors.

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Yeah sorry, i'm being pretty flippant. I agree they need a set rate, I'm just frustrated that the ability to shoot on 35mm and generate a workable excellent digital image is so so expensive. Looking at Mark Dunns link http://www.cineco.nl/page/4#26 it almost seems worth getting rushes and hand editing and shopping that around.. It would be pretty lush to do that as it go's. And I'm seriously considering it for next time. But it seems Im trapped in the scan to digital arena now. Just wish there was a Spirit Datacine club. Get a load of people who need this niche service to chip in. That would be an idea now, wouldn't it?.. Hashtag pipe dream?

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