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New option for a film lab in the UK!


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Cinelabs International has bought out Bucks labs who mostly used to do archival stuff. The new owners seem keen to run it as a significant lab! Please see my article here:

 

http://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/803-can-film-in-the-uk-make-a-comeback-a-%E2%80%9Cnew%E2%80%9D-film-lab-for-the-uk

 

Freya

Edited by Freya Black
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  • 4 weeks later...

Unfortunately this is not such good news. I managed to speak with somebody at Cinelab London (as Bucks Labs are now called) only to learn that they are not really adding to services available in the UK. They will be processing film and transferring to digital, but importantly they will not be printing. I suspect like others, I had hoped to hear that we were about to have a reversal of the trend to desert those of us who require a print service.

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I was hoping they were going to print again as it would boost my business

 

 

I am the last working negative cutter in the UK.

I can cut to EDL using the OSC/r (software, dos based and not been available since 2000) and the Film Fusion software (not been available since 2006) and or work print.

Film Fusion can work with PAL 24 and 25 and NTSC in 16mm, 35 m 2 , 3 and 4 perf, but once I hang up my scissors that’s it no more negative cutting in the UK.

If fact if I had a mortgage I would not even be neg cutting now. Don’t get me wrong I had a wonderful career and made a couple of pounds along the way and worked on some great productions.

My company Professional Negative Cutting Ltd used to have 3 branches and 15 members of staff up until 2006 then negative cutting fell off a cliff.

Mike Fraser neg cutting gone, Silva Wheelers gone, The Neg Cutting Company Gone, Computermatch gone and even PNC (almost Gone) so from a probable 80 – 100 negative cutters employed in early 2000 to now there just me in the UK.

Ken Loach is my last feature client on negative, but his next film may go DI or be produced aboard and I think it’s unlikely it will be chemical print finish from original cut negatives due to lack of labs that can print ungraded negatives in the UK or Europe.

When I cut Tacita Dean’s FILM project that was printed in Holland and the last one I did for her had to go the Germany for printing due to lack of facilities here in the UK. It was mixed B/W and Colour and was it cut A,B,C & D rolls

But hope that Cinelabs International change their minds as there is some good business to had printing 16mm and 35mm cut negative productions if they price it right. I send a lot of work over to DeJonghie and Haghe Film Digital ( Cineco)

 

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I was hoping they were going to print again as it would boost my business

 

 

I am the last working negative cutter in the UK.

I can cut to EDL using the OSC/r (software, dos based and not been available since 2000) and the Film Fusion software (not been available since 2006) and or work print.

Film Fusion can work with PAL 24 and 25 and NTSC in 16mm, 35 m 2 , 3 and 4 perf, but once I hang up my scissors that’s it no more negative cutting in the UK.

If fact if I had a mortgage I would not even be neg cutting now. Don’t get me wrong I had a wonderful career and made a couple of pounds along the way and worked on some great productions.

My company Professional Negative Cutting Ltd used to have 3 branches and 15 members of staff up until 2006 then negative cutting fell off a cliff.

Mike Fraser neg cutting gone, Silva Wheelers gone, The Neg Cutting Company Gone, Computermatch gone and even PNC (almost Gone) so from a probable 80 – 100 negative cutters employed in early 2000 to now there just me in the UK.

Ken Loach is my last feature client on negative, but his next film may go DI or be produced aboard and I think it’s unlikely it will be chemical print finish from original cut negatives due to lack of labs that can print ungraded negatives in the UK or Europe.

When I cut Tacita Dean’s FILM project that was printed in Holland and the last one I did for her had to go the Germany for printing due to lack of facilities here in the UK. It was mixed B/W and Colour and was it cut A,B,C & D rolls

But hope that Cinelabs International change their minds as there is some good business to had printing 16mm and 35mm cut negative productions if they price it right. I send a lot of work over to DeJonghie and Haghe Film Digital ( Cineco)

 

 

 

 

 

Steve,

You know Nigel Horn at iDailies is about to re-introduce 16mm printing back into this country !

 

John S :)

 

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There are at least 4 places still doing 16mm printing or are able to do 16mm printing in the UK.

Film and Photo, Prestech, Nowhere and the Bfi National Archive.

Brian

 

Thanks Brian. I'd never even heard of Prestech before now!

Does the BFI national archive make prints for outside customers then?

 

Freya

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Thanks Brian. I'd never even heard of Prestech before now!

Does the BFI national archive make prints for outside customers then?

 

Freya

 

Freya,

You took the question right out my mouth :rolleyes:

 

John S

Edited by John Salim
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Hi

 

yes I work with Joao at Prestech and I know Nigel Horn very well

 

I know Joao does a good job in the film lab world we worked together last week, but if we are talking feature film production I fear he nor Nigel at i dallies have the capacity for that kind of work flow.

 

But it is good to know that i dailles are getting back into print but my understanding was it was more for check printing DI negs not A & B cut negs that need grading.

 

I am not aware that Film and Photo Design can print A & B negatives with grading. But I maybe wrong as I have been may times in the past.

 

I worked on a Nowhere production a couple of weeks ago and they did not do the printing it went to DeJonghe in Belguim for the A & B printing.

 

But lets hope we are like the old records of the past that everybody junked in favour of CD's now LP's are back in fashion, so never say never.

Edited by Steve Farman
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The BFI/National Archive don't do work for outside customers but, of course, this might change in the future. They do have the capability to do 16mm B/W work. Film and Photo can do A&B roll printing in both 16mm and 35mm. They use Schmitzer Model C printers and can do grading. I work there occasionally and recently graded some A&B's to make interpos's for them.

I understood that Nowhere had a 16mm Debrie printer that people are able to use but that information might be out of date.

Prestech run a fairly complete service in B/W and colour in 16mm and 35mm. Their main work is Archival preservation work but also do other work. They also have a very comprehensive digital setup including scanners and recorders.

Brian

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