Film Transfer Facts

First of all, it is important to note that there are many different techniques for transferring film to video. The purpose of this FAQ is to give you enough information to make an informed decision on what is best for your specific needs.

There are 7 popular methods used to transfer film to video. Probably 90% of the film transfers done today are done using equipment and techniques that anyone can do provided they have the necessary equipment. To do a simple transfer is really not that difficult or technical - however, to do a good transfer that is accurate and of high quality is another story. Still, many people are happy to transfer film to video no matter how the video looks - if you only knew how good it really can look though, I think you'd feel let-down by the standard transfer.

1. Regular projector

The most common technique used today to transfer film to video is to use a regular run-of-the-mill projector and a camcorder. You simply project the film onto a sheet of bright-white paper taped to a wall and at the same time record the image with a camcorder placed beside the projector as close as possible to minimize distortion. That's it. No big deal. Probably 80% of all film transfer is done just this way. Now, most projectors have a standard 3-bladed shutter, and each frame is shown successively 3 times in a row before moving on to the next frame. So, at a standard 18 fps, since each frame is shown 3 times there will be in total 54 frames shown in one second. Similarly, if you happen to have a 24 fps projector, in each second 72 frames will be shown. Now, NTSC video is made up of frames which in turn are made up of fields. It's important to know that video plays at 29.97 frames per second and 59.94 fields per second. So, for you math types, if you attempt to divide either 54 or 72 into 59.94, you'll see that they don't divide evenly. What this means is that the projector and the camcorder cannot sync properly together and it is impossible to capture the image on each frame of your film properly. Will it still capture some of what you see on the film? Sure, but you'll end up with what is commonly referred to as "flicker" or "strobing" - and it is very, very annoying. The video will play back on your television or computer and look like it's pulsing. However, this is a standard transfer technique and many people may not be bothered by the flickering.

2. Variable speed projector

The next method used to transfer film to video is better than the last and is probably the most widely used today. If you ask questions carefully, you will discover that 95% of all those film transfer businesses use this method. What you need is a variable-speed 3-bladed projector that will allow you to set a speed of approximately 20 fps (19.98 to be exact) and a camera with a manual shutter speed of 1/60th of a second. Since as we mentioned before, a projector with a 3-bladed shutter shows each frame of film 3 times before advancing the film to the next frame, at 20 fps 60 frames will be shown each second. Since for every second of NTSC video 60 (59.94) fields are shown, each frame of film syncs perfectly with each field of NTSC video. So, they are a perfect match and each frame can be captured without the flickering and strobing that is so annoying. For film shot at 18 fps, this transfer method can be quite good. If you combine a high quality variable speed projector, with an enlarged gate, and film directly off the emulsion of the film with a good broadcast camera, the results can be spectacular. Since older less expensive film cameras were not very good at maintaining a constant speed, the slight speed increase of a 20 fps transfer should not be very noticeable. However, for film shot at 15 fps and 24 fps, a 20 fps transfer may look too fast or too slow and not be satisfactory.

3. Multi-faceted revolving prism projector

Another common method of transferring film to video is to use a projector with a multi-faceted revolving prism (say that quickly 10 times). This mechanism is used in the Goko to transfer film to video and is widely used in the industry. Basically, the shutter is done away with and instead each frame of film is reflected from each facet of the prism. This helps to make a smoother transition from frame to frame. However, the results are usually a dimmer image with poorer light distribution throughout resulting in softer shadowy edges of the frame. Again, there is still an issue with sync, but as these projectors are designed for film transfer, flicker should be minimized.

4. Projector with built-in CCD (charge-coupled device)

There are a group of projectors that have been designed with film transfer in mind. They are the Elmo projectors (and others as well) that have a built-in CCD and as such don't require an external video camera to capture the projected film. Though this would seem to be the answer to everyone's prayers, it rarely yields quality video as the included CCD can't compete with a good 3 chip video camera. Still, this method is very popular and many people prefer simplicity over quality.

5. Telecine projector

This next method is still commonly used today and involves using a telecine projector. You will often find references on eBay and various web sites that sell film transfer items with the name telecine. Don't be fooled by this. A telecine projector is specially designed for transferring film to video. Most use a 5-bladed shutter and are designed to transfer film to video at a fixed rate of 24 fps. It may possible to find telecine projectors for 15 and 20 fps as well, but you are always stuck with only 1 transfer speed. Telecine projectors are quite expensive and generally do provide high quality transfers, as they normally image directly off the film.

6. Digital frame-by-frame transfer

The highest quality transfers available in the industry today both achieve the same goal using two different methods. Basically, the highest quality transfer involves taking a picture of each frame of film and storing it digitally. The manner of taking the picture is what separates the two last film transfer techniques. At Forever on DVD™, we use a "Sniper Pro" and take a picture of each frame of film through a custom enlarged gate with no shutter so that the entire frame from edge-to-edge can be imaged directly off the emulsion of the film. All projectors that use a shutter of some kind crop a portion of the frame. Each frame is illuminated using LEDs to minimize heat and eliminate the chance of damage to older, fragile film. Then we use an 850-line broadcast quality digital video camera to take a picture of the frame and store it digitally as a 10-bit uncompressed 4:2:2 video file. Every single frame of your fim is captured in this manner. No fields or sync to worry about - each frame is a progressive non-interlaced version of the original. We capture at the highest standard definition resolution of 720 x 486 pixels. Super-8 film has a (theoretical) potential of over 1200 to 1300 lines of resolution - that's higher than hi-definition television! So, please try and avoid transferring your film to any analog tape format with only 240-400 lines of resolution. One huge benefit of using an enlarged gate without a shutter is the completely unobstructed view of the film frame. Most people don't know that a lot of 8mm film has part of each frame's image located vertically between each sprocket. This area is always cropped by any projector with a standard shutter. We have numerous times had clients exclaim that there was some relative in the frame that they had never seen there before. Most people have never seen the footage located between each sprocket and never will without an edge-to-edge frame transfer. After every single frame has been captured, they are all lined up one after the other in a non-linear editor. If we were to play the video at this point it would play back at 29.97 frames per second. So, the next step is to change the speed of the video. Since the video is made up of progressive non-interlaced frames, we can slow the video to the proper speed without any change in the quality of the video. If the video's intended output is for NTSC television, then we will generally interlace the video when performing the speed change as it provides a more pleasing smoother-motion video.

7. Rank transfer

The absolute best transfer available today is called a Rank transfer. It involves pretty much the exact same method as Forever on DVD™ uses except rather than using a camera to image each frame, a flying-spot scanner or CCD scanner is used. This allows for up to 4000 lines of resolution which at this time is thought to be nearly the limit of 35mm resolution. These machines cost upwards of $500k to over a $1M, so there are not that many around. Almost all of the current machines are strictly for 16mm and 35mm, but there are a couple that specialize in 8mm formats. Expect to pay hundreds of dollars per hour of transfer time (not film time). Hollywood transfers the big blockbuster films using this type of equipment. These machines are without a doubt the best of all film transfer equipment. The problem is that only a small percentage of people will have the money to afford their use.

Forever on DVD™ with our specialized equipment and experience strives to provide a level of transfer just below that of the dedicated ultra-expensive film scanners. For anyone on a budget, the best affordable transfer that money can buy is in reach. Using the same principles and manner of digitizing each frame of film, Forever on DVD™ brings a level of quality once only available to those with the biggest budgets.