Pro 8 aka Super 8 Sound Stikes again

[Greg Crawford]

Last August, in anticipation of making the film I am currently working on, I bought a film, development and Rank transfer package from S8S.

When I was about to get the first transfer I called an asked how do I describe to the lab what I wanted in the way of the transfer aspect ratio. Since I wanted a letter box look, that would play on any TV, I was told to ask for a Hard Matt 16 x 9 transfer. That's what I requested and I got back a squeezed version.

Yes they did re transfer the project. The next 10 min of film scent in where from my big Night for Night graveyard scene. I was shooting with a 1/2 CTB over the fill light in fog.

The video came back looking over the top video noise, probably caused by the blue channel being set to high. And again the image was squeezed.

I sent it back again asking them to pull down the gain to remove the video nose. By the way, the blacks were starting to have a solorized look. At first they tried to tell me that I underexposed the neg.

At that time I told them that I was shooting with T-200 and Ektachrome 125 at the same time and that my meter was set for Ektachrome, meaning my negative film would be 2/3 of a stop over! The contrast ration was in the order of 3 or 4-1 max.

I asked them not to letterbox this next reel, I would add the letterbox later in post. So fair so good....the images were not squeezed the colors were right on, and the video noise had gone away. Just one small problem, they have run this film a couple times and now might Night for Night graveyard fog scene look like it was shot in a snow storm with all the dirt and particles on the film.

You would think, since they were the only ones who ever handled the film that they would l have a responsibility if the film was dirty and clean the film before making the transfer!

The Ektachrome I will send to Roger, I'm just wondering if I should submit this footage to theme again, for the third time?

[Mike Buckles]

I would send it back again. If this were a job for, say a movie studio, the movie studio would not accept a transfer such as what you've described. Some of the dirt may be from the processing, but not all of it. For an expensive rank transfer that you have paid good money for, a final output full of dirt and particles is unacceptable. I would think that out of pride of workmanship, they should have quality checked the transfer before sending it to you, or at least do it correctly this time. You know what they say, third time's a charm!

[Actor]

There are two kinds of charms: good and evil.

[Matt Pacini]

MikeyB, they have no pride in workmanship.
They don't care about customers at all, in any way shape or form, in my opinion.
Go back into the archives, and you can spend two hours reading horror stories and bad reports about these guys.

I would cut my losses, and have Roger do your transfers.

Matt Pacini

[b4bob]

Hey greg, If I were in your shoes I would've kept the squeezed version. You can always de-squeeze it in any good NLE, like premiere. But the squeezed version would've been perfect for 16:9 TV's or square TV's with a 16:9 mode. AKA it would've been more future proof.

bob

[tfunch25]

I'm about to priority mail them my very first roll of processing-paid Plus-X 16mm reversal for developing. My hands are trembling with trepidation.

Tom

[Greg Crawford]

Tom,

The development looks competent. 16 mm price seems on a pair with other labs. They will pull film were Yale will not. And there minimum order prices for push/pulls seems to be less based on 50 feet.

Matt,

I remember your posts. I can't understand how they can grow a business with low quality control. I would never put out a product that looked like the one they sent me, I would be ashamed. Thanks for not saying I told you so.

b4bob

I did not want to make this project overly hard or make me need more outside help to finish the job.

MikeB, Matt, Actor

I probably will send it back, it makes me feel cheep or to picky. I will be sending more and more stuff to Roger, but this is color neg!

[Mike Buckles]

Greg, try not to feel too picky...you have paid a lot of money for a professional digital transfer. Maybe from the other "fan" mail i've read about them, you might be better off just cutting your losses, and using another place...

[Nigel]

You all know my feelings about Super8 Sound aka Pro8mm. I am also not a big fan of Yale for their censorship policy.

However, I have figured out a good way of getting great results out of my S8 neg. I have it processed only by Yale--which can't tell what is on the film at that point so their censors don't bother me. Then I have it Xfered by CinePost who does some great work. So there are options.

I am working on a S8 Neg film right now and I am going to try Flying Spot in Seattle. They are priced out of the realm of most S8 shooters but they have a Phillips machine.

Good Luck