WorkPrinter support: Thanks everyone!

[MovieStuff]

Hi, everyone!

As you've probably noticed, I haven't been on the boards much lately. The flu bug has had everyone down around my house. However, I'm back and I wanted to take a moment to say thanks to everyone that has ordered WorkPrinters from me over the last couple of months. Some of you may remember when I first introduced the idea of these units almost 9 months or so ago. There was little interest back then but recently (like around the first of the year) the flood gates opened and now I have more orders than I can keep up with! [back ordered parts hasn't helped, either > ]

Some of you may not realize but making WorkPrinters is not my "real job". I work as a producer/director and build these things in my spare time. As such, my profit margin on these units isn't much to speak of. The money they bring in hardly offsets the amount of time I spend on each unit. However, the enjoyment I get from sending these units out into the wild blue gives me great satisfaction (and sticking it to the transfer houses is a nice perk). I know how hard it is working on independent films and am quite aware of the cruel irony of $350/hr Rank sessions for what is SUPPOSED to be the cost effective medium of Super 8. Doesn't really quite make sense, does it?

Anyway, at the risk of getting sappy, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the supportive emails and the orders. My aim is to try and provide the kinds of tools that were never available to me when I first started out in Super 8 all those years ago. The kind of tools that lets super 8 look as good as it can and yet not compromise the economy that the medium offers.

I may not get rich. But here's to the view from the cheap seats.

Thanks,

Roger Evans

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Roger Evans
MovieStuff
http://www.afterimagephoto.tv/moviestuff.html

[digvid]

Roger -

Keep up the good work, and I hope your household kicks the flu bug soon!

- digvid

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[MikeBrantley]

Hope you're feeling better. I'm not a customer (yet!), but I think it's great what you're doing with the Workprinter.

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--Mike Brantley

[StopMoWorks]

Just amazed how you find time to do all this. You might write a manual on time management, scheduling, etc. Or, maybe you just don't sleep?

Again, amazed you designed & built the DV8 transfer service unit from scratch with your ingenious use of lots of existing components. The "McGyver" of DIY! I actually came into possession (I wasn't looking for it) of one of those GAF projectors that you use for the workprinter (sitting right here), but I don't think I would have the patience or time to do what you did in modifying it into a workprinter
....designing, engineering, and just figuring & doing all those little exacting detailed stuff.....then I see, your DV8 transfer unit and it blows me away!

It has always been a contradiction to me how the transfer houses charge humongous fees for their Super 8 services. Like Roger said,wasn't Super8 format originally suppose to be cost-effective? I suppose, they do not give a rat's ass, and it's just the profit thing. Can you imagine how much "Life" can be injected into Super8 if bigger companies would offer high quality cost-effective Super 8 to Digital transfer services? For Kodak, this would seem to be microscopic investment if they offered a transfer service, but I guess the volume is not enough or something, or not worth their effort, since maybe they got so many other divisions.

Maybe Kodak will some day notice what Roger has done.....keeping Super8 going into the digital age!
Lionel



[This message has been edited by StopMoWorks (edited February 19, 2002).]

[Matt Pacini]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by StopMoWorks:
"It has always been a contradiction to me how the transfer houses charge humongous fees for their Super 8 services. Like Roger said,wasn't Super8 format originally suppose to be cost-effective? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Well, from our point of view, it seems ridiculous that they charge as much as they do for Super 8 transfers, but in their defense, there's no reason they should, or could, discount it.

It costs tons of cash to finance all that machinery, and it doesn't really matter what width the film is that's on the transfer machine, it costs them the same no matter what. It's the same RANK machine being used for all transfers, so costs remain constant.

It's not any easier to transfer Super 8 than 16mm or 35mm, in fact, if anything, it's more difficult.
So they really can't charge cheaper prices, or they would lose money.
But that's what's so great about the WP. It fills the gap between the expensive RANk transfers, and the cheesy film chain setups.

Matt Pacini

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