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Transferring 8mm film for use in FCP – What format?
Looking for suggestions, help and recommendations about transferring old 8mm film for use in FCP. I have the projector and transfer screen, I’m looking for editors who have imported video already transferred. Does anybody have a favorite codec to drop in to FCP for editing? What Quicktime format works best? Does anyone have a video camera recommendation that records native QT onto an SD or SDHC card? What is the best way to encode and deliver this footage to an editor?
Jeff Weiser
Director/Cinematographer
Directors Syndicate
je********@*******nk.net -
6 Replies
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Shooting film off of the wall with a video camera is the worse thing you can do. It will look…flickery and very ugly. It would be better to get a system that has the projector shooting directly into the lens of a camera. There are systems designed SPECIFICALLY for this. Then the best, but more expensive way is to take the film to a transfer facility that uses a special machine called a RANK CINTEL or SPIRIT that will telecine film directly to any tape format, or QT format, you want. These are the systems that are used in Hollywood TV and feature films.
ProRes SD would be good. DV might not be too bad. DV50 (also known as DVCPRO 50) is a good format. Uncompressed 8 bit…but that has a high data rate.
Camera that shoots directly to QT files? There is a JVC one, but that is HD only, and 16:9 (8mm is 4:3), and it shoots to XDCAM. The GY-HM100.
BEST WAY? Professional telecine via Rank or Spirit. Second best? Direct into camera lens system.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks. I am using a camera into lens system and have transferred for years my 35 MM stuff on Ranks, Spirits and Milleniums etc. I just wanted to see basically what format an editor would want me to for provide integration into a project like the opening of “The Wonder Years”. Probably 8 bit uncompressed if the files are less than 30 seconds, right? Can that JVC camera do 4:3 recording?
Jeff Weiser
Director/Cinematographer
Directors Syndicate
jeffweiser@earthlink.net -
I’ve transfered a fair amount of super8 over the years and my preference is to have it done at a proper facility, ideally to digi-beta (or directly to uncompressed quicktime files). The crazy amount of grain and wow and flutter of super8 is pretty hard on lossy compression formats. DV25 to me is right on the border of acceptable; it’s totally workable, but you get a bit of “digital edge” on everything, at least to my eyes.
If you are filming on a prosumer camera, I think your best bet is to hand off the footage in whatever native format the camera shoots. Let the editor worry about converting it to match their other material. The footage isn’t going to get any better then what winds up on the camera tape (or SD card), so my approach is to minimize the amount of conversions the footage undergoes.
Matt Lyon
Editor
Toronto -
Sorry Jeff, no way to tell what your experience with TELECINE was with the original question.
Now…why not ask the editor what they want? What other format will they be mixing it with? That’s what I’d want to know.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks Shane. These transfers may go out internationally to thousands of different editors. I’m looking for a common denominator. 8 bit uncompressed Apple Quicktime seems to be what I’m garnering this thread. Are there any non-linear edit t systems that don”t like this codec?
Jeff Weiser
Director/Cinematographer
Directors Syndicate
jeffweiser@earthlink.net -
[jeff weiser] “Are there any non-linear edit t systems that don”t like this codec? “
Possibly. When stock footage places make stock footage available for download, some do this, and some use Photo JPEG A. But you need to convert to that format.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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