There are a variety of common problems with film: dust, scratches, chemical staining, warping caused by telecine transfers, stabilization of jittery images, etc. We're equipped to digitally remove or conceal most problems. In most cases we'll ask to see the film so that we can assess the job to be done and to give you the most accurate estimate possible.
This really all depends on what you're trying to do. Frankly, if you're looking to clean up home movies, we're most likely not the best match. Our restoration services are geared towards the professional market, and are often well out of the budget of the average consumer. We take a different approach from most of the film restoration services offered by labs and telecine facilities - we work frame by frame on your film, minimizing the use of automated filters. This results in the best quality restoration you can get. As a result, our services tend to be somewhat more expensive than places that offer realtime hardware "restoration."
We primarily use the DigitalVision Phoenix restoration system. We can handle most resolutions with this system as it's resolution independent, but most restoration work is done at either 2k or 4k.
We also have a PFClean restoration system which we use occasionally for very specific types of repairs.
No. But we'll work with your lab, or recommend one to you if you need your film prepared for a filmout.
It's impossible to say without seeing your film. We bill hourly for film restoration, and the time involved is based on the severity of the defects to be removed, the resolution you'll be working at, the intended output format. The extent to which you want to clean up the film also plays a part in determining the cost. Before we'll give any kind of estimate, we need to see a copy of the film. We'll evaluate your film and send you an estimate or proposal.
We can work with most formats, from film to HD Tape Transfers. HDCAM, HDCAM SR, HD D5 or Digital Betacam are the most common for video-based projects. We can scan your 70mm, 35mm, 16mm, Super8mm or 8mm film at resolutions up to 14k.