How to Create a Transfer Film
Telecine, the process of transferring of film to video, can be inexpensive or costly depending on the type of transfer conducted. The transfer process is monitored by a colorist who conducts a supervised or a nonsupervised transfer of the film to video. In a supervised session, the colorist works with the client to control the color correction of each frame. In a nonsupervised session, the colorist enters global settings into the telecine machine and then monitors the film-to-tape transfer.
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Things You'll Need
- Flying spot scanner
- Charged-couple device (CCD)
- Projector
- Video camera
- Multiplexer
Instructions
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Professional Transfer
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Verify the condition of your film. Inspect your film for water or heat damage. Dust and dirt may need to be removed from your film with a special solution before digitization can begin.
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There are two methods used to transfer film --- flying spot scanner or charge-coupled device. For a flying spot scanner, light is shot through your film and the scanner rapidly scans each frame of film. Each reel captures the film frame-by-frame, guaranteeing each original frame corresponds to a new, uncompressed digital file.
A multiplexer is where a projector and camera are mounted on a table. Lenses and a mirror project the film image directly into the camera. Light strikes a charge-coupled device, CCD, or light-sensitive pixels. RGB (red, green, blue) components are separated before a digital image is created.
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The telecine machine scans the image horizontally, creating 525 lines of information in NTSC, North American television standard, and 625 lines in PAL, the European television standard.
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Color is restored to the project by enhancing the faded dye patterns of the film. A colorist monitors the project frame-by-frame, correcting any changes of color or by setting the telecine process on automatic. The intent of the color-correction process is to restore the images to their original color or better during the film-to-video transfer process.
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The telecine process creates hours of uncompressed data. Codec compression of the information shrinks the digital files to a manageable format, enabling the user to edit the files on a Mac or PC computer instead of requiring a professional post-production editing suite.
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Final inspection checks the film for undesired effects before the project is burned onto a disk or save onto a hard drive.
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Tips & Warnings
The cheapest way to create a film to video transfer is in real time. The film is projected onto a screen and, using a video camera, the images are captured by recording the images on the screen.
A professional film-to-video transfer, a telecine process, is expensive. Each session can cost an average of $500 an hour.
References
- Photo Credit film image by saied shahinkiya from Fotolia.com
