ABOUT US
HOME Movie
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Record your film to: Hard drive, flash drive, Blu-ray and/or DVD
Files on hard drive delivered as: ProRes 4:2:2 .mov (compatible with PC and Mac) Normal turnaround time: 2-3 weeks, in-studio (expedited service available) |
OUR STORY
For over 30 years, Debenham Media Group has been on the forefront of film scanning. We've worked with feature filmmakers, documentarians, film archives, universities, and museums from around the world, and our work has been featured in theaters, film festivals, and broadcast television. During that time, we've also worked with ten of thousands of families in preserving their family history - work that is equally important to us.
Most companies that work with professional film at this level have price points far above what most consumers can afford. We don't. That's because we've developed our scanning technology in-house. We use the same machines that Hollywood has trusted with their most priceless film, and we've customized them with our own optics to enhance our machines' scanning resolution and color accuracy. Currently, we are scanning at over 2400% above the intended resolution of the machine's original optics. We scan both professional feature film and home movies on these machines.
We are fully staffed with film professionals and broadcast engineers who take great pride in their work. The film that we receive is irreplaceable, and we treat it as such. Every aspect of the process - from prep, to scanning, to shipping - is geared toward safely preserving your film at the highest level possible.
Our goal, in essence, comes down to one word: QUALITY. That means quality in the digitization of your film, as well as quality in customer service. If you have any questions about our process or you would like some guidance on what the best options are for you, please give us a call at (412) 264-2526. We have no salespeople here - only friendly film technicians who would be happy to hear from you.
Most companies that work with professional film at this level have price points far above what most consumers can afford. We don't. That's because we've developed our scanning technology in-house. We use the same machines that Hollywood has trusted with their most priceless film, and we've customized them with our own optics to enhance our machines' scanning resolution and color accuracy. Currently, we are scanning at over 2400% above the intended resolution of the machine's original optics. We scan both professional feature film and home movies on these machines.
We are fully staffed with film professionals and broadcast engineers who take great pride in their work. The film that we receive is irreplaceable, and we treat it as such. Every aspect of the process - from prep, to scanning, to shipping - is geared toward safely preserving your film at the highest level possible.
Our goal, in essence, comes down to one word: QUALITY. That means quality in the digitization of your film, as well as quality in customer service. If you have any questions about our process or you would like some guidance on what the best options are for you, please give us a call at (412) 264-2526. We have no salespeople here - only friendly film technicians who would be happy to hear from you.
FILM SCANNING FAQ
Here are some questions we commonly hear from customers. If you don't see an answer to your question, please give us a call at (412) 264-2526 or email us at info@mymovietransfer.com. We don't have any salespeople hear, only friendly film technicians who are happy to assist you and answer any questions you may have.
What makes your scanning process different from other companies?
In film scanning, most companies have to make a choice: produce high quality film transfers for professional filmmakers at a price point that locks out the average consumer, or create a method of transfer to scan film cheaply by sacrificing quality. Not us. We have developed our scanning technology in-house. This has allowed us to use the same machines and optics on home movies that we use on the feature films and historical footage that filmmakers, archives, and museums have entrusted with us for decades - all at a reasonable price.
In film scanning, most companies have to make a choice: produce high quality film transfers for professional filmmakers at a price point that locks out the average consumer, or create a method of transfer to scan film cheaply by sacrificing quality. Not us. We have developed our scanning technology in-house. This has allowed us to use the same machines and optics on home movies that we use on the feature films and historical footage that filmmakers, archives, and museums have entrusted with us for decades - all at a reasonable price.
How does the process work?
The first phase of transfer is prep. Here, we splice the film onto large, 13" inch archive reels, checking for and replacing bad splices as we go. Then begins the transfer itself. Our scanners capture the film in Ultra HD - the scanner's optics transfer the film at 24 times the original resolution of the film. This called oversampling. By oversampling, we're able to pull more detail off the film, and our spectrum for light and color enhancement is much greater. We then downconvert that raw data into 720p or 1080p (the maximum resolution of the film) and record it to the media of your choice.
The first phase of transfer is prep. Here, we splice the film onto large, 13" inch archive reels, checking for and replacing bad splices as we go. Then begins the transfer itself. Our scanners capture the film in Ultra HD - the scanner's optics transfer the film at 24 times the original resolution of the film. This called oversampling. By oversampling, we're able to pull more detail off the film, and our spectrum for light and color enhancement is much greater. We then downconvert that raw data into 720p or 1080p (the maximum resolution of the film) and record it to the media of your choice.
So my home movies will look like a Hollywood film?
No - your family film will still retain the texture and inherent qualities of home movies - which is a good thing! We don't add any artificial colors or saturation to your film, rather we use the color that's already on the film to restore your film's quality to as close to - if not better - to how it was originally shot. It's important to remember: the quality of the film itself matters. For example, if you have film that's severely underexposed, there's only so much detail on the film to begin with since not enough light made it through the camera to expose the film. We'll put as much light into it as we can, but there's no process in the world that can create images that just aren't there.
No - your family film will still retain the texture and inherent qualities of home movies - which is a good thing! We don't add any artificial colors or saturation to your film, rather we use the color that's already on the film to restore your film's quality to as close to - if not better - to how it was originally shot. It's important to remember: the quality of the film itself matters. For example, if you have film that's severely underexposed, there's only so much detail on the film to begin with since not enough light made it through the camera to expose the film. We'll put as much light into it as we can, but there's no process in the world that can create images that just aren't there.
Is there any risk of damaging my film?
No - maintaining the physical condition of your film is critical to our process. Our scanners do not use hot bulbs which can burn film or pressure gates which can scratch film. We don't even rely on sprocket holes to take the film from one reel to another. The motion through the scanner is smooth, with no jitter or low tension so as to not break the film. If you have film that has become exceptionally deteriorated and needs special treatment, we will notify you right away that we are treating your film as a salvage project. Salvage projects take a bit longer than our normal turnaround time, because we will try to do everything possible to scan as much of the film as we can without inflicting damage.
No - maintaining the physical condition of your film is critical to our process. Our scanners do not use hot bulbs which can burn film or pressure gates which can scratch film. We don't even rely on sprocket holes to take the film from one reel to another. The motion through the scanner is smooth, with no jitter or low tension so as to not break the film. If you have film that has become exceptionally deteriorated and needs special treatment, we will notify you right away that we are treating your film as a salvage project. Salvage projects take a bit longer than our normal turnaround time, because we will try to do everything possible to scan as much of the film as we can without inflicting damage.
Do you transfer other media, such as VHS tapes, camcorder tapes, and photographic slides?
No, we only concentrate on motion picture film. This focus, though, has allowed us to consistently innovate and improve our scanning technology.
No, we only concentrate on motion picture film. This focus, though, has allowed us to consistently innovate and improve our scanning technology.