8mm, Super 8 Film to Digital Conversion

Expect your movies recorded as editable files to a professional-grade DVD, printed to your specifications. Film to DVD transfer rates vary depending on whether your film is silent or is with sound. We will preserve your film to high-quality DVDs. You can also request video files output to any other digital media, such as flash drives, hard drives, or memory cards. Once you have the files you (or a friend or relative) can use Windows Media Maker or any other editing software to make your custom “Family Movies”. Or we can do that too. See below.

Time is of the essence…

If your film has been stored in cooler and drier climates, you might get 70 years before the film goes totally bad, but fading and other loss can still occur.

What is “Vinegar Syndrome”?

As acetate film deteriorates it releases acetic acid that gives it a vinegar smell (known as ‘vinegar syndrome’). As the deterioration progresses the base starts to shrink, causing the emulsion layer to buckle and pop off the base. It can also develop bubbles under the emulsion layer and white crystalline deposits on the surface. Ultimately the film will weaken and crumble.Vinegar Syndrome is inevitable and leads to the total loss of your film. Once vinegar syndrome sets in, you should expect less than 20 months of life remaining.

What Should You Do Now?

Contact Us Now. It’s easy! Tell us what you have. We can give you a free estimate. View your films (if possible) and number them in the sequential order you would like to see them transferred. Carefully package them in a box, and send them via USPS Priority Mail, to;

Tveden Lamp Modules

c/o Geo Video Productions

24707 E. Kildea Ave.

Otis Orchards, WA 99027-9713

What will we do?

When we receive your film(s), you will be notified. We will look it all over and confirm our initial estimate. As your order comes up, the films will be cleaned at no charge. Splices are charged at $1.50 /ea. Reels and cases are charged at $7.50 – 200′,.. $10.00 – 400′. See our Film to DVD transfer rates in the far right column.

Once the film is prepared, it is then digitally transferred via world renown, Tobin Cinema Systems equipment. The files are kept on our hard drive systems and output to the desired digital media, such as DVD.

When the files have been rendered and copies made, you will be sent an invoice for payment. Soon as payment is received, all film and media files are returned to the client via insured USPS Priority Mail with tracking numbers.

What else can we do?

We can edit the film files into a program with Titles and Music. As a rule, video editing will add roughly $100 to each hour of film. This kind of work requires the customer to provide “titles” and approve soundtracks. This is not overly complicated or expensive. Again we can give quotes for additional work.

Film to DVD transfer rates

Our film to DVD rates or digital transfer rates are shown in the column on the right.

Price List

8mm & Super8 reels

50′ length silent – $5.00
50′ length with sound – $8.50
100′ length silent – $10.00
100′ length with sound – $16.00
200′ length silent – $20.00
200′ length with sound – $30.00
400′ length silent – $40.00
400′ length with sound – $60.00

Extra DVD $5 each

film types

There are three main types of film we convert: 8mm film, 16mm film, and Super 8 film. For most people, film rolls have been sitting in a box, not getting normal use. Luckily, understanding what type of film you have is pretty straightforward. Simply look at the size of the film and its sprockets (the holes on the side of the film) and match the shape to determine what type of film it is.

8mm film

8mm silent

8mm sound

8mm stereo sound

8mm film format was around for 33 years during the mid 20th century when many very pivotal historical events occurred before it evolved into something slightly greater. That means many standard 8mm film rolls are still sitting in storage around the world awaiting a digital transfer, if not done already.

Super 8mm film

Super8 silent

Super8 sound

Super8 stereo sound

You may not even be aware of Super 8mm film’s existence, much less it’s description and history, if you grew up long after the 1960s or 1970s. But for the Generation X era, Super 8 was the home movie film stock that was standard for capturing family events and making home movies right up until the video era. Despite being an upgrade from its predecessor (8mm), however, its title was always a bit of an exaggeration.

16mm Film

16mm silent

16mm sound

16mm stereo sound