Why is there not a one light option? What is a best light? What is a flat transfer?  

We offer a best light, flat, or fully color corrected transfers. We do not have a one light option because if normal screen contrast is applied to the film transfer then one light will not be good enough. We understand shooting/scanning film is expensive and we also take great pride in the quality of our products and services, but we cannot let a transfer go out the door where the content is in clipped or unusable. A best light means we will stop and adjust the transfer setting between setups or where the exposure varies wildly. We will not allow the clipping of the signal, so as not be recoverable by you. A flat transfer is more of a one light however it is setup up to do dmin/dmax of alignment films from Kodak. This ensures the film will never have any clipped information, however color/density correction will need to be applied for it to appear on screen correctly. Scene-to-scene color correction is where every shot is fully corrected to your or our colorists look or instruction.

Why is SD and HD the same price?  

All video transfers are done on a Spirit 2K with video outputs. The signal path for our telecine suite is all digital 1920x1080 10bit RGB 4:4:4. Colorspace conversion or SD down convert is always done at the last possible device to ensure the best quality video and the most possible image information. The workflow is the same and so is the price.

What is the difference between 2K and HD?

With respect to film, 2K assumes the height of the image will be relative to the format. For 35mm and Reg 2048 x 1556, and for Super16mm 2048 x 1254. HD(1.78:1) is 1920 x 1080. Depending on how the content was framed, format and target medium the decision can be made on what is best for you.

What is the difference between 4K and UHD?

With respect to film, 4K assumes the height of the image will be relative to the format. For 35mm and Reg 4096 x 3112 and for Super16mm 4096 x 2342. UHD(1.78:1) is 3840 x 2160 Depending on how the content was framed, format and target medium the decision can be made on what is best for you.

* 2K & 4K  is just the width of the image. DCI specs for digital cinema projection assume about 2:1 aspect. For 2K DCP max resolution is 2048 x 1080. In 4K DCP resolution is 4096 x 2160.

How is the 3K scanner different from the Spirits?    

The 3K scanner scans the perfs and overscans top and bottom. It is slow speed, sprocketless, and liquid gate. It is designed for compromised films. The resolution of the picture area is 2K and the rest of the sides and frame lines occupy the rest of the space. Please read more about the scanner in The Lab.

Film Scanning Frequently Asked Questions