i am just completing post-production on a 28 minute short comedy shot on dv, and am wondering how much i could expect to spend for a transfer to film. where is best/cheapest place to have this done? thanks.

-- chris combs (rogueskolr@aol.com), February 18, 1999

Answers

Hey Chris,

Congrats on finishing post. Re: transfers, best and cheap are kinda on opposite ends of the spectrum. For the least expensive you can check with the Canadian National Film Board at http://www.nfb.ca . They use a process called a Trinescope that is also used at several companies in the US for low cost video to 16mm film. However, with the Canadian exchange rate, there price ends up being about $48 (US) per minute versues places in the US that charge $60-$90 for the same process.

If you email them and ask about video to film, they will have someone contact you re: conducting a test (highly recommended), payment terms, etc.

They do not recommend you use the process if your project has a lot of wide shots, rapid camera movement, computer effects.

A higher quality, but more expensive alternative is the Four Media Corporation http://www.4mc.com. They run about $150 per minute to transfer to 16mm.

For a complete list of video to film companies, visit: http://members.xoom.com/dvfilmmaker/resources.html

Good luck!

Maxie Collier

-- Maxie D. Collier (dvfilmmaker@hotmail.com), February 19, 1999.

You can also goto a place in Burbank, CA called Ringer Films. They do a color Kinoscope to 16 or 35mm.

-- Harry (calgold@cogent.net), February 22, 1999.

DEAR SIR, OUR COMPANY ((SIMA FILM)) IS A LARGE FLM CO IN IRAN THAT PRODUCES MANY VIDEO AND FILMS IN IRAN,YEARLY,.WE ALSO ARE A FILM SERVICE PROVIDER.WE RENT THE ACCESSORIES TO OTHER FILM PRODUCERS IN IRAN. MEANWHILE,WE HAVE PRODUCED A 120 MINUTES VIDEO FILM(ON BETACAM-SP, PAL SYSTEM)AND WOULD LIKE TO TRANSFER TO 35mm FILM IN ORDER TO SCREENING ON CINEMAS. NOW,WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SOME POINTS AS BELOW: 1-WHICH TRANSFERING SYSTEM IS SUITABLE? 2-DO YOU HAVE THAT SYSTEM IN YOUR CO? 3-HOW MUCH ARE THE EXPENSES OF TRANSFER FOR 120 MINUTES. 4- HOW LONG IT TAKES? OUR CONTACT IS: ADD: P.O.BOX:19395-4575,TEHRAN,IRAN. TEL:0098-21-2162580,FAX:0098-21-2012660, MOBILE:0098-911-2100399 PLEASE, KINDLY SEND OUR REQUIRED INFORMATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BEST REGARDS, MASOUD ZEYNALEE ADVISOR TO MANAGING DIRECTOR IN TECHNICAL AND INT. AFFAIRS

-- masoud zeynalee (mzeynalee@yahoo.com), April 10, 2001.