8mm, 16mm, and Super 8 film… What Should I Do?

Did you know that, like perishable items in your fridge, film has a limited life? It may not deteriorate as fast as your weekly groceries, but film does go bad.

For example:

• After 35 years, color loss sets in.
• Within 50 – 60 years, full film loss happens in most American climates.

That’s why procrastinating on transferring film brings a greater risk of permanent damage and the possibility of total loss. Fortunately, there is a solution.

The film experts at YourLegacyYourStory are passionate about preventing the vinegar syndrome that destroys your beloved family memories. Our film scanning service saves these precious memories through a proven process.

We carefully clean, lubricate and repair any splices in your precious film. Then, our high definition transfer creates beautiful digital movies that your family can enjoy on a computer, TV, iPad and more devices.

Lifespan of Film

Under ideal storage conditions, expect your film to last for around 70 years. If you live in New York or similarly cool climates, your film may last 80 or 90 years. However, film begins to lose its colors and saturation within 30 years of storage. This is due largely to the chemicals that exist on the film itself. As time passes, the chemical reaction that took place in order to get the picture on the film originally, interacts with oxygen and other airborne chemicals and begins to deteriorate.

The worst case scenario when it comes to film deterioration is something called “Vinegar Syndrome”. This is where the film begins shrinking and warping to the point where you can no longer run it through any projector because the film is bent to severely and often breaks off with little to no pressure. It is called vinegar syndrome because of the smell of vinegar it gives off.

Our gentle, pressure-fed system does not rely on the sprocket holes, allowing us to capture more than most companies can do, especially with vinegar syndrome film. Our highly-skilled technicians can take one sniff and one look at your film and give you a pretty good idea what to expect and if there will be any additional fees. If you have any concerns about the quality of your film, we highly encourage you to take immediate action.

FREE help organizing your films!

Most film collections have a variety of different reel sizes and film types. We will find some titled, some dated, and some not. Our skilled organizers help organize the film by asking questions, drawing logical conclusions and then carefully numbering each reel. Our numbering system helps keep everything in proper sequence on your computer or television after digitizing. What about the untitled reels? Don’t worry. If we can’t figure it out before digitizing, you will have the ability to rename the movie afterwards. This helps you keep the entire collection in perfect date order!

What do I get back?

Our film transfer system allows you to get playable DVDs, digital files on a USB flash drive or upload the files to a online storage site, like Google Drive. Many customers choose one or more of these options. You will also get properly titled files and an inventory spreadsheet showing each reel, its title and any notes from the editor. The original film will be cleaned, lubricated and splice on to new archival-friendly reels and returned to you, ready for long-term storage.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

One of the most exciting developments in digital imaging is the use of cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology (AI). This mind-blowing process brings sharpness, color and detail to the film that far exceeds expectations. The AI can fix motion blur, faint images and reconstruct details that were not even captured on the original film. Please ask our representative to review your film and see if this is an option for you!

What Type of Film Do I Have?

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 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

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

If you want to look back to see the first amateur film available on the market, you’ll want to read about 16mm film and its history. What you might find interesting in the history of 16mm film is in how it’s evolved to a point of never going away. In fact, new digital variations of 16mm are still being used today in TV production because of its more economical price.