Please contact us via email and send us your name, location, phone number, questions and the best time to reach you by telephone.
Please understand, due to their complex nature, we cannot repond to technical questions or requests for estimates in writing as that is time consuming. In all cases we prefer voice contact.
Toni, tel: 978-948-7985 or Treadway [at] LittleFilm [dot] org.
FRAME RATES / FILM SPEED
ON ARCHIVAL FILM WE STRIVE TO REPRESENT ORIGINAL CAMERA FRAME RATES so that the motion is natural.
On artists' films, WE CAN RENDER IN DESIGNATED FRAME RATES, VARIABLE FROM 1 TO 24 FRAMES PER SECOND as instructed by the artist or the director.
CAREFUL HANDLING
WE DO CAREFUL FILM HANDLING, INSPECTION, REPAIR, RECONDITIONING, and RESPLICING AS NEEDED.
WE CAN TRANSFER SHRUNKEN OR DETERIORATED ORIGINAL 8mm, SUPER 8 OR 16mm reversal MATERIALS. THIS IS A SPECIALITY.
SOUND
WE TRANSFER SYNC SOUND from "all the usual suspects"
including
SINGLE SYSTEM SOUND-on-FILM
1 track or 2 track or stereo sound on film;
MAGNETIC 8mm, Super 8,
FULLCOAT 8mm, Super 8,
OPTICAL or MAGNETIC 16mm,
FULLCOAT 16mm interlocked, whether to 16mm picture or to Super 8 picture
and
SOUNDTRACKS FROM OTHER SOURCES
LIKE OPEN REEL AUDIO TAPE, or AUDIO CASSETTE.
We can do sync corrections in the above formats, or you can in post-production.
CLEANING
There is NO CHARGE FOR CLEANING unless unusual circumstances present themselves, such as advanced mildew, sticky tape or chewing gum. It is our prerogative to make our work as clean as possible. We check and clean film by hand. We will advise you when we need to charge for special handling, repair or assembly.
PAYMENT
We ask for a check as deposit on work booked in advance based on our estimate. We are very old-fashioned; we do not accept credit cards unless through Paypal. If you have sent a deposit and overpaid, we will refund any balance immediately. We reserve the right to add a surcharge for work performed with less than 48 hours notice, for nights, weekends or for jobs requiring unusual or extra documentation. If you are well organized, patient and reasonable to work with, you may well avoid surcharges.
RIGHTS AND RELEASES
We transfer original materials which are usually carried to us in the hands of the original owner. If you are asking for service on a film not made or owned by you, we need you to get permission and clear all rights and releases prior to working with us. We infer that your contracting for our work means that you have the right to copy the material.
LIABILITY
Your films have artistic, historic and sentimental value to you or even perhaps monetary value to your production. We treat your films with great care while they are in our hands, but we do not assume responsibility for loss or damage to your films whether they are in our possession or in transit. Common carriers have advised us they do not insure films for content but will only insure for replacement value of raw film stock.
SUPERVISION
In some instances the films need to be hand carried in which case a supervised transfer session is recommended. Supervising the transfer can save you money if you have done the work to be very familiar with the footage, have organized it and assembled it. In some cases, a documentary producer will want selected shots from a very large collection. Please contact us for best ways to mark selects.
Transfers: one hour minimum. We have day rates for training staff people at archives on site. Call.
Hourly rates for evaluation, condition reports, recommendations, reel assembly, repairs, re-splicing, removing mildew and reconditioning as required. We can make you SD or HD digital files. In HD the 4:3 full image aspect ratio of the old film will be represented by pillar boxing. The most often requested file by our documentary clients is the Apple Quicktime codec Prores 4:2:2 HQ or Uncompressed digital files. We track all packages in and out, so you must call before shipping with carrier and tracking number. We handle original materials which are irreplaceable.
Please telephone us to work out strategy for delivery so we know shipper, tracking numbers and date of arrival. We highly recommend services with tracking barcodes that require signatures, such as FedEx Express (not Ground), USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation, or UPS next day air service. Please pack film in a cardboard box with adequate padding. Never ship any media, film, audio or videotape in a fiber-filled bag; NEVER!
attn: Toni Tel: 978-948-7985 (9-6 EST)
Our filmmaking book "Super 8 in the Video Age" (1983) is long out of print. If you find a used copy online, it is useful in spirit, but be sure to check facts and labs before following its outdated production protocols. Bob BRODSKY's 2005 memoir "Marching Bands Make Me Cry" is available directly from us. It is Bob's memoir of growing up Victorian in the McCarthy era and the people who shaped him. Click on the cover image to link you to his book page. Toni's first book of poetry was published by Kelsay Books in 2018 and is available from their online store, local indy bookstores or Amazon.
RATES
Our rates are not published because each film or collection is unique and Toni can estimate the work after discussion by phone. Work is done by hand and transfer is only done scene by scene so our work is time consuming. We coach filmmakers with a large collection to do triage, recommending they hand view the film to make a basic list for triage. Once you know the details of your pile of old film, please call Toni to estimate your work. 978-948-7985 (office hours 9-6 EST)TECHNICAL CONSULTATION
SPECIAL FILM HANDLING
WET GATE TRANSFER SCENE-BY-SCENE ONLY, REVERSAL FILM ONLY.
Base scratches will be greatly diminished or disappear and your film will look as clean as a possible. Bob Brodsky is only happy doing scene by scene transfers of reversal film because that is his speciality. We do not offer one light, best light, straight through transfers. Call Toni for a quotation. When you call, she will want to know the gauge, number of reels, amount of film and condition of your film. We have a 1 hour minimum, and then quarter hour increments for transfer. Special handling needed for old films with VinegarSyndrome can be discussed but cannot be estimated. FILES
SHIPPING ARRANGEMENTS
SHIPPING ADDRESS:
Brodsky & Treadway attn: Toni tel: 978-948-7985
69 Warehouse Lane
Rowley, MA 01969 USA
MAILING ADDRESS:
for USPS (PO classic mail) please send to:
Post Office Box 335
Rowley, MA 01969 USA
2005 special announcement: Bob's new book
NEED MORE INFO? Please visit our sister site www.LittleFilm.org as there we have information about small gauge filmmaking today, lists of labs as well as tips on restoration and preservation of old home movies, independent film and artist's films.
PLEASE SAVE YOUR OLD MOVIES and RECORD OCCASIONAL NEW MOVIES ON FILM
for the culture, for your great-great-grandbabies, for posterity.
for the culture, for your great-great-grandbabies, for posterity.
We prefer you telephone us with questions or to schedule work. Tel: 978 948 7985 from 9-6 EST. If you reach voice mail, please leave your name, your phone number, your region, best hours to reach you and any technical details. Thank you, Toni & Bob
Archived at: https://www.littlefilm.com/index.4.en-us.html
