Questions we get asked

Short answers to the things people ask before they get in touch.

Do my reels ever leave the building?

No. Everything is scanned here in the Hope Mill workshop. Nothing is posted to a lab elsewhere and nothing is sent abroad. You can drop off and collect in person.

What does a transfer cost?

Cine film is priced per reel and tape per cassette, with a small minimum for a single item. Send us a rough count on the enquiry form and we'll give you a firm figure before you commit — there's no charge for a quote.

How long does it take?

Usually two to three weeks for cine film and about a week for video tape. If a reel is mouldy or a tape is shedding we'll say so before we start, because those take longer and sometimes can't be finished at all.

What formats do you take?

Standard 8, Super 8 and 16mm cine; VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS, Video8, Hi8, Digital8 and MiniDV tape; 35mm slides and negatives in batches; and Betamax and U-matic more often than people expect.

How do I get the files back?

On a USB drive you keep, or a download link — your choice. MiniDV comes back as the original data over FireWire; everything else is an MP4 you can open on any phone or computer.