Vintage Film Transfer · from the people behind Electric Pictures
Your 16mm and 35mm film, scanned on a Blackmagic Cintel
A small, hands-on film transfer service for 16mm and 35mm film only. Tell us what is on your reels and we will reply with a quote and next steps.
Pricing: quoted by footage · (see our forms below)
Turnaround: usually around 2 weeks
16mm · 35mm · Blackmagic Cintel scanner · Electric Pictures heritage · Francis Raymond Line archive
Why Vintage Film Transfer
Electric Pictures heritage
Vintage Film Transfer grows out of Electric Pictures, our film transfer business since 1999.
We keep film, too
We hold and care for the Francis Raymond Line film archive. Looking after our own collection shapes how we handle yours.
Blackmagic Cintel scanner
Your film is scanned on a Blackmagic Cintel, a professional motion picture film scanner, rather than filmed off a projector.
What we scan: 16mm and 35mm only
16mm film
Home movies, educational, industrial and TV films on 16mm, including Super 16, prints, negative, reversal; silent, optical or magnetic sound
35mm film
35mm motion picture film, including prints, negative, interpositive; 2,3,4 perf perforation formats; optical sound
We do not currently scan 8mm, Super 8 or other gauges.
Fragile film: if your film is brittle, shrunken, smells of vinegar, or might be nitrate, please contact us with photos before sending it.
Not sure what you have? Our film length calculator estimates footage and running time from reel size.
How it works
- Tell us about your film. Gauge, number of reels or approximate footage, sound or silent, and condition. The quote form at the bottom of this page is the quickest way.
- Get your quote. [JOANNE: how quotes are worked out: per foot, per reel, minimum order]
- Send or drop off your film. [JOANNE: shipping instructions, and drop-off address and hours if offered]
- Inspection and scanning. Each reel is checked before it goes on the Cintel. [JOANNE: confirm prep steps, e.g. splice repair, cleaning, color correction]
- Files delivered, film returned. You receive your digital files and your original film comes back to you. [JOANNE: delivery method]
What you get
- Digital files: [JOANNE: file format / codec and resolution]
- Sound: [JOANNE: whether sound is captured and how it is delivered]
- Delivery: [JOANNE: drive, download, or customer-supplied drive, and any cost]
- Your original film: returned to you. [JOANNE: packaging, e.g. on cores in archival cans]
- Turnaround: [JOANNE: standard turnaround and any rush option]
- Price: [JOANNE: rate card or quote basis, and minimum order]
What our clients say
[JOANNE: TRUST BLOCK PLACEHOLDER. Add real, permission-cleared client quotes, named projects or press mentions here (for example the 2014 POST Magazine feature on Electric Pictures, if you want it cited). No testimonials, reviews or ratings have been written for you.]
Frequently asked questions
What film formats do you transfer?
Only 16mm and 35mm motion picture film. We do not take 8mm, Super 8 or other gauges. [JOANNE: optional referral for other gauges]
How much does it cost?
[JOANNE: pricing basis, e.g. per foot by gauge, sound add-on, minimum order] To estimate footage and running time from reel size, try our film length calculator.
How long does it take?
[JOANNE: standard turnaround, and whether rush service is offered]
Can you transfer the sound on my film?
[JOANNE: confirm whether optical and magnetic sound are captured on your Cintel setup] To check your film: a wavy or striped track along one edge is usually optical sound, and a brown or dark stripe is usually a magnetic track. 16mm film with perforations on both edges is silent.
What is a Blackmagic Cintel?
It is a professional film scanner made by Blackmagic Design. It captures motion picture film as a sequence of digital frames, instead of pointing a camera at a projected image.
My film smells like vinegar or looks warped. Can it still be scanned?
It needs an assessment first. Store it somewhere cool and dry, away from other film, and send us photos before you ship it. [JOANNE: damaged-film policy]
Is my old 35mm film nitrate?
35mm film made before the early 1950s may be nitrate, which is flammable. The edge is often printed “NITRATE”. Please do not ship it; contact us first. [JOANNE: nitrate policy]
Do I get my original film back?
Yes. Your original film is returned to you. A scan is a copy, not a replacement, so keep your originals stored cool and dry.
Where are you based?
[JOANNE: location, drop-off arrangements and service area]
Who is behind Vintage Film Transfer?
Vintage Film Transfer is the film transfer service of Vintage Film Channel, run by [JOANNE: public name: Joanne Grace Kesel / Grace Kesel / Grace McKay], who founded Electric Pictures.
Request a quote
Tell us your gauge, how many reels (or approximate footage), sound or silent, and the film’s condition. We will reply with a quote and next steps. [JOANNE: response-time promise, if any]
Prefer to talk it through? [JOANNE: phone and/or email to publish]