OUR FILM CLEANING METHODS

SECOND PASS FILM CLEANING

Before we digitize your home movies, we prep the film. We check each splice, repairing any broken, damaged or incorrect splicing. We also clean the film using Kodak Particle Transfer Rollers (pictured above), informally referred to as "sticky rollers."

Each reel receives a fresh set of four rollers that gently clean your film by pulling dust and small debris directly from the film without damage. As you can see looking at the rollers in the photos, these rollers pick up quite a bit of dirt and dust. They will typically remove about 50-70% of surface dust and dirt in a single pass.

We offer an optional second pass film cleaning using six fresh Kodak Particle Transfer Rollers. The second pass cleaning is in addition to our standard cleaning, and it costs a flat $19.95 for any sized order. The second pass cleaning removes another 10-15% more dust and is performed on a separate machine prior to transfer.

A certain amount of dirt may remain because it has become embedded in the emulsion. We do not want to remove this dirt because doing so could remove portions of the image, since the emulsion could removed as well.

DIGITAL CLEANING

The best way to get the film as clean as possible is to also include a digital clean-up, available in our Ultra 1080p HD Transfer. Using our Ultra process, we will transfer your film to digital files, enhancing light and color as we scan your film. We will then run the film through DaVinci Resolve, a software program that will analyze each frame of film and remove or greatly reduce the appearance of dust and dirt, as well as scratches and grain. DaVinci Resolve is the same program utilized by Hollywood whenever they restore a classic film.

Our scanning system employs a dry-gate. The wet gate method of transfer is designed for newly shot, lightly scratched film. It is really not suited for home movies or archival footage. Wet gates use chemicals which can damage your splices and weaken the emulsion of the film, damaging the physical film long term. Fluid based systems leech plasticizers from the film each time they are used, further weakening the film. Even stored under the best conditions, decades-old film can often acquire a significant amount of built up dirt. That dirt can be loosened in the wet gate and it can float around in the chemical bath as the film is being transferred, adding a layer of noise to the transferred picture.