DIY 35mm Movie Film to Digital Video Transfer Device Telecine | Part 1 4K

I combined an old Arri / Arriflex movie camera with a new 4K digital camera to transfer 35mm film to digital video. A do-it-yourself high-quality, low tech way of making low-cost transfers of both positive and negative 35mm motion picture film. Like a telecine, but true one film frame to digital frame, 24 frames per second.
Link to Part 2:
• DIY 35mm Movie Film Di...

[@seanhancockphotofilm8960]

If you're grading and correcting I would certainly go for RAW and not jpeg. Thank you so much for sharing this and the extremely clear and well presented video.

[@owensed01]

I'm speechless this was some very clever engineering. fascinating to watch. I'd love to see your film how it was intended

[@bernderbabo]

I shot some 16mm film recently and I was shocked how expensive the whole cycle is. Buying 100ft roll of film, processing and scanning was 200€/230$ in Germany where scanning was 50% of the costs. I thought about building my own scanner but that didn't seem to be an easy task. I also considered converting an old 16mm camera but I had doubts that the quality and flexibility will meet my needs. When seeing your output I think this is the way to digitalize film in a good quality with a relatively low effort. Thank you for the contribution!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thank you - good luck!

[@EricNorcross]

I still haven’t telecine’d the rolls I shot a few years ago. It’s obscene how expensive it is.

[@CinemaRepository]

Very cool idea. The biggest problem with doing it this way of course, is the digital camera side. It's very tricky to get good images from negative. It works ok for print but the moment you use negative, everything changes and it becomes very tricky to get it right. Some people preview the digital camera with their computers and invert the image and then adjust the LED light source to get proper color. Also, if you're scanning assembled negative, they will be on larger rolls than 1k, usually they're 3x400's or 2x1000's on each "lab roll" from the lab. So fitting it in the magazine wouldn't work. For your application getting from a print, it seems to work ok. But you're stuck at 4th generation scans, which aren't the best. Most people will want the original negative scan to do the re-working of the image properly and retain the full resolution.

[@markjob6354]

*Your film transfer quality looks quite good Sir. Congratulations on your enginuity and simplicity of design. 👌 😃*

[@LeeBailes]

This is amazing. Really interesting

[@Statuskuo75]

I love this DIY.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks!

[@alesh_machingal]

Very clever engineering effort sir 👍 I love it!

[@wizardof6]

Fabulous information video. Quite an innovative solution. thank you for posting.

[@cpacefilms]

this is wonderful - thank you for sharing !!!

[@RotarySMP]

Great description of your process. Thanks.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for watching!

[@Nantawat_Kittiwarakul]

Excellent! I'm doing more or less the same in principle with my Super8 scanning setup. They're made of a modified projector (using geared motor with external power control), a Panasonic Lumix G7, a wired remote shutter, and a reed switch/magnet to "fire" the camera. Ridiculously simple, but works super reliable! I believe in KISS - no complicated electronics, no arduino, no programming work involved. All hardware - based, but work as well.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Sounds great! I'm working on a Super 8 transfer device video as well, using some of the same technology as in this video. I should have it done in 1-2 weeks. Subscribe if you'd like to take a look at that. Thanks for your interest!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Yes. I found the other big benefit is that you don't have to control the speed precisely, you can go up or down and get the same results. Inf fact, on the Super 8 I can actually stop it and start it up at a later time if I want.Thanks!

[@samfranks5067]

This is very cool.

[@9111logic]

Thanks for sharing, very interesting and I'll keep watching the second part. I was considering making my telecine having a brand new RED Scarlet 4/5K digital cinematographic camera acquired back in 2012 and never used for various reasons. It is now a little outdated for filming compared to the more recent Red 8K models, so that would be a good use for it. I

[@richardsisk1770]

Very smart idea. Thank You 😊 Be well.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks!

[@Meteotrance]

Nice work, i probably try with stop motion stuff made with my minolta SLR, some of my friend do also that with still picture on 35mm film, but a good scan with a DPX or Cineon file make the color grading more easy on software like davinci resolve or even Natron an Blender that was free software able to work with ACES color management.

[@iblamepoetry]

Holy S**t. God Bless You. 🥇🤓

[@tiomannysworld6835]

Great idea! I have been flirting with this idea but there is no pressure plate besides the internal one in the cartridge for super 8. Hmm....perhaps a double 8 camera would work. Gonna have to look into that. I normally use a slightly modified Elmo FP-A Dual 8 projector but still encounter many problems with the setup. A frame by frame capture would be ideal. Thanks for the detailed description and the transfer looks great!

[@FreshGroundPictures]

For Super 8, I think it's easier to work from a projector, but use the same frame by frame system. I've got all the parts together for a similar Super 8 transfer device and will be making a video about that in the near future. Please subscribe so you can be notified when it's posted. Thanks!

[@wholelottavideo8381]

genius.

[@380stroker]

Best solution is to get a good bulb with a good cri or tlci reading and shoot highest rez in raw and downscale to 1080p. Sure, it would take a long time, but the end product would be amazing. The new sony mirrorless full frame cameras can take pics of up to 60MP i think. The A7Riii and A7Riv.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I'm in the process of rebuilding the system now and will have a new video on the updates. New motor system and better light. Thanks!

[@fayed.untitled]

This is great! I wonder if it can be done with Suoer 8 cameras too! Thank you for sharing this. : )

[@FreshGroundPictures]

I created a system using a super 8 projector - see videos on my channel. The cameras don't have a pressure plate to hold the film - it's in the cartridge itself. Also, the take-up mechanism in a camera is not reel-based. As a result, I decided to just go with a projector instead. I am working on a 16mm system using the core elements of a camera though.

[@AaronCabreroJr]

Incredible 🎉 I wonder if this process would work the same if someone shot on super 35mm anamorphic and had to de squeeze the 2X anamorphic shot in post? Ty

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Yes, since ultimately the final process is digital, it would be no problem to "desqueeze" it. I'd recommend using a hi-rez digital camera for the maximum capture.

[@essdeecard]

Can I use a Canon Rebel T6I camera?

[@paaroshez2923]

Great project! Although I have some concerns about the LED used for backlight; It looks cheap, and seems to have a heavy blue tint. Did you check if it was a high CRI LED (Or TLCI or whatever it is they're using nowadays)? I think it would would dramatically improve the color reproduction.

[@FreshGroundPictures]

Thanks for watching! This particular LED has a temperature rating of 6500K, so it does appear bluish in the videos since they're being lit at 3200K. I'd love to find a full spectrum CRI95 bulb that works on 12 volts, but the number of LEDs available now is mind-boggling. I found that by setting the digital camera to "electronic flash" color balance, it produces an image very close to what I see with my eye on the film. I tried actually color balancing on the white light from the led, but was happier with the "flash" color balancing. I'm in the process of upgrading my 35mm transfer system - see original video on site - and I'm now searching for a brighter, higher quality led for that system.

[@paulkibedy5460]

How film frame is cropped when transfered to digital frame

[@cameramanhicham]

it's a drill ..good work

[@overlycranked8674]

I understand this is a two years old posting as I'm typing this question. Can you suggest a 16mm film system for the same DIY concept?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

You could use a projector, but there's so many - the key is having enough room to get the macro lens square and close with the film gate. I also thought about using an Arriflex 16M camera, but unless you can find a broken one, they've become a bit too pricey. On my KZbin site I detail a 16mm build with parts from an Arri 16S camera - this is complicated though.

[@jakesteven1980]

Nice. Can it be transferred to a Betacam Camcoder too?

[@FreshGroundPictures]

It's a frame by frame process, so it requires a 24 frames per second progressive scan camera. Unfortunately, betacam is only 60 frames interlaced. Thanks for watching!

[@jakesteven1980]

@@FreshGroundPictures I see. It doesn't matter actually if it's interlaced especially when it comes to transferring to DVD or VHS.

[@inactiveytchannel]

You can transfer it digitally and later telecine it by adding 24p video into interlaced sequence

[@gabbiegab5532]

Now a days we can make digital video with VFX... how do film makers convert it to movie theater Film... ?

[@paulkibedy5460]

one more question,if the copied frame and cropped,how you see it,when broadcasted or played on dvd player,do you see cropped scenes...............

[@FreshGroundPictures]

All the frames need to be put together as a movie using a computer program - like Adobe After Effects. During this process, any extra image area around the frame (black) can be cropped out.

[@paulkibedy5460]

Question,the 35mm telecine projector has the same size aperture has the 35mm camera,because the projector aperture is smaller,that means you loss frame area,no.

[@victorcasillas8057]

Can you make a Crystal Synch motor for arri s and arri m. I’ll invest.