Welcome to our FAQ page
If you don't see the answer to your question, please drop us a line at [email protected]
What is frame-by-frame and how good will the transfer quality be?
Frame-by-frame transfer makes a digital photograph of each frame of your film from edge to edge. You get the entire frame without cropping and at the greatest clarity. Quality is unsurpassed by any other method.
What is DVD authoring?
DVD authoring means that we edit your production into a movie event customized for you. We create a custom menu, navigation buttons, moving menus and other effects. We build chapters for easy navigation, design custom transitions and graphic effects. You just tell us what you want and we will make it happen.
Tell me about music. Why should I consider adding music to my film transfer? Will it really make that much of a difference?
Music absolutely makes a difference! Music adds ambience to movie viewing. It's like watching your favorite sports program with no sound. And we custom build music based on your action and/or occasion. Everything we do is custom!
How do you custom build music?
We take music from our extensive professional royal free library or use your music to make your movies come alive. By carefully building and placing each musical score your films move from treasure to masterpiece. There is nothing more enjoyable than watching your own family moments set to professional musical scores.
What is a "virgin" master?
A virgin master is the unedited, uncompressed digital record of each frame of your film. Copies of the virgin master are used to author your movie into a film that entertains as well as preserves your irreplaceable memories. The virgin master is in MOV (film) or AVI (video tape) format.
What is DIY editing?
Do-it-yourself or DIY editing means we make a Virgin Master of your film in MOV format. This master can be viewed on your computer. From this master you can edit your movies to include chapters, music or anything your imagination allows.
MomentCatcher Production MOV files can be uncompressed or compressed. If they are "virgin masters" meaning nothing has been done to them, they will be uncompressed. Once they are color balanced they become compressed.
MPEG is a compressed format. This means only the changes between frames are recorded. Even though it will play fine on the screen a lot of information is lost so the ability to edit the film is greatly reduced. Most importantly you can always make an MPEG file from an uncompressed file but you cannot make a Virgin Digital Master file from an MPEG file. MomentCatcher Productions recommends that you always include a Virgin Master file on an external hard drive with your order as this gives you a digital master of your films to come back to in the future.
What is the difference between MOV, AVI and MPEG formats and what difference does it make to me?
It depends on what you plan to do with your film transfer. Uncompressed AVI or MOV files are very large and cannot be played on most stand-alone DVD players but they can be played from most computer hard drives. MPEG files are made to play on your television screen via a stand-alone DVD player or on your computer. AVI is the better format for editing.
What is color balance?
We automatically color balance all films. Projected film was never meant to be viewed on anything other than - well a projector. Therefore, any digital transfer will have some color shift issues and to produce the truest natural original colors we double check each film's color and adjust accordingly. This process allows you to view your film in the digital format as it was meant to be seen in the film format. Also, just due to age, films fade over time or have unnatural colors due to things such as poor lighting at the time of filming. Color balancing will fix most of these issues.
What does editing include?
Editing means we can move scenes around in your production, placing them where you want them. We also take out stray frames or sections of film or tape that do not have a usable image. This would include sections that you don't want, film frames that are too dark to see an image, splices, and frames with bubbles. We don't remove scenes that are simply out of focus or distorted. Only the movie segments you want out and those with no image are removed.
How does a Review Copy help me?
A review copy allows you to see the Basic Transfer to determine if you want to enhance your film or tape by adding music, text, graphics, introductions etc. and/or to allow you to view your films to determine the order you want them displayed on your DVD, determine how each reel should be titled and if any segments require editing. If you decide you want to make changes or enhancements after you receive your final copy we must restart the project and charge another setup fee so if there are any questions, a REVIEW COPY is a great idea.
What is a Standard Navigation Menu?
A Standard Navigation Menu is the chapter menu that comes with the Basic Transfer. It allows you to easily navigate through your DVD instead of having to watch the entire disc from start to finish. We will title your overall DVD, set the chapters according to your reels and title each chapter as you desire. Multiple chapters on one DVD may require review copy at additional if you want to specify the chapter location(s).
How is the Custom Designed DVD & Case with Complete Index better than a jewel case?
The Custom Designed DVD & Case fits on your bookshelf. We can put your entire project, up to 10 DVD's, in one case. In addition to the case we provide an artistic, custom label that is created around scenes from your project. The label is professional indexed showing the chapter menu titles and run times. The DVD itself has a matching label that is permanently engrained on the DVD using the same process as a DVD label from a major motion picture. This custom professionally designed package makes a fantastic gift or family heirloom.
What does Digital Photo Cleaning and Repair include?
Digital Photo Cleaning and Repair includes digitally retouching the electronic copy of your photographs to remove obvious blemishes such as red eye or artifacts that have become embedded in the photograph due to time. We can digital repair and restore torn photos and even restore photos which have sustained water damage or faded due to time. We never alter the original photograph.
What is dye sublimation printing?
In a dye-sublimation printer, there are long rolls of transparent film that resemble sheets of red, blue, yellow, and gray colored cellophane stuck together end to end. Embedded in this film are solid dyes corresponding to the four basic colors used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The print head heats up as it passes over the film, causing the dyes to vaporize and permeate the surface to be printed they return to solid form. The vaporized colors permeate the surface of the DVD, creating a gentle gradation at the edges of each pixel, instead of the conspicuous border between dye and paper produced by ink jets. And because the color infuses the DVD, it is waterproof and is not vulnerable to fading or distortion which occurs over time with other processes.
When is payment due?
Normally payment is due upon completion of your project. If we require other arrangements due to the nature of your project we will let you know upon receipt of your order. Otherwise, once we have completed your project we will contact you for payment. Once we receive payment, we will send your films, slides and tapes back with your new DVD's or MiniDV tapes.
What is the resolution of your video tape captures?
720x480 pixels.
How do I apply the Kodak Presstape?
Here's a quick instructional movie:
Kodak Presstapes are a clean, simple, time saving way to splice movie film.It may take a few times to get the hang of it, but soon you will be a movie film splicing pro.(If your eyesight is going south like mine is, you will find a magnifying glass with a light on it is really helpful.)
Do you transfer Polavision film cartridges?
You bet we do! The transfer cost is the same cost as Super 8 film. However, we do have to add the cost of a 50 foot film reel and box to store the film once it is removed from the Polaroid cartridge. Please note, we destroy the film cartridges when we remove the film and transfer it to Super 8 reels. The cartridges are not returned.