8mm film reel
Restoring 8 mm film requires a combination of analog and digital methods. Many telecine houses offer custom 8mm transfer and restoration services, but with your old projector and some free and open-source video editing software, you can restore and reformat 8 mm film yourself. To restore your own 8 mm film, you must clean it by hand, project it onto a screen and record that projection with a digital video camera. Import the resulting video onto your computer and use free software to reduce grain and remove scratches.
Instructions
1. Attach the head leader to the take-up reel on the projector and wind the film onto it gradually, inspecting as you go.
2. Wipe any dirt, dust or fingerprints from the film using the lint-free cloth and film cleaner. Use a cotton swab dipped in film cleaner to spot-clean specific frames.
3. Peel off splicing tape that looks weak or damaged. Swab the film frames that were beneath the tape to remove any glue residue, then re-tape the splice on both sides with your splicer. Reinforce any broken sprocket holes with splicing tape.
4. Place your reels on the projector, and thread the head leader to prepare for playback.
5. Mount the videocamera on the tripod, and focus the lens on the screen. If you don't have a screen, use a clean white wall. If your wall is colored or textured (e.g. stucco), you can tape a sheet of watermark-free white paper to it, preferably with a whiteness rating of 92 or above.
6. Start the projector and record the film with your digital video camera.
7. Connect your video camera to your computer via firewire or USB cable and import the footage.
8. Download the latest version of VirtualDub (link in resources) and extract the .zip archive. Because VirtualDub is a standalone application, no further installation is necessary.
9. Download the MSU Old Film Restoration filter (link in resources) and extract it to the "plugins" directory within VirtualDub.
10. Launch VirtualDub, import your footage and run the Old Film Restoration Filter to reduce film grain and remove dust and scratches.
11. Export your completed, filtered video to any of a variety of common file formats.
Tags: video camera, with your, digital video, digital video camera, film cleaner, Film Restoration
