Transfer your old footage to a digital format.
There's plenty of old 8mm film stashed away in closets, attics and even garages all over the world. Film degrades over time, so if you want to keep your moving images intact, you'll need to transfer them to a digital format. Having this done by a professional can be very expensive. Luckily, transferring your old 8mm films to DVD at home is easy, and you likely already have all the equipment necessary. You'll be projecting the old films, recording the projection with a digital camcorder, and transferring that digital video to a computer to make a DVD.
Instructions
1. Set up the projector. If you have old 8mm films, you likely already have an old 8mm projector. If you don't, you can get one on eBay for less than $50. Put the film reel onto the projector. Aim the projector at a screen or a clean white wall.
2. Put a tape in your camcorder and aim it at the screen or wall. Keep the camcorder stable. If you don't have a tripod, place the camcorder near the projector on a table or even a stack of hardcover books. Thread the projector with the film and turn it on. Align the camcorder so it captures the entire projected image. Adjust the zoom controls, if necessary. If your camcorder allows, manually adjust the focus, exposure and white balance settings to get the best image.
3. Press "Record" on the camcorder. Turn off the lights and start the projector. You can leave the room if you like, but you'll probably want to watch the process and see your old film.
4. Once the film footage is recorded, connect your camcorder to your computer using a firewire cable and start up your video editing software (iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, etc.). Capture your video and drag it into the timeline. Edit out any unnecessary footage and cut off the black video at the beginning and end of your source footage.
5. Use your video editing software to burn a DVD. With iMovie, you can export your video project directly to iDVD. If you're using another program, export your video file and then import it into your DVD authoring software. Set up a DVD menu that fits your tastes and determine whether you want your DVD to immediately play your video or to first cue up the menu. Burn the DVD. At this point, you can delete the video files from the computer if you like, or keep them there as a backup, in case you want to burn another DVD some day.
Tags: your video, your camcorder, already have, digital format, editing software, export your
