We can process any and all outdated 8mm, 9.5mm & 16mm movie film.

At Film Rescue we give you the choice of a safest possible process (B&W negative) or an extremely high contrast color negative process (AN-6). We’re using only negative processes at this point because the reversal step to create a positive image, further exacerbates the issues that come with the aging of your film.

Please Note: All films processed here won’t project properly i.e. what is light will be dark and what is dark will be light. This is corrected during transfer as a positive image.

With the exception of Kodachrome type film (which can only be processed into B&W negative), 16mm and double-8 films, we do have the ability to run most long expired super-8 and single-8 color films in color processes. However, it is often inadvisable, as you risk losing any kind of image at all or having a lower quality image than you would have had in B&W. For example, based on our tests, film requiring ME-4 process is unlikely to turn out when processed in color. More here

Keep in mind that the films we process are generally decades past the “process-before” date. We do the very best job anyone is able to. Results range from fairly good, to extremely poor, to no image at all. We’re using extremely well tested processes, the best of the best scanning technology along with an Adobe Premier edit to improve the image as much as possible. The quality we output would be very difficult to exceed.

Price policy

Prices and billing are in US dollars with one exception: Film Rescue Europe orders are billed in Euros**
When applicable, VAT, GST and/or PST  will be added to European and Canadian orders.
The minimum charge will usually be billed before processing begins.
**Film Rescue Europe orders must be sent to and returned through the Netherlands location.

Processing, Scanning, Adobe Digital Image Correction and Choice of Digital Format

Prices per…

• 50 foot Super 8 cartridge
• 25 foot spool or magazine of regular 8mm film
• 50 foot 16mm magazine
• 8mm single strand Univex spool
• 9.5 mm Pathé standard magazine
• per 50 feet of a 200 foot Super 8 cartridge so multiply prices below by 4 (entire rolls – rolls will not be split into shorter lengths)

85.00 if any image at all regardless of quality – 35.00 if blank in B&W negative process, 54.00 if blank in color negative process

See exceptions above regarding color processing.

Prices per…

• per 100 feet of 16mm on a spool or core

170.00 if any image at all regardless of quality – 70.00 if blank in B&W negative process (no color process available for 16mm)

These prices are for film that has any degree of image on it at all, even if extremely poor. When we’re making the decision whether to scan a film or not, we’re looking at it over a light table with a magnifying lens and if we see anything at all on these very small frames, it gets moved to our scanning department to be scanned and digitally worked. What is worthwhile to a client is extremely subjective and differs from client to client. We don’t want to be put in a position of having to try to make that decision. Added to that factor, we often don’t know what the end quality of the film is going to be until we get it scanned and see what we can do digitally to improve the image.

If your film turns out blank: Standard sized home movie films (e.g. Super 8, Regular or double 8, Single 8) and 16mm films per 50 feet, that are entirely blank are charged at 35.00 for B&W negative process / 54.00 for color negative process. If half of a 100 foot 16mm spool is blank, it is not discounted. The entire film would need to be blank for a 70.00 charge for B&W negative process — no color process available for 16mm.

Note: 8mm film on a spool or in a magazine, while marked as 25 feet is in fact ultimately 50 feet of film. Most 8mm was exposed down one edge of a 25 foot spool or magazine then the spool or magazine was flipped over and the other edge exposed. Once the film is developed the film is slit down the middle and joined together. The two 25 foot pieces joined make a 50 foot roll of film.

If there is sound on your film it will be transferred to the digital file as well.

Offered file types and file sizes

MPEG-4

Our most requested output. If you don’t know what you want or need, you’re pretty safe to take this one. Plays on most anything including Mac and PC. This format gives you a very high bit rate MPEG-4 and is ideal for most consumer applications which includes editing on popular home editing software, copying to other drives to give to family or just viewing on a nice monitor.

MOV ProRes 422

These are professional level outputs for people editing on Mac and on some Windows computers. They may or may not play on older PC computers and various non-Apple devices, depending on the apps or video codecs installed.

TIFF Image Sequence

This is for professional use only. You’ll get an unmanipulated original scan as Tiff image files and extremely large file sizes. If you don’t have a very fast computer and professional video editing software then you don’t want these.

Process only – no conversion to digital video = 65.00 per film or 50 feet of 16mm regardless of the results, B&W negative or color negative process.

There is no discounted price for blank or apparently blank film if you request “process only”. Without doing the scanning and digital work, we sometimes don’t know if a film is completely blank or not, simply by visual inspection over a light table.  Also, in the case of extremely distressed films, we can’t know if someone else’s transfer system is adequate for capturing image from extremely thin or dense film.

There is no color processing available for 16mm or double 8mm.

Supplying your own hard drive?

You may supply your own drive only if you are also having us scan some of your previously processed movie film at the same time.  This is due to the fact that clients often don’t want their film returned after processing if no image can be salvaged; if you’ve supplied a drive, we have to deal with returning it and charge you shipping.  We do our best to keep our drive prices in line and competitive with other drive suppliers. Alternately, opt for a file upload which can also be a savings. See next item.

Return Shipping and Handling

* Shipping and handling charges may be higher for exceptionally heavy, large, or fragile orders.

Upload only (film not returned) – free

While we certainly do understand the archival significance of a quality film negative, these films we are developing now are generally at least somewhat if not extremely distressed. The process is also not necessarily an archival process but instead a process to produce best results for immediate scanning and digital restoration. There is a good chance the films will fade fairly quickly over time. It is very unlikely these films will have any use again in the future as they will already have been properly digitized and digitally worked to produce best possible images beyond possible heroic and expensive measures.  For films process as b&w negative, as they are negatives, they are also inappropriate for traditional projection. What’s light will be dark and what’s dark will be light.

This option is not available for image sequences as the files are too large for practical uploads.

Turn Around Time

Film for the next cycle must be in our hands by the cutoff date.   The minimum processing charge is billed before work begins.  Paid orders typically are complete 12-14 weeks after the cycle cutoff date.  The next cycle cutoff date is

January 2, 2024.   

Rush processing is available upon request.

Please don’t wait until near the beginning of a cycle to send your film.  This slows down our administrative work at the start of each cycle, delaying work for everyone.

Policies and Exceptions

1. Shipping & handling charges may be higher for heavy or bulky orders; customer will be contacted.
2. If you’d like your metal cans or cartridges to be returned, please request this on your order form under ‘Additional Information’. We do our best to return your original spools but that is not guaranteed.  In this case an identical type of spool or cartridge would be returned. Metal film magazines will be returned unassembled –you’ll receive the base and top pieces; we do our best to return all the screws and small inner parts but don’t guarantee that.
3. All film is inspected visually for image after processing.  It is not always possible, even with magnification, to determine if what we see on the film will have enough detail to be captured in transfer.  Our policy is to transfer a film if we deem the image discernible on some part of the film.  The final transferred image quality may still be extremely poor; we err on the side of providing the customer with all possible salvaged image. If we detect any image on your film it will be transferred regardless of quality or quantity.
4. If we are unable to salvage any kind of image at all from your motion film, you will be billed only the minimum processing charge (plus return s/h if applicable).
5. Please check your scans in a timely manner to make sure everything is playing properly on whatever system you are using. Due to the volume of work we do and the huge files these scans create, we cannot store files indefinitely. We allow a reasonable amount of time to be confident orders are received by customers.  The drives we store backups on are cleared  after 9 months.
6. Due to the likelihood of breakage in the processor we will not process shrunken or extremely damaged film. If your film smells rancid, appears puckered or brittle, or the film can is rusted shut, contact us and have your film in hand so we may attempt to evaluate it before you send it.  If the film you send is deemed too likely to break during processing, we will contact you.  We can attempt to process by hand but there is a surcharge for this. If you want the film returned to you, return s/h charges apply.