We were looking for a local company to digitize and convert our family's 1950's 8mm films. Early in the search, it became evident there is a wide disparity in quality of handling these old films. (There is cheap, quick transfer available if we just wanted to see what was on the films.) We decided we wanted something more substantial that would be pleasant and fun to watch for years to come.
Our search let us to Film, Video & Audio Restoration.
Initially, a bit of confusion surrounded the disparity in name/owner changes of the company, along with negative reviews. But after talking with other companies, we decided to give this one a try.
We were not disappointed and in fact, very pleasantly surprised. The treatment of our 8mm reels was unequivocally 5 STAR - from handling & repair to production. What a beautiful product we have now - in fact they are "new" family heirlooms to introduce to the next generations. They are not mere silent films; we now have fun & entertaining movies that can be watched any time.
The careful attention given to producing these movies is quite touching, really. Music added is appropriate for the eras and activities. Sound effects are amazing - little noises blend into the mix and help engage the viewer, and cleverly transform sometimes boring footage into a story with interesting insight into the past.
A few thoughts:
*Looking for the cheapest place?
This is not it.
*If you need diplomacy,
this is definitely not it.
But -
*If you appreciate that artistic passion & eccentricity, plus a dash of temper may indeed help create a sensitive, meaningful, detailed and high-quality product,
this will probably work very well for you.
*If you are tempted to send many reels at once to get the job done,
resist the temptation and do them in smaller batches. Patience is a virtue here.
*If you have old family music favorites or songs/hymns with special meaning,
request them early in the process to be woven into the film.
*If you are tempted to trust Film, Video & Audio Restoration's website, but are wary because of negative reviews -
consider trusting the website. For us, everything promised on the website was, indeed, delivered. And the negative reviews, while possibly true, may be from people who couldn't get past the initial contact, or possibly never viewed a final product.
Our experience was excellent. We will definitely use Film, Video & Audio Restoration again. read more