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Welcome to our FAQ page
What
makes a film conversion from Wiregrass Montage different from other
film transfer sites? What makes a film conversion from Wiregrass Montage different from other film transfer sites? We think Wiregrass Montage stands apart from others for the following 6 reasons:
What makes a slide show or montage from Wiregrass Montage different from other slide show providers? We believe Wiregrass Montage creates one of the finest montages available anywhere for the following reasons.
What is stop-motion (frame-by-frame) capture and why is it better than capture using a projector? Stop-motion or frame-by-frame capture creates a digital photograph of each frame of your film. For example, a 50-foot reel of regular 8mm film contains 4,000 frames or images. Each of these frames (images) are captured separately and then our software program reconstructs these images into a single video file that will play at the correct film speed. Because we use an enlarged photo aperture and a high intensity LED light source, this method allows capture of each entire 8mm picture frame without cropping and at the greatest clarity with no projector bulb flicker allowing for a bright, clear image from edge to edge. Why would anyone want just the Basic Film Conversion package? Many people don't have the capability or perhaps the desire to transfer films but they enjoy authoring their own videos. The basic conversion allows these editors to import the digital conversion into their own Non-Linear Editing (NLE) software and do with it whatever they want. Since they know their wants and needs better than anyone, this package allows them to personally create their own dvd projects. 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 or you just tell us what you want and we will make it happen. What is color correction? Processing of thirty or forty year old films was done with chemicals that were harsh and over time, these chemicals cause many films to become saturated with usually a red or blue hue. With our Enhanced package, we can filter out that hue and in most cases restore the original colors to your films. Of course, color correction on severely saturated films may cause a more monochromatic result. What does Editing include? Editing means we can move scenes around in your production, placing them where you want them. We also remove 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 projector burn marks or bubbles. We don't remove scenes that are simply out of focus or distorted. Only the movie segments you want omitted and those with no image are removed*. Editing can also include adding titles or captions, transitions, color correction, motion stabilization for shaky or jittery film and the addition of special effects such as overlays, framing, lower thirds, or sound effects. Synchronizing audio or music to match each reel of film is also a form of editing. Editing is a very time-consuming process and that is why the costs associated with it are reflected in our Enhanced package. *Incidentally, Wiregrass Montage determines the final cost for your project after the removal editing process is complete - saving you money. How does a Review Copy help me? A review copy allows you to see the Basic Transfer to determine if you want to remove or rearrange certain portions of your film transfer, and/or to determine which, if any, portions of your film you may want Enhanced before burning to dvd. Our enhanced package is more expensive and removing the portions you may not want enhanced could pay for the cost of the review discs and save you some money. All of our review copies contain a reel number and timeline time-code so you can easily move segments of film by merely listing reel number or time-code ranges. If you decide you want to make changes or enhancements after you receive your final copy we must re-import the project and charge a setup fee. So if there are any questions, a Review Copy is a great idea. What is a motion menu? A standard navigation menu or motion menu is the chapter menu that comes with the Enhanced Film Conversion option. It allows you to easily navigate through your dvd instead of having to watch the entire disc from start to finish. It displays a small 30-second movie clip of the chapter viewed in a button on the dvd main menu. We will title your overall dvd, set the chapters according to your reels and title each chapter as you desire. What is a non-linear editor (NLE)? In digital video editing, non-linear editing is a method that allows you to access any frame in a digital video clip regardless of sequence within the clip. Non-linear editing provides the ability to access each individual frame, and use a cut-and-paste method, similar to the ease of cutting and pasting text in a word processor. It also allows you to easily include fades, transitions, and other effects that cannot be achieved with linear editing. In professional NLEs, unlimited amounts of video and audio clips can be layered over each other along with special effects to create the images most of us view in movies and televison today. What is scanning and dpi? Scanning is the process of converting paper or images to a digital format and in this process the number of "dots-per-inch" or dpi is used to adjust the amount of detail of the scan. The dpi setting of the scanner relates to the final pixel size of the scanned image. If you put a 4" x 6" photo on the scanner and scan it at 300 dpi, the resulting digital image will be 1200 x 1800 pixels in size (4" x 300 = 1200 and 6" x 300 = 1800). The higher the scanner dpi setting the more information is being collected resulting in better image clarity. With slides that are approximately 1" x 1 1/2'' the dpi setting for the resulting image should be based on the desired output format (printed picture or digital viewing - TV, computer monitor, etc.). For example, to obtain a clear 4" x 6" printed photo you would have to scan the slide at a minimum of 1200 dpi to get the same results as scanning a 4" x 6" photo at 300 dpi. Best results for paper photos are generally achieved within a range of 300 dpi (sufficient for most photos) to 600 dpi (if you want to enlarge the image). Viewing on a television or computer monitor is also limited by the maximum image quality of the television or computer monitor. How will my movies or montages be packaged? Each project (except the digital wedding invitation, PowerPoint, VHS tape conversions and the Promotional DVD) is packaged in a standard 14mm dvd case with a custom-designed wrap or insert. We have cases that hold as many as 10 discs or nearly 20 hours of film content. We use brand-name, professional-grade, waterseal printable discs that usually mirror the design on the cover. For film conversion projects with known chapters, we provide a dvd booklet cataloging each chapter on the discs. Copies of Digital Wedding Invitations come standard in a white or pastel-colored paper sleeve (based on availability). Promotional DVDs are packaged in a high-quality flexible plastic jewel case suitable for mailing. VHS tape conversions and PowerPoint conversions are packaged in a standard thin-line jewel case (custom designed dvd cases are available for $5.00 more per each set of dvds). Will my photographs be cut or changed in any way? No cropping or retouching of photographs is done with the physical picture. We scan-in all photographs that will fit on the scanner top and take digital photographs of those that will not. We take great care to ensure that your actual photographs are never altered in any way. The video presentation may show a cropped image for aesthetic effect but no actual cropping of any photograph occurs. What is the difference between VHS and S-VHS? S-VHS or Super-VHS was developed to increase the resolution quality of analog videotape. Whereas digital video uses individual pixels to determine video quality, analog videotape uses lines of horizontal resolution. Lines of horizontal resolution, or TV lines, are the measure of how many changes (details) can be represented on a single analog TV scanline. The number of TV lines is limited by the source video, media, connection type, and the TV itself. The increased tape density of the videotapes and use of S-Video allow S-VHS to deliver more than half again (400) as many TV lines as VHS (240-250), approaching broadcast quality in some cases. S-VHS VCRs are also capable of playing back standard VHS cassettes, although the only quality increase will come from the use of S-Video (separates black & white from color signal), and perhaps the generally better quality of S-VHS equpment vs. the more common VHS. Wiregrass Montage uses an S-VHS videotape player and S-Video cables to transfer all VHS and VHS-C videotapes. The transfer of analog Beta, VHS and VHS-C videotape to digital dvd may result in a better quality video image. However, the customer should consider the basic transfer from videotape to a digital format as a way to preserve the initial quality of the videotape as no further degradation will occur. No guarantee implied or otherwise is made by Wiregrass Montage that transfer of analog sources to digital will improve video images. What type of photo repair do you offer? We use several different software applications to retouch the scanned copy of your photographs to remove obvious blemishes such as red eye, some date stamps, or artifacts that may have become embedded in the photograph over time. We can repair and restore torn or scratched photos and oftentimes, even partially restore photos which have sustained water or mold damage. In some cases, we can remove or add persons or objects in your photos. We also apply filters to enhance the clarity of photos that may have dark faces due to backlighting issues. We never alter the original photograph. Ask us about purchasing retouched copies of your old photographs. How long will my order take? Memorial Montages (of 40 pictures or less) can usually be completed within 48 hours if needed. All other montages can take anywhere from 2 days to a week depending on the number of pictures and the complexity of the montage. Wedding Invitations can take up to two weeks due to the amount of photographic masking that is required. 8mm film conversions should be given at least 30 days and if you have a large amount of old films, they could take as long as 90 days depending on the level of service you request. Remember, we are not a volume 8mm conversion site - we are a quality 8mm conversion site. Our editing process is very intense and unsurpassed by anyone in the industry. Promotional videos can normally be completed in 7-10 days. Simple PowerPoint conversions can be completed in as little as 24 hours per 4 hours of content. All of these times are estimates only. Packaging and shipping of your product is not included in these estimates. What is the maximum number of pictures I may use? There are no maximum number of photographs that may be used in any slide show/montage. However, our experience has shown us that generally, less is better. More photographs usually means either more music or less display time for each photograph. The overwhelming majority of slide shows we have produced have run between 8 and 20 minutes and included from 2 to 4 music selections and 30 to 200 pictures. When is payment due? Normally payment is due upon completion of your project (except rush-order memorial montages where payment is due upon submission of photos). We always contact you prior to beginning any project apprising you of an estimated cost to complete 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 tapes. Wiregrass Montage accepts most major credit cards, PayPal, and cashiers or personal checks*. (*Personal checks require a 15 day approval period before projects are shipped.) What type of media is used? DVD: We use professional-grade, Taiyo-Yuden/JVC, DVD-R & CDR printable waterseal discs. MAM-A/Mitsui Gold archival discs are available for an additional cost. According to Tom Peterson the Product Line Manager for Rimage Corporation, the world’s leading disc publishing company:
If your player does not play the DVD-R
format, please let us know when you order. All dvd players do not necessarily
play all dvd formats. However, we are committed to provide you with
a product that will play on your machine. If the original discs are
incompatible with your equipment, we will replace them at no charge
with discs created in another format*. We do not use glued paper labels
on any dvd or cd disc. *Replacement format may require a different level of service with regard to menus and chapter markers. Do I have to order online? No. We will happily make arrangements to meet with you or speak by telephone to discuss your project. Can I email photographs for a montage? Of course! Please contact us by phone or email and we will direct you to a safe site to upload your digital photos. "WiregrassMontage.com and Wiregrass Montage and Film Conversion does not sell, give or lend your personal data to any other organization or person."
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