LAB SERVICES

Please note: These listings are for information only.
We cannot guarantee services or providers. We heartily encourage you to work directly with labs to establish a relationship for mutual encouragement and problem solving. Please let us know your experience, additions and corrrections in the comments at page end.
Thank you. Editor

CHOOSE LAB INFO BY FILM STOCK TYPE:

Kodachrome labs: KODAK UPDATE

Kodachrome labs: DWAYNE'S

Kodak Prepaid Processing MAILERS

B & W reversal labs

Ektachrome labs

Negative labs

Old chemistry and outdated stocks

Esoteric services: stills, restoration, telecine

Sound striping, misc.

Prints & blow-ups

Fuji Single 8

Supplies- leader, splices, reels

KODACHROME LABS

A lot of filmmakers love this stock. And so do I! Kodachrome was made for people who love fine grain, people who love its color, people who want world class preservation of color movies. People who love something and want it saved. People with children. People with friends. People with grandchildren who want those youngsters to have home movies they can watch 200 years from now.
Simply put, Kodachrome is the most outstanding color film Kodak ever invented and also their best kept secret. Oh how we wish they would continue it, would promote it, especially to families. Take as many hours of video as you can stand to look at, but until you run out of it, my longest running advice is this:

Unfortunately, in Spring 2005, Kodak announced it is discontinuing Kodachrome film in Super 8, while continuing it in 16mm. See Kodak's press release. Meanwhile, for many filmmakers who have saved rolls in the freezer, the good news is this: Kodachrome is very stable and will produce good results after thawing, even if outdated. Be sure to thaw film in a sealed plastic bag so that condensation can occur outside the bag, not on the film.

LAB NEWS: The Kodak lab in Lausanne, Switzerland has announced that it will end processing of Super 8 Kodachrome in September 2006. The lab must receive film for processing by September 25, 2006.

On July 19, 2006 Kodak customer service Lausanne wrote
"We have postponed the last date of processing of Kodachrome Super8. We need to receive the KODACHROME films at the latest on 25th September 2006. This date is for processing in our Lab in Switzerland; the lab will close at the end of September 2006.

In the United States right now, we recommend you choose Dwayne's Photo for processing of Kodachrome.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND YOU PLAN TO SHOOT YOUR REMAINING SUPER 8 KODACHROME STOCK SOON SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY YOUR MOVING MAGES QUALITY PROCESSED. Dwayne's is committed to processing and can do very good quality but noone can predict how long their service will be offered.

NOTE: If you have prepaid processing by Kodak or Qualex mailer, you must send such movie film and mailers to Kodak MARYLAND to have them honor any prepaid mailers (Kodak Maryland info below).

NOTE: Regular 8 comes in 25 foot Double 8mm daylight spool. Only Dwayne's lab returns the empty 8mm reels.

NOTE: Super 8 is sold in 50 foot cartridges but the old 200 foot ones can also be processed at appropriate labs to the stock and process, as can be 16mm or old 8mm rolls of Kodachrome.

KODACHROME PROCESSING: OUR FUTURE
Great people and service at DWAYNE'S PHOTO

Dwayne's Photo tel: 620 421 3940
www.k14movies.com/

Dwayne's address by classic mail:
Dwayne's Photo, tel: 620 421 3940
P.O. Box 274
Parsons KS 67357

Dwayne's does excellent Kodachrome processing. They also offer special services like push/pull. Aesthetically, we advise against push or pull processing of Kodachrome as we prefer the extraordinary quality you get when you expose and process it normally. However, some artists prefer more distressed looking or grainy results ....but they should test a roll of Ektachrome!
The nice people at Dwaynes always returns 8mm spools and cans.
THANK YOU, DWAYNES FOLKS.

Black & White reversal labs

WHO SHOOTS BLACK AND WHITE? Back in 1999 Kodak's people met with filmmakers, film professors, professional DPs and labs to ask about the use of those primordial, elegant recorders of light and dark: black and white reversal motion picture film stocks. The upshot? Kodak found out why those in the know love B&W reversal. Of special note? the film teachers declared that B&W reversal is THE BEST WAY TO TEACH beginning filmmaking. They love its look on screen, the simplicity of shooting and handling, its low cost. Most of all film teachers said B&W reversal film allows them to see what a student has really learned.

Experiencing Real Film on a Screen seems to be a basic innoculation against the disease of ugly and overlong imagery that comes from use of video camcorders. It's easy and gratifying to retrace early film history with basic cameras and B&W reversal film. The flickering images on the silver screen encourage a new filmmakers curiosity, enthusiasm and aesthetic sense while helping to build self-control. You can promote basic filmmaking for its allure and discipline. Plus X and Tri X are great in 16mm and Super 8. Teach a class, start a Flicker; there must be 100 ways to enroll new filmmakers.

PAC Lab, tel: 212.505.7797 Super 8, 16mm B&W, Super 16, Ektachrome reversal. Same day if in by 10:30 M-F. 24/7 by appointment. Fax: 212-475-6211. Lab: 37 E. 1st St. NYC 10003 pac-lab.com

Yale Lab, B & W, color daily, full service. 10555 Victory Blvd. No. Hollywood, CA 91606. Tel: 818.508.9253 or 800.955.9253. yalefilmandvideo.com

Exclusive Film, 50 Portland St. Toronto: Good work. EM-26 daily, VNF-1, old rolls older EM 25 (ME4) process scheduled once a month. Tel: 416.598.2700.

Film & Video Services, B&W and color reversal. Regular 8mm, Super 8, 16mm and used equipment. Great prices. Gary Rasmusson, F&VS, 2620 Central Ave. N.E. Minneapolis MN 55418. Tel: 612.789.8622. filmvideoservices.net

Bono Film Lab, B&W and color reversal, negative. lab: 3200 Lee Hwy, Arlington VA 22207. Tel: 703.243.0800. bonofilm.com

EKTACHROME LABS

In mid 2005, Kodak introduced a new color reversal film in Super 8 cartridges. Ektachrome 64T is described on their website and there you can find links to labs. The color reversal film that Kodak introduced to Super 8 filmmakers in August 1997, called Ektachrome 125 or 7240 ( like its 16mm cousin ) is NOT processed by Kodak. Ekta 125 needs VNF-1 processing by an independent lab. Most labs which process the current Ektachrome E-6 chemistry will handle the new Ekta 64 reversal film.

Exclusive Film & Video Services 50 Portland St . Toronto, Ont. M5V 2M7 Canada tel: 416-598-2700.

Film & Video Services 2620 Central Ave- N.E. Minneapolis MN 55418. tel: 612-789-8622.

Filmlab, 445-447 North 7th St, Allentown PA 18102-2835 tel: 610-435-8133

Forde Lab 306 Fair view Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 tel: 800-682-2510 or 206-682-2510. fordelabs.com

PAC Lab, tel: 212.505.7797 EXCELLENT gamma. Super 8, 16mm B&W, Super 16, Ektachrome reversal. Same day if in by 10:30 M-F. 24/7 by appointment. Fax: 212-475-6211. Lab: 37 E. 1st St. NYC 10003 Pac-Lab.com

Prep Film Service 21940 Cumberland Northville MI 48167 tel: 800-793-3456. PrepFilm.com

Spectra Film & Video 10812 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601. tel: 818-762-4545, fax: 818-762-5454 SpectraFilmandVideo.com

Yale Lab , B & W, color daily, full service. 10555 Victory Blvd. No. Hollywood, CA 91606. Tel: 818.508.9253 or 800.955.9253. YaleFilmandVideo.com

NEGATIVE

Negative filmstocks were first offered in the early 1990s in Super 8 by the company Pro 8mm, a.k.a. Super 8 Sound in Burbank, CA. Recently, Kodak itself began selling negative film stocks in its Super 8 line. Historically, 8mm and Super 8 filmmakers used the venerable reversal film stocks like Black and White, or Kodachrome, which gave the culture what we think of as the "home movie look." They are called reversal stocks because the camera film returns from processing ready for direct projection.

We counsel family moviemakers to consider only using Black and white reversal film or Kodachrome reversal films as either will be less expensive than negative and both reversal films have outstanding preservation qualities for recording for posterity.

Negative camera film records images as negatives (like the orangish ones that come back with color still photographs or snapshots.) Negative stocks are usually the choice in the larger motion picture gauges where the intent was to create prints for distribution. Negative stocks compresses contrast engineered for creation of prints. At this time, Super 8 negative seems to be largely used in independent features and music videos for transfer for digital post-production.

A big line of negative Super 8 stocks are available from Pro8mm so contact Phil or Rhonda Vigeant, Pro8mm at Super8 Sound, 2805 West Magnolia Blvd. Burbank CA 91505. Pro8mm.com

If you choose to use Pro8 negative filmstocks, we recommend that you focus on Pro8 and their packages and use them for film, processing and transfer. That will help you and them assure the integrity of the product and services.

If you choose to buy negative filmstocks in Super 8 from Kodak US itself, go back to their website and get Kodak connections to a lab. We urge Kodak to become better advocates for its products and to design its website with an eye to helping its filmmakers. Kodak.com

In summer of 2004, we heard that ANDEC Lab in Berlin will be offering printing from Super 8 negative, We would appreciate any feedback from filmmakers as they try this service.

Andec Filmtechnik , Hasenheide 9, 10967 Berlin GERMANY Tel: 49 30 691 7036, Fax: 49 30 693 0321 Reversal Processing and many kinds of printing not available in the United States.

OLD CHEMISTRY & OUTDATED STOCKS

Explore filmmaking that's almost FREE and FUN?

Shooting any film which is outdated carries some risk, often reduced if you know how the film was stored. New stock will last longer if frozen at purchase and thawed inside a plastic bag to allow condensation to form on the bag not the film. Outdated color film cannot be counted on for reliable color, but can provide fun results for experimenters. If it has been held in a stable environment, preferably frozen, we find Kodachrome color to be incredibly reliable even when long outdated, (Explorers have carried Kodachrome to the ends of the earth.)

Outdated B & W stocks sometimes look normal if they were well stored. I recently took home movies on Kodachrome stock that has been frozen 18 years and had glorious results, not a surprise with this fine stock. The Ektachromes will give variable results past their date. Hand processing of old rolls can be exciting for experimental filmmakers. The Widescreen Centre in London sells home processing tanks.

The former Ektachrome 160 film requires EM-26 processing which is no longer offered for movie film by Kodak Switzerland as of summer 2001. Send it to Film Rescue or Martin Baumgarten.

Film Rescue International, Greg Miller, P.O. Box 44, Fortuna ND 58844. Greg can process old still film & movie film of these old chemistry processes: K-12, EM25, EM26, ECO-3 and ME-4. tel: 306 695 2300 or 800 329 8988. In February 2006, he called to say he is processing the old chemistry monthly. filmrescue.com

Martin Baumgarten, Plattsburg Photographic, 18 Elm St. Plattsburg, NY 12901 tel: 518 561 6312 Martin does processing of many special films by hand. He is also the author of many helpful technical articles about Super 8 and 8mm film all across the web. Contact him at Super8mm at aol dot com. He keeps helpful pages at Martin Baumgarten's website

ESOTERIC SERVICES,
frame enlargements, restoration, special telecine

FRAME ENLARGEMENTS from movie film frames

Panopticon, Inc. Waltham, MA. Telephone 781 647 0100. Call for specific instructions on how to identify frame. panopt.com

Film Rescue International , Greg Miller, P.O. Box 44, Fortuna ND 58844. Greg can process old still film & movie film of these old chemistry processes: K-12, EM25, EM26, ECO-3 and ME-4. tel: 306 695 2300 or 800 329 8988. filmrescue.com

FILM RESTORATION and SPECIAL TELECINE

Restoration House Film Group Inc.
Film rejuvenation. Arnold Schieman, 12 Village Drive, Belleville Ontario K8P 4J8 Canada
Tel: 613 966 4076 Fax: 613 966 8431

Brodsky & Treadway
We are the people who bring you this website. Our speciality is high quality transfer of Standard 8mm, Super 8, 16mm. We transfer camera original, reversal film only, and sound from all sources. Very deteriorated and shrunken film is a speciality. Our transfer is scene-by-scene only with wet gate, and we do archival frame rates. Beta-SP or Digital Betacam masters. By appointment only.
Tel: 978.948.7985. (9-6 EST) Fax (24 hr.) 978.948.3308.
Shipping (call Toni first) 69 Warehouse Lane, Rowley MA 01969, USA.
More info at Brodsky & Treadway's website.

9.5mm film telecine

Colorlab Inc. 5708 Arundel Ave, Rockville, MD 20852 tel: 310-770-2128, Fax: 301- 816-0798, contact Jake or Russ Suniewick. They have recently added the ability to transfer 9.5mm to video, a very rare service. http://www.ColorLab.com/

These listings for filmmakers information only. This publication cannot guarantee services or service providers on its lists. -ed.

PRINTS, BLOW-UPS

(labs in alphabetical order)

Andec Filmtechnik, Hasenheide 9, 10967 Berlin GERMANY Tel: 49 30 691 7036, Fax: 49 30 693 0321 Reversal Processing and many kinds of printing not available in the United States.

BB Optics, Bill Brand, a filmmaker and master optical printer, 212.966.6253. Blow-ups 8 or Super 8 to 16mm. Archival. www.bboptics.com

Cineric Inc. 630 Ninth Ave. NYC 10036 tel: 212-586-4822, fax: 212.582.3744 Bob Freemon. WET GATE optical printing for 8mm and Super 8 to 16mm and 35mm. Beautiful work done by Simon Lund, fast. www.cineric.com

Colorlab Inc. 5708 Arundel Ave, Rockville, MD 20852 tel: 310-770-2128, Fax: 301- 816-0798, contact Jake or Russ Suniewick. Russ has taken our needs to heart and is expanding his excellent lab with new services for small gauge film. They have recently added the ability to transfer 9.5mm to video, a very rare service. http://www.ColorLab.com/

Frank Bruinsma, Super 8 Reversal Lab P.O. Box 6669, 3002AR, ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS. Frank is offering Super 8 services of processing, duplication, camera rentals and sales. Tel/fax: (from USA, start with 011 ) 31 70 36 39 5 41 . www.super8.nl
Filmmakers report Frank is doing excellent work.

East Anglian Film Archive, University of East Anglia, Norwich, U.K. Optical step printing of 9.5mm, Standard 8mm, Super 8, 16mm, 17.5mm. www.uea.ac.uk/eafa Tel: 01603 592 664 and Fax: 011.44. 1 603 593 475.

John Hall for wet gate or printing to reversal stock, or Super 16. John Hall, Finch Cottage, Finch Lane, Knotty Green, Beaconsfield, Bucks, U.K. Tel: 011.44. 1 494 672 757.

Film Technology Co. 726 North Cole Ave. Hollywood, CA 90038 Phone: 323.464.3456 FAX: 323.464.7439 contatc: Alan. FilmTech.com B & W Reversal, Printing and Telecine

Interformat at Monaco Lab, 234 Ninth St. San Francisco CA 94103. Optical printing, 8mm or S8 to 16mm or 35mm. Tel: 510.523.1100. MonacoSF.com

John Kneller optical printing services, John Kneller's email. In 2002, John wrote "I have a service specializing in optical blow-ups from super 8mm, regular 8mm and 16mm to 16mm and 35mm 1.85 flat. Both camera and printer are dual pin-registered. 11 years experience."

Optimage, Michael Saunders 48 Stirling Rd. Edmonton Alberta T5X 4C3, Canada. tel: 780.475.1206, fax 780.477.1710. Excellent blow-ups R8, S8, or 9.5mm to 16mm. Call first.

Color by De Jonhge, Kortrijk, Belgium tel: 011.32. 56. 35 07 10 / fx: 35 07 80.

Studio Gamma, 86 rue Delacourt, 4470 St. Georges, Belgium tel/fax 32. 42. 75. 17. 28 StudioGamma website

FUJIs SINGLE 8 FILM

From the editor Jurgen Lossau at smallformat (issue 06/2006) the  excellent magazine in Germany comes this word on Fuji:

"Fuji Stops Produktion and Processing of Single-8 Films

April 25th 2006. Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., the inventor of the Single-8  system, announces that the sale and processing of  "FUJICHROME R25N" and  "FUJICHROME RT200N" will stop. The last films on the market are labeled  "process best before March 2007". The Fuji lab in Tokyo will close in  September 2008 for Single-8 films.

The Japanese company Retro 8 (www.retro8.com ) announces that they will be able to go on with processing of Fujichrome films even after September 2008. They offer a new Single-8 film, called Cinevia, which is a daylight material with ISO/ASA 50. Because of it's acetate base the Single-8 cartridge can only take 12 meters of film stock. Fujchrome has a polyester base which is 30% thinner so that there are 15m of film inside the cartridge. Retro 8 is also offering a blackandwhite film in Single-8 cartridges (also 12m), called Retro X. The Retro 8 films for Single-8 cameras are also available at GK-Film ( www.film-super8.de ) and Super 8 Reversal lab in Rottedream ( www.super8.nl ).  (end of quote)  from   http://smallformat.schiele-schoen.de/home/zeitschrift_detail.asp?id=2171

Single 8 History 

In 1965 Fuji introduced its superb Single 8 system in Japan just moments before Kodak launched Super 8. Single 8 is 8mm wide with Super 8 image area and perforations and will play in Super 8 projectors. Its has an Estar base a type which Kodak is reintroducing in larger gauge stocks for strength and permanence. Fuji made a line of gorgeous cameras which can still be found. Single 8 had its own excellent cartridge shape (reel to reel, somewhat like an audio cassette--not compatible with coaxial Super 8 cartridges.) Fans have long argued that Single 8 is the better cartridge design for image steadiness (a pressure plate in the gate) and capabilities like full back winding (allowing great artistic possibilities for multiple exposure.)

Sources:

Martin Baumgarten tells us Fuji Single 8 film is available from th:
Henry Bohlmann, Birkenstieg 21, 22359 Hamburg, Germany. tel 49 40 603 3226 (evening) or fax: 49 40 603 5491 (24 hr.) Henry Bohlmann is a private source in Germany.
 
The Widescreen Centre, 48 Dorset Street, London England, UK tel 020 7935 2580. http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/
Another U.K. source is M.P.S. Photographic http://www.mps-photographic.co.uk/

Wittner Kinotechnik in Germany:http://www.wittner-kinotechnik.de/
and finally one from Japan: http://www.film.club.or.jp/

Fuji's Single 8 film is only processed at Fuji's lab in Tokyo. Single 8 film is no longer sold with processing included. You must send in payment when sending the film to the Japan lab. Also, select regular processing or premium. Premium means sound striping added when the film is processed (not available later.)

Fuji Single 8 processing lab:

Fujicolor Service Co., Ltd.
67-1, 1-chrome Shibasaki,
Chofu City, Tokyo 182,
Japan (Tel: 0081 424 888530)

Label your Fuji film "exposed amateur movie film for processing and return." Airmail it in a cardboard box with payment. Turnaround time about 3 - 4 weeks. Single 8 still has a devoted following, especially in Europe and in Japan.

SUPPLIES: LEADER

Please use triacetate leader only from Kodak for preservation. Plastic leaders shrink at a different rate than acetate film.
Proper film type (aka acetate leader), both 8mm and Super 8mm can be purchased from Eastman Kodak's New York City office by dialing the KODAK ORDER LINE, 212-631-3400 or 800-621-3456.

Kodak Regular 8mm leader is Cat Number 163 5002. The 8mm leader comes in 50' reels in boxes and costs $ 2.84 each. Any plastic leader from any source should never be used! Plastic shrinks at a different rate than acetate film!

Kodak's Super 8mm acetate leader has a NEW CAT NUMBER (August 2005) 882 7362. Super 8 leader now lists as $ 42.50 per 1000' roll. (Ed. note: if that number is not in stock, try the old cat number for Super 8 leader which is 826 1349.

Here's are the Kodak CAT (catalog) numbers to ease the ordering of leader:

• Regular 8mm white acetate leader in 50 foot box: 163 5002
• Super 8 white acetate leader, 1000 foot box: 882 7362
• 16mm white acetate leader, double perf, 1000 feet: 800 1901
• 16mm white acetate leader, single perf, 1000 feet: 821 0445

To reinforce the need to use good acetate leader, we quote Russ Suniewick at Colorlab who wrote us on 2/15/05:

"PLEASE FOLLOW THE CARDINAL RULE OF PREPARING ANY SMALL GAUGE GOING TO A FACILITY FOR PRESERVATION...ABSOLUTELY NO PLASTIC LEADERS OR LEADERS MADE FROM ANYTHING OTHER THAN ACETATE. When you don't do this, we have to releader all rolls(and reslug all combined rolls)before we even begin evaluating the material through a sync block, let alone the telecine's idler roller or the sproket drives of an optical printer. These products are never shrunk, directional stability always excellent, and one perf is always the same shape as (hello) the one next to it." - Russ at Colorlab (THANK YOU, RUSS! -ed.)

SPLICES

The most affordable way to join together your films is to make cement splices if you are skilled that way. Use Kodak Film cement which is sold by the pint. Call Kodak's Order Line at 800-621-3456. A well made cement splice is also very durable. When we handle old family film spliced 60 or 70 years ago we often find cement splices which still hold.

Kodak also sells Presstapes which are tape splices. They are handy but not easy to make at first. Practice and plan to put them on both sides of the film. Presstapes are sold for Regular 8mm, Super 8mm or 16mm film gauges. Call KODAK ORDER LINE, 212-631-3400 or 800-621-3456 (Use a credit card to pay.) Call in the morning as the operators in New York City are very helpful and informed about small gauge film.
Here's the Kodak CAT (catalog) numbers to ease the ordering:

• Regular 8mm presstapes: 154-9914
• Super 8 presstapes: 147-5771
• 16mm presstapes: 154-9922

REELS and CANS

StilDesign's vented cans are excellent. Contact these nice people for wonderful cans for archiving your collection. They are made of inert polypropelene and the cans are vented, which is state of the art for storing your films long term. Storage hint: mount your 8mm or Super 8mm films on 400 foot reels and two will fit in one 16mm 400 foot can. www.Stildesign.com

B&H Photo B&H is set up to do internet orders of 8mm Gepe reels which come with boxes. They fit 8mm, Super 8 and Single 8mm film and come in sizes of 200, 400, 600, 800 feet. www.BHphotovideo.com

CALUMET Jeffrey Newman, Industrial Account Manager, 65 Bent St Cambridge MA 02141 voice 800.795.6315 x619 fax 617.349.0015 www.calumetphoto.com Jeff can order cases of 8mm Gepe reels and boxes, which fit 8mm, Super 8 and Single 8mm film.

Neumade Corporation materials (at quite reasonable prices) in 8mm and Super 8. Write 30-40 Pecks Lane, Newtown, CT 06470 Ph: 203 270-1100 or Fax: 203-270-7778. neumade.com

MPE: Motion Picture Enterpriseshas many supplies for 16mm film. Tarrytown NY tel: 212-245-0969 www.mpe.net

These listings are for information only. This publication cannot guarantee services or service providers on its lists. The comments available to post at the bottom of the page can be used to update us on services. Thank you. -ed.

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Toni Treadway, webmaster and Bob Brodsky, founders, in 1983, of The International Center for 8mm Film, Inc.
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