Frequently asked questions

Do I get my films back?
Yes. We give you everything back cleaned and and ready for archiving.

Do you transfer to DVD or Blu-ray ?
No. Discs are becoming obsolete and are nowhere near as useful as having a full digital version. We provide you with the full HD files on either USB memory stick or portable hard-drive, depending on the size of the order.

What transfer method do you use?
New for 2023, our Phoenix 5K full frame scanner gives us our most significant camera system update ever, offering next-level image quality in a 16-megapixels frame scan. Our scanner takes individual photographs of each cell of your film from 8mm all the way up to 35mm film. You can have your film scanned in 2K, High Definition, or 4K Ultra High Definition. AI technology is then used to remove dust, remove harsh noise while recovering real detail, restore colours and create an artefact-free perfect 24fps movie.

My film is damaged – can it still be transferred?
Yes. We specialise in very old, damaged film at Alive Studios so we have no problem handling it. We do not generally charge any more money for film that is in a poor state, but if we do feel it requires additional time we would always tell you as soon as we saw it so you have no worry about your price increasing. Where splices break, we repair them without charge. If a film is temperamental and doesn’t want to go through we will always try it in several machines to make sure it’s had it’s best shot at a transfer. Where sprocket holes are punctured or torn, we will still transfer the film, often with no visible problems. However, some sprocket damage prevents a steady image from being obtained, in which case we transfer the whole film, then edit out any sections which ‘jump’ or drag because of the damage. This way we keep as much film as possible, and with careful editing you don’t even notice any is missing.

Can you scan Negative film?
Yes we do scan negative cine film

Can you transfer sound from cine film?
Yes we can transfer both optical and magnetic soundtracks from 8mm and 16mm film.

What format do you transfer to?
MPEG-4 (H.264) to a USB stick we also offer a backup copy in ProRes format to a Hard Drive

Media format times
MPEG HD: (2.3GB per 200ft)
MPEG 4K: (5.7GB per 200ft)
ProRes 422 HD: (18gb per 200ft)
ProRes 422 4K: (67gb per 200ft)

What about extra copies?
We will keep your film on our edit suite for 30 days to allow you time to order your extra USB sticks or hard-drives.

Where are you located?
Our studio is in Teignmouth, Devon which is in the South West of England.

How do I get my films to you?
We provide a FREE collection and delivery service from anywhere in the UK. We can also arrange collection/delivery from outside the UK for a small fee. You can also drop your films off in person just give us a call before setting off.

How long will my order take?
This is a tricky question. We receive orders from a single reel (takes a few days) to a room-full (could be months), so we’d need to know what you’re sending to give a lead-time. We find we are in high demand and always have lots of work already scheduled in, so if your order is needed in a hurry, just phone and tell us what you need 🙂

Do I get my tapes back?
Yes. We give you everything back cleaned and ready for archiving.

Do you transfer to DVD or Blu-ray ?
No. Discs are becoming obsolete and are nowhere near as useful as having a full digital version. We provide you with the full HD files on either USB memory stick or portable hard-drive, depending on the size of the order.

What format do you transfer to?
MPEG-4 (H.264) to a USB stick we also offer a backup copy in ProRes format to a Hard Drive

Media format times
MPEG HD: (9.1GB per 1hr)
MPEG 4K: (23GB per 1hr)
ProRes 422 HD: (57GB per 1hr)
ProRes 422 4K: (223GB per 1hr)

What about extra copies?
We will keep your film on our edit suite for 30 days to allow you time to order your extra USB sticks or hard-drives.

Where are you located?
Our studio is in Teignmouth, Devon which is in the South West of England.

How do I get my tapes to you?
We provide a FREE collection and delivery service from anywhere in the UK. We can also arrange collection/delivery from outside the UK for a small fee. You can also drop your films off in person just give us a call before setting off.

How long will my order take?
This is a tricky question. We receive orders from a single tape (takes a few days) to a room-full (could be months), so we’d need to know what you’re sending to give a lead-time. We find we are in high demand and always have lots of work already scheduled in, so if your order is needed in a hurry, just phone and tell us what you need 🙂

Do I get my 35mm slides back?
Yes. We give you everything back cleand and ready for archiving.

Do you transfer to DVD or Blu-ray ?
No. Discs are becoming obsolete and are nowhere near as useful as having a full digital version. We provide you with the full resolution 5300×3500 files on either USB memory stick or portable hard-drive, depending on the size of the order.

What file format do I get my slides back in
JPEG on a USB Stick

What about extra copies?
We will keep your slides on our edit suite for 30 days to allow you time to order your extra USB sticks or hard-drives.

Where are you located?
Our studio is in Teignmouth, Devon which is in the South West of England.

How do I get my 35mm slides to you?
We provide a FREE collection and delivery service from anywhere in the UK. We can also arrange collection/delivery from outside the UK for a small fee. You can also drop your films off in person just give us a call before setting off.

How long will my order take?
This is a tricky question. We receive orders from a 50 slide to a 5000, so we’d need to know what you’re sending to give a lead-time. We find we are in high demand and always have several weeks of work already scheduled in, so if your order is needed in a hurry, just phone and tell us what you need 🙂

PHOENIX 5K

New for 2023, our Phoenix 5K full frame scanner gives us our most significant camera system update ever, offering next-level image quality in a 16-megapixels frame scan. Our scanner takes individual photographs of each cell of your film from 8mm all the way up to 35mm film. You can have your film scanned in 2K, High Definition, or 4K Ultra High Definition. AI technology is then used to remove dust, remove harsh noise while recovering real detail, restore colours and create an artefact-free perfect 24fps movie.

Alive Cloud
ALIVE CLOUD

Alive Studios AI Movie hosting is free for 14 days.
 Log in via your computer, or download the free APP to your phone or tablet so you can take your memories with you wherever you go. Automatic AI indexing of your videos, Search for words, car, dog, person and more.

Log in online to make changes to the titles of your movies, create multiple user logins for all your friends and family so they can share the experience too. from £24/year

Terms and conditions.

General
Alive Studios is a trading name of The Good Life Studios Ltd.

Leader tape
We edit out as much unused film as possible including the leadertape at the start of each reel. Whilst we cannot remove everything without charging for a full edit, we do endeavour to remove as much unused film as possible.

How long does it take?
This is a tricky question. We receive orders from a single video/reel to a room-full, so we’d need to know what you’re sending to give a lead-time. We find we are in high demand and always have seveal weeks of work already scheduled in, so if your order is needed in a hurry, just phone and tell us what you need :)

Damage, Loss, Post & Insurance
Orders are accepted on the basis that the liability of Alive Studios for any lost or damaged material shall be limited to the replacement with an equivalent amount of new blank stock. This is due to the unavailability of General Insurance cover for work of undefined value. When returning material to you we will use the post office services or a courier for larger items. We respectfully remind customers to retain a safety copy or take out Specialist Insurance Cover where appropriate.

Film Format
Our DVDs are region-free and play in PAL. DVD’s are normally DVD-R, but we may use DVD+R or Dual-layer discs where required.

Framing and TV Cropping
In standard definition, some film types do not fit modern TV formats, so we may re-size to fit for the best viewing pleasure. You should also note that some TV set apply their own cropping to a picture as well. By agreeing to these terms, you accept this information.

Damaged Film
Whilst we don’t generally charge extra for poor/damaged/dirty film, we reserve the right to do so if we feel it is required, but will always agree it with you before starting work.
Where splices break, we repair them without charge. If a film is temperamental and doesn’t want to go through we will always try it in several machines to make sure it’s had it’s best shot at a transfer. Where sprocket holes are punctured or torn, we will still transfer the film, often with no visible problems. However, some sprocket damage prevents a steady image from being obtained, in which case we transfer the whole film, then edit out any sections which ‘jump’ or drag because of the damage. This way we keep as much film as possible, and with careful editing you don’t even notice any is missing.
information.

Dust and Hairs
We employ a very good dry-cleaning system which catches most of the dust and hairs commonly found on cine film. It is inevitable however that there will still be dust and hairs present, as it’s impossible to remove them completely with a dry-clean system. It is also common for the dust/hairs to be imbedded into the emulsion making them impossible to ‘blow’ away, so you should expect a small amount to be visible in any transfer. The demos on our website give you a very realistic example of what you can expect.

Content of film
By signing our terms you are stating that you own or have permission to copy the material provided, and indemnify Alive Studios against any action including copyright infringement. If we feel the material to be of an indecent or illegal nature we reserve the right to refuse to continue and no refund will be offered.

Mistakes/Backups
We aim to keep your film footage on our editing suite for 30 days after completion to allow us to correct mistakes, after which time all footage is deleted. You must report any problem with your order within 14 days of receipt. We will retain a backup file of your DVD/Blu-ray for 60 days after completion to allow you to order extra copies. After 60 days, you would need to return your original disc if you wanted us to duplicate it for you. Due to the instability of data storage devices, this backup service is not guaranteed, and whilst every effort is made to retain your files for these periods, we cannot be held responsible for hard-drive failure resulting in us not being able to access your job. For very important projects, we suggest you order a digital copy on a hard-drive for your own security.

Delivery/Collections
We return orders via signed delivery with royal mail, or courier. This courier demands that items delivered damaged are reported within 24 hours of receipt, so it’s essential that you contact us immediately if your parcel is damaged.

Cancellation Policy
You can cancel your order by email any time up until we begin physical work on your job.
If no work has been started, we will refund you in full (less any costs we have incurred in taking your order shown below).

Cancellation fees
If we arranged a free courier collection, you will need to pay for this at £8.50.
If we processed a card payment, we will have incurred a handling fee which will be deducted from your refund. If we have to return your material to you, we will deduct £8.50 for the courier fee.
We will deduct £2.50 admin fee in handling the paperwork involved with a cancellation.

Refunds
Orders paid for by card will be refunded to the card.
Orders paid by cheque or bank transfer will be refunded by bank transfer.

Faults/Returns
You must notify us of any damage to your parcel or missing items within 24 hours of receipt.
You must notify us of any errors or faults with your transfer within 14 days of receipt.

Order Cancellation
In the unlikely event that you cancel your order, we reserve the right to charge a fee to cover admin/postage/bank fees we may incur.
Credit card payments are refunded subject to 1.197% charge.

Misc
We reserve the right to demonstrate our abilities by showing examples of work undertaken for our clients on our website, brochure, DVD and other advertising or promotional activities.