ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXWhere can I get my film affordably transferred to HDCAM
12 years ago - Harry Clegg
I need to get a couple of short films transferred to HDCAM for a screening. Can anyone suggest somewhere I can get this done without paying an arm and a leg? I've been quoted £450 just to do one of them.
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12 years ago - amine Yahia-Cherif
Hey guys:
I am after the same thing, I usually make Blu-Rays at the Edit House, Madis is great. However, I am submitting to the Encounter next year, and they require HDCAM.
Harry, where did you get the £450 quote from?
Thanks
Amine
12 years ago - Harry Clegg
I was counting on Stanleys and only just discovered they've gone under. Other possible formats are DCP or Blu-ray. DCP seems to be prohibitively expensive so HDCAM looked like a more affordable alternative. I may try going down the Blu-ray route. Does anyone know somewhere you can get Blu-rays authored affordably?
12 years ago - Marcos Villasenor
I went through this recently and, if you own Adobe Encore, it is actually cheaper to buy a BluRay burner and media (especially if you count on having to make additional BluRays).
If you're technically inclined, however, the cheapest solution is actually to make a DCP yourself.
You can download and use this tool:
http://code.google.com/p/opendcp/
The process is quite straightforward and very well documented.
Then, you can check that everything came out alright with this software:
http://www.easydcp.com/easydcp-player.php
The trial version only plays back the first 15 seconds, but that should be enough to make sure it came out all right.
I made a DCP using this tools and had it played at the Prince Charles a couple months ago. It had absolutely no problems (though the projectionist gave me a funny look when I walked in with the DCP in a USB key).
12 years ago - ged cleugh
Hi Harry, I can help. Drop me an email. Ged.
12 years ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Oh no, I was going to suggest Stanley's on Wardour St - right up their alley, but they have gone into liquidation. Heartbroken.
Are you sure you need HDCAM for the screening? Are you sure they don't accept any other formats? It's worth asking.
12 years ago - Harry Clegg
Thanks for these latest suggestions. I'll certainly check them out.
12 years ago - David Fedele
Can't help regarding HDCAM or DCP, but for Blu-Rays contact EDIT HOUSE - they make Blu-Rays for me, and their service is excellent. Details below:
EDIT HOUSE
Att: Madis Malgand
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7833 8988
Mob: +44 (0) 773 8470 546
Email: info@edithouse.co.uk
Web: http://www.edithouse.co.uk
Unit 18
21 Wren Street
London
WC1X 0HF
United Kingdom
12 years ago - AndBut Films
Try Vanderquest Limited 7 Latimer Road Teddington London TW11 8QA United Kingdom +44 (0)20-8977-1743 : info@vanderquest.co.uk
12 years ago - Harry Clegg
Thanks for all the useful advice, guys.
I have a Bluray burner but I've never managed to successfully burn one on my mac using Sorenson Squeeze. I'll try with Encore.
I looked into DIY DCPs but got the impression that they din't work well. I'll have another look at this.
12 years ago - Mike Day
I've just been through the same - I can help you with the dcp - pm me for details
12 years ago - SP User
Harry - Have you bought the blur-ray plug-in for Toast? It is an extra an you have to pay for it, but I've had no problems making blu-rays of an 85 minutes film for public screenings and festival submissions. Quality using Toast is surprisingly good. I always make a disc image before I burn to disc - this may help.
12 years ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
H'mmm - perhaps a facility like New Day in Kingston can help?
http://www.newdaypictures.com/editsuite.html
Otherwise maybe just a days dry hire of a HDCAM deck...
Or a blu-ray...burners can be had for 80 notes or so, although the transcode may take a while.
DCP - http://www.dcpbuilder.com/
12 years ago - Harry Clegg
Actually, I've been using Toast Titanium 11 not Squeeze for this job (sorry for the confusion) and have only managed to make an HDDVD not a BluRay. I've found the software to be very buggy - it always gets stuck towards the end of the encoding, and if you google this issue it turns out many people have the same problem.
The quote for copying an 18 min short film to HDCAM SR came from TC Soho. Checking back I find it was £330, incl. VAT - less than I said, but still a lot of money, in my opinion.
12 years ago - SP User
Toast with the blu-ray plug-in makes good quality blu-rays on a Mac with an LG burner.