Quality service at Italys MOVIE MAGNETIC

[Svein Sveinsson]

I am very happy with the work I have had Alberto do for me previously (mag striping and English re-recording of a German 16mm print of Dr. Strangelove and the ORS treatment of my faded Jaws scope 16mm print). The red cast on my Jaws print is now mostly gone, and the ocean is blue again, and the night sky is black. I currently have my German scope print of Pulp Fiction in for striping and re-recording back to English, and I look forward to hearing the results.

Alberto's services are great, and at a good value for collectors, and I hope that many collectors take advantage of his services, so that he does not stop.

Here are some before / after photos of my Jaws print:

[Dominique De Bast]

Yesterday, the film I sent to Italy came back. It was on two large spools so I watched the first part yesterday and the sencon one today. The film (it's Birth Of A Nation, I know, bad timing given the current events but let's focus on the technical side:-) is originally black and white but printed on a colour stock. I suspected some scenes were tinted and that has been confirmed by Alberto by e-mail while he was working on the film. When I projected the film, I had stars in my eyes. All indoor and outdoor scenes have a different colour (the outdoors scenes are now yellow, before going to Italy, the film was completely red, impressive work). Some battle scenes on the first part (for those who know the film) are darker than all others. Before Alberto handled the film, it was hard to tell what was happening on the screen. Those scenes are still dark but there is a noticeable improvment (all intertitles on this section are now easily legible, which was not the case before). The film came back "unreded" and also with a soundtrack so I will later add a music score. As a test, I also put a small colour film on one of the two spools. Colours are now back (of course, you don't get a Derann quality print but the result is there). The pictures below (from my film, of course) were sent by Alberto. I didn't know the splices have to be cement ones to avoid red frames left (I removed them before the projection and found out that the previous owner of the film, strangely had spliced with cement and then put a tape above). I love the idea to rescue films, so I will try to send other ones to that magic lab...

[Burton Sundquist]

I wanted to pass along a full recommendation of Movie Magnetics Super 8 Striping Services. My Derann Print of Terminator 2 is one of the only prints I had with the dreadful grey stripes. I recently attempted a Dolby Digital stereo re-record of this mono print and result was a total disaster due to the poor quality grey stripe. I sent the print off to Alberto to have the grey stripes removed, film wash, and new magnetic dual stripes applied. I received it back last week and over the weekend I went about the T2-Redo...The result with Alberto's new stripes is nothing short of amazing! The sound quality these new stripes are capable of reproducing is absolutely excellent, Far superior to the original mono recording! Thankyou Alberto, For an excellent job and for your exceptional service!

[Lee Mannering]

Yes indeed quite a turnaround for anyone seeking professional stereo striping service which we haven't had available in the UK for years after the closure of Cresta Electronics and I have nothing but praise for the high quality Movie Magnetic sound stripe it is nothing short of fabulous.

Re dubbing I'm finding quite phenomenal sound levels are achievable with minimum hiss to be heard and good bass and treble. I've a new stereo sound head in the projector and the two make for a perfect recording as I remember in the 1980's.

Yes Burton the old Dudley 'humpy bumpy' grey stripe was pretty bad and I spent probably a week removing a good hundred high spots on my T2 with a craft knife by hand, not ideal but I did get a decent track down eventually. I felt for our main UK dealer who battled to get a useable mix of paste to apply and what dedication back then we should remember.

[Adrian Winchester]

I thought about the issue of tape splices obstructing Alberto's colour improvement service. I wondered if it would be OK to send him a film with good tape splices only on the base side, and then replace the ones on the emulsion side afterwards? I can ask him, but if anyone already happens to know, it would be useful information for everyone liable to send him films with tape splices.

[Osi Osgood]

Alan, if you are still paying attention to this thread, did you state that you were able to get the color treatment without getting the mag striping?

[Osi Osgood]

Hello, just asking again, Alan Rik, were you able to get just the color treatment without the sound striping? You're posting in this thread seems to make it sound as if you did.

[David Roberts]

Lee makes some interesting points about worn stripe.Ive noticed lots of brown oxide on the cloth when I clean my films,and this must have a negative effect on sound quality.I find my films often have low volume now,and quite a few have the emulsion breaking down ie black flecks all over picture.So not a great place to be,with many of my films wearing out rapidly.

[Brian Fretwell]

No oxide is wear proof. I used to clean and evaluate computer tapes. The machine used rolls of cloth that were slowly moved from one reel to another to ensure clean cloth during the process. Those always had a brown coating of oxide. The layer on paste striped film is much greater than on tape so the amount removed should not really affect levels, more likely it is erasing due to a magnetised part of the projector unless the mix was defective to begin with.

[Lee Mannering]

IMPORTANT NOTE
Alberto likes long tape splices to both sides of the films you send in as the film is stressed for his processes on machinery. I was asked to cover a total of 8 frames so you will need some 16mm tape ideally and wrap it long way round, fold over and then perforate the sprocket holes. Dear Alberto spends time looking at joins and they need to be right friends.

You can place a order for colour treatment or Striping individually.

In the 80's I had some of my sound films magnetic paste over striped in the UK and this worked very well for me applying new magnetic oxide. A small business offered this service here and it was popular. Alberto is trialling one of my own films that had dud Derann unrecordable stripe on for me over striping but remember he does offer a service to remove faulty sound stripe for a fresh one to be applied which is going to be more reliable in the long run. I'll let you know how it goes on...

I'm now using a brand new Stereo head for all re recording and the sound quality is wonderful on Alberto's stereo stripe.
Have a great weekend friends.

[Dominique De Bast]

Am I wrong in assuming cement splices are ok ?

[Osi Osgood]

If this is true, then this is great news, as the only thing keeping me back from at least trying one feature was the demand of sound striping with color treatment.

[Lee Mannering]

Hi Dom. Tape splices/joins are requested as the films in striping are under tension and need to cover 4 frames each side of the join. MM are very particular about secure splices understandably.

As a S8 film maker over the last 50 years or so we have traditionally edited our films then sent them off for striping to get a constant magnetic track throughout the movie. Today we are sending in 1550ft un edited footage then editing after striping often adding commercial stuff to make up the spool. It all works really well but did stump me a little editing a different way round if you get me.

Its been nice to complete un finished projects due to the professional sound striping service we now have and as mentioned the oxide is of high quality equally as good a the original Kodak stripe.

[Osi Osgood]

I just received word from Alberto, that he will not do the color treatment without striping. I have never understood as to why this is necessary, the only thing that he has said is something dealing with quality issues, but I have never actually had that explained. I should add that Alberto is a good fellow and this is not a criticism of his business, I'm just very confused by it all, as I would love to get my " grizzly " print treated, but do not understand the necessity of the striping.

[Dominique De Bast]

Osi, did you ask why ? Did you specify it's an optical sound print ?