16mm film find

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Discussion

AndyTR

Original Poster:

517 posts

124 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
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So, I've been helping my dad clear out his house and he was going to skip a load of old film cans. I'm not sure what to do with them but they are old Rally footage that was shot in the mid-seventies. This is all unseen and shot by a professional team, think network telly chaps doing stuff off their own backs on a weekend. The cans are all 16mm film and include; 1975 Mintex Rally (B&W), 1974 RAC Rally (colour commag), 1975 Mintex (sepmag), 1974 Armstrong (colour, mute), 1975 Jim Clark (colour reversal, sepmag), 1975 Minxtex (colour reversal, sepmag).

As these are unseen, never broadcast, and there is no copyright to them it seems a real shame to throw them away. Does anyone have any ideas on what I should do with them?

davepoth

29,395 posts

199 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
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I would transfer them to digital and upload them to Youtube; at least people will get to see them that way.

Ken Figenus

5,706 posts

117 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
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Someone will own the copyright mate... If its not a production company paying the cameraman then it could be him/her.

Transfer to video costs will be high on a Telecine (expensive kit with low demand nowadays).

The only angle I can think of is if there is anything unique or there are any legendary rally stars there and so the clips could be put in an archive library and sold when someone wants to buy such material. You may not break even though, sadly.

AndyTR

Original Poster:

517 posts

124 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
quotequote all
davepoth said:
I would transfer them to digital and upload them to Youtube; at least people will get to see them that way.
It's not cheap to do unfortunately, there's a fair few hours of footage and looking on the interweb today it could cost several hundred pounds.

AndyTR

Original Poster:

517 posts

124 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
quotequote all
Ken Figenus said:
Someone will own the copyright mate... If its not a production company paying the cameraman then it could be him/her.
It was filmed by my dad, so technically he owns the copyright, which he has forfeited in the transfer to me. Thanks for the advice on the transfer, it's sodding expensive. We're going through all of the old tapes next week and hoping that we find some transfers as they did a whole load 10-15 years back...just probably not these cans as they were privately owned.

Jim Clark and Ari Vattanen are definitely featured, there's a whole real of Jim Clark.

Edited by AndyTR on Sunday 8th February 19:29

skeggysteve

5,724 posts

217 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
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Please look after the cans properly until you can find someone that will put them on digital media.

There is a guy on here (coppice?) who is a camera man he might be able to help.
I'd also suggest contacting Motorsport magazine and asking for their advice.

From what you've said I'd say you may have some very valuable, not in a £ way but in a historical way, footage.

AndyTR

Original Poster:

517 posts

124 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
quotequote all
Thanks Steve. I'll send out a few e-mails to autosport and others tomorrow. I'm not worried about raising any cash, I'd just like to get them to a good home and find a way for people to view them for free...youtube etc. As stated I'm not bothered about making money, but would prefer the recipient to take the same approach if at all possible.

Edited by AndyTR on Sunday 8th February 19:44


Edited by AndyTR on Sunday 8th February 19:44

Oystercatcher

481 posts

202 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
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AndyTR said:
there's a whole real of Jim Clark.
Donate to the Jim Clark museum in Duns? They may have facilities to show it, or get it transferred. It would be a shame if it was lost.

AndyTR

Original Poster:

517 posts

124 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
quotequote all
Oystercatcher said:
Donate to the Jim Clark museum in Duns? They may have facilities to show it, or get it transferred. It would be a shame if it was lost.
Top man, thank you!

K50 DEL

9,236 posts

228 months

Monday 9th February 2015
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what's the cost involved in transferring these to digital media, I suspect that myself, a number of friends and motor clubs would be more than happy to cover the cost of the transfer as long as it's not too brutal.

If you really need them out of the way then please let me know, I will collect them from you and store them with no issues until a permanent home can be found.....

In other words, please don't bin them.. they have a huge value to rally nuts like myself

Edited by K50 DEL on Monday 9th February 11:43

Ken Figenus

5,706 posts

117 months

Monday 9th February 2015
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£220 per hour here: http://www.alivestudios.co.uk/cine-film-to-dvd.php...

Keyword to Google is telecine transfer.

Dog Star

16,129 posts

168 months

Monday 9th February 2015
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On a related note my dad bought a load of used tapes for his camcorder a few years ago - they were all full of onboard footage of the Simmonite sisters rallying.

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

198 months

Monday 9th February 2015
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Definitely don't throw them away. Let me ask around a bit, while everything we do is digital these days, someone somewhere might have access to a cost effective solution. I know at least one of our producers shoots film as a hobby, so he might know of a cheap way to archive the footage for you.

K50 DEL

9,236 posts

228 months

Monday 9th February 2015
quotequote all
Ken Figenus said:
£220 per hour here: http://www.alivestudios.co.uk/cine-film-to-dvd.php...

Keyword to Google is telecine transfer.
Cineconversions.co.uk are a fair bit cheaper than that... the other alternative (if it's possible) is to buy the kit yourself, do the transfers and then sell it... I shall be doing that later this year for a large 35mm negative archiving project I need to undertake.

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

198 months

Monday 9th February 2015
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Might have found someone, just awaiting a response regarding pricing. I'll update shortly.

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

198 months

Monday 9th February 2015
quotequote all
Can you let me know what the diameter of the film rolls are please, so we can estimate how long each reel is. Also the number of them would be handy too.

However, it does look like it's going to be a similar price, my contact has suggested that he'd expect a price of £200 per hour, although that would include cleaning and handling time too. Minimum run would be 15 minutes.

It's probably out of scope for you as an individual, perhaps though a number of people would be willing to collaborate to get this footage archived. Maybe some kind of crowdfunding exercise would work?

I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't want to see this footage binned, so there must be some way we can get it digitised.


Ken Figenus

5,706 posts

117 months

Monday 9th February 2015
quotequote all
If it becomes cost prohibitive via a Telecine TK transfer than you can always project it (non profit artsy cinemas may even help) and shoot the screen on a camcorder. Have done this for a few promos for effect alone before today!

Edited by Ken Figenus on Monday 9th February 15:34

AndyTR

Original Poster:

517 posts

124 months

Monday 9th February 2015
quotequote all
Thank you for all the responses and advice. I'm bowled over! I'm away for a while with work from tomorrow but will keep checking the thread when I have some time.

3 reels are approx 5cm diameter
5 reels are between 8 and 9 cm diameter.

There was a note in one of the smaller reels (there is a magnetic tape in there as well) which reads;
1973 - 1976 - uncut rushes and mag tracks
Mintex Rally - several
Seven Dales Rally - several
RAC Rallies - several
Jim Clark Memorial Rally

AndyTR

Original Poster:

517 posts

124 months

Monday 9th February 2015
quotequote all
The can labelled Jim Clark is 9cm has the matching magnetic tape in it. I'm dying to see what's on the film!

K50 DEL

9,236 posts

228 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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Just a thought but have you posted this on the British Rally forum..... there are hundreds of active posters on there, not beyond the realms of possibility that one of them has the correct gear... if not, they'd be my first port of call for a crowdfunding exercise, there are whole threads on there devoted to that era of rallying.