Film laboratories offer a wide range of services in a competitive market. Although labs will mainly work with feature film productions they understand that short films and artists' projects constitute a valuable part of the usage of film (from Super 8, 16mm and even 35mm) and may feel that it is in their interest to invest in these productions. It is important to contact a few labs (not all labs process every film gauge or stock) and see which will give you the best offer and service for your project. Be sure to outline the entire processing procedure (from printing low-quality rushes, telecine if required, negative cutting, grading/timing, sound processing, optical effects, and the production of the final screening print) and ensure that you cover all the stages in your budget. Try and get a contact at the lab who will look after your project and with whom you can discuss any mistakes or errors made in printing if need be.

Most labs offer a variety of services in addition to processing. The most common secondary service they will provide is Telecine. The word derives from 'television cinematography' and refers to the machine that converts the images on film into a signal that can be stored on videotape. A telecine machine is used to process anything shot on film to a video or digital format (for offline/online editing or broadcast). There are a variety of machines and processes used. If you are going to do an offline edit of your film that will then be passed onto a negative cutter to make a film print, you will not need a high-quality telecine (as its just for reference). But if you intend to show your work from a digital format then you would require a high quality telecine.

To make a screening print you will have to go through the two following stages.Grading or Timing- the process of adjusting the density and colour values for each shot in a film in order to achieve consistency and balance throughout the final print. And Negative Cutting - this is the cutting of the negative so that it exactly matches the work print (or offline edit) of your film, most labs offer an in-house negative cutter or can recommend people to carry this out. Then the process is completed with the production of a final positive print from the cut negative.

It is also possible to hand process film yourself. No.w.here Lab run training courses and have equipment to help you develop your own film. For more information on hand processing we recommend you read Luxonline's excellent guide DIY Dev and Print.

 

Film Laboratories

Bucks Laboratories Ltd
714/715 Banbury Avenue, Slough, Berks SL1 4LR
Tel:01753 501 500
Fax:01753 691 762
Bucks Laboratories offer a full range of laboratory services from negative processing to bulk copies of features, trailers and commercials. They process all types of 35mm and 16mm colour negative film at any time of the day or night, seven days a week. Bucks also process Super 8mm colour negative film by special arrangement.

Deluxe London
Denham Media Park, North Orbital Road, Denham, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB9 5HQ
Tel:01895 832 323
Fax:01895 883 617
Deluxe are a large post-production facility offering 35mm positive and negative developing as well as 35mm film print duplication and grading services including colour timing.

Film and Photo Limited
13 Colville Road, South Action Industrial Park Estate, London W3 8BL
Tel:020 8992 0037
Fax:020 8993 2409
Film and Photo Ltd develop and print black and white, colour negative or colour reversal motion picture film from Super 8mm up to Super 35mm and also transfer from all film gauges, as well as offering contact, blow-up or reduction prints.

ilab/Reliance MediaWorks
55 Poland Street, London, W1F 7NN
Contacts: Nigel Horn and Martin Mcglone
Email: nigel@ilabuk.co.uk and martin@ilabuk.co.uk
Tel: 0203 4632420
ilab operate a personalised boutique and specialist rushes service 24/6 from Sunday to Friday offering 16mm and 35mm negative processing. Rushes are graded using a Pandora Revo grading desk and ilab can satisfy all current delivery formats including encoding, transcoding and streaming. A final grade service on both Sprirt/Revo and FilmMaster Nucoda suites is also available and as part of Reliance MediaWorks ilab has access to 3d and vfx services.
ilab are happy to discuss non standard techniques for artistic purposes.

no.w.here
First Floor, 316-318 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 OAG
Tel:0207 7294494
Email:courses@nowhere-lab.org
no.w.here is a new film lab, run by artists' for artists'. They offer 16mm optical printing, processing and printing as well as a 16mm telecine table providing offline quality video and audio output onto miniDV or DVCAM, (able to transfer positive and negative as well as reversing negative to positive). no.w.here supply 16mm film stock available which is available for purchase at discounted member's rate. Their equipment can be used by paying members who will need to complete an induction course. They also run seminars, training courses, residencies and film screenings.

Soho Images
8-14 Meard Street, London W1V 3HR
Contact:Len Thornton
Tel:020 7437 0831
Fax:020 7734 9471
Email:len.thornton@sohoimages.com
Soho Images film laboratory offers a complete range of Standard 35mm, Super 35mm, Standard 16mm and Super 16mm film processing and printing services, in colour and black & white, covering both daytime and overnight rushes from Monday to Friday inclusive. Soho Images also provide a comprehensive telecine service in a range of formats, including Super 8 and 16mm. Contact Len Thornton (Student and Short Film Consultant), who works closely with a wide range of film-makers and has particular experience of working with artists, to discuss your project and needs before delivering your exposed stock.

Technicolor Ltd
Bath Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 0DB
Tel:020 8759 5432
Fax:020 8759 5016
Technicolor process and print a range of formats including 16mm and 35mm for both major studios and the independent film community. They also offer large format processing, colour timing and negative assembly.

Todd-AO
13 Hawley Crescent, Camden Town, London NW1 8NP
Tel:020 7284 7900
Fax:020 7485 3667
Todd-AO develop colour 16mm, Super 8, 16mm and 35mm as well as providing a 24hr Super 8mm negative processing service, linear and non-linear editing and telecine.

The Widescreen Centre
47 Dorset Street, London W1U 7NE
Contact:Jake Astbury
Tel:020 7935 2580
Fax:020 7486 1272
Email:jake@widescreen-centre.co.uk
This Super 8 specialist has a wide range of stock and offers. They run a processing service with option to telecine Super 8 film.