Film TRANSFERS
8mm, Super 8 & 16mm
Your memories deserve better than a mail-in box.
Professional video, film, photo and audio digitizing done locally in Birmingham using advanced archival equipment, real technicians and optional restoration services.
Handled Locally
Your originals stay with a trusted Birmingham expert.
Faster Turnaround
No additional shipping delays or mystery processing.
Better Options
Standard, enhanced & restoration-level services.
Not just digitized — improved.
Most mail-in services focus on basic transfer. Image Hive can offer standard, enhanced and restoration-level workflows depending on the condition and importance of your media.
Budget-friendly when you need it.
Advanced restoration when it matters.
Some projects only need a clean transfer. Others deserve extra correction, cleanup and restoration. Our new service levels let customers choose the right balance of price and quality.
Current Specials
Clear offers that make it easy to get started.
Competition-style simplicity, but with local Birmingham service.
Personal support & better upgrade options, because your memories deserve extra care.
Film Transfer Special
High-quality reel-to-reel film preservation with local Birmingham care.
Restoration: 1080P, Skin tone, white balance, color & exposure
Full-scale cinematic restoration. Upscaled clarity paired with vibrant, lifelike color correction.
Enhancement: Scratch, dust and grain reduction
Premium surface cleanup to clear away decades of dust, deep scratches, and distracting film grain.
What we transfer
8mm film
8mm film was introduced in 1932. It is 8mm wide (~5/16 inch) single perforation film. It goes by a few different names including Standard 8, Regular 8, and Double 8. It very rarely includes sound.
super 8 film
Super 8 film was introduced in 1965. It is 8mm wide (~5/16 inch) single perforation film. Super 8 uses smaller sprocket holes than Standard 8 to allow more film real estate for the images, providing a much improved quality. Sometimes we will encounter an audio track, but most Super 8 film does not include sound. When sound is present, there will be a thin magnetic strip alongside one edge of the film.
16mm film
16mm film was introduced in 1923. It is 16mm wide (~5/8 inch). It either has sprocket holes on both edges, or just a single set of holes on one edge. The latter type is called single perforation film and includes an optical audio track running down one edge of the film.
We digitize developed Film-Reels of different sizes/lenghts.
We also can digitize Film-Reels with sound stripe.
Unfortunately, IMAGE HIVE does not develop Film-Reel-Cartridges.
HD Restoration, Available Only at Image Hive
Take a look at this short clip to see an example of our proprietary Restoration Process on a typical 8mm film from the mid 1960’s.
services
Film Transfer (resolution 720×480) Simply stated, input equals output. We’ll convert your films to digital using our advanced film scanners of the highest quality available. We will edit out blank spots, will perform basic editing.
Advanced Restoration (resolution 1080×720) Performed with our HD Professional Motion Picture Film Scanner, it also features scratch, dust, and artifact reduction, along with grain reduction for a cleaner image. Each HD transfer comes with MP4 files for easy editing and sharing on Mac & PC. You’ll be able to instantly upload to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or any other social platform that supports video.
HD Restoration, 1080P Performed with our HD Professional Motion Picture Film Scanner, it also features our proprietary Alikant Advanced Restoration process which includes everything in Advanced restoration, plus meticulous advanced, white balance correction, exposure adjustment, skin tone correction, and color grading to restore faded and washed out images, grain elimination, and removal of most visual artifacts caused by dust or scratches. Each HD transfer comes with MP4 files for easy editing and sharing on Mac & PC. You’ll be able to instantly upload to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or any other social platform that supports video.
How we transfer your film.
Why we’re the best
SECURITY
Because we do all work on-site in our Birmingham studio, you never have to wonder about the whereabouts of your precious memories. Your tapes do not leave the premises of our secure video lab from the time you drop them off to the time you pick them up. One person is responsible for the work from start to finish and if you have questions, you’ll be able to get answers via face-to-face interaction.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Our staff ensures every detail is addressed and all communication is done with honesty and respect. We strive to explain our processes with clarity and transparency in order to provide well-defined expectations. We always put the value of relationships with our clients ahead of the business value of the services we provide.