text:
Or - if you have tapes:- Video-8
- Hi8
- VHS or
- Mini-DV
We are known for our professional 2K resolution (Full-HD) 8mm Film Transfer to Blu-ray (or DVD), Flash drive, or Hard drive. Additionally, we're known for our exceptional customer service – as we've been told.
All our transfers are frame-by-frame, and we offer a helpful array of editable file formats. We capture in 2K (Full-HD) more info.
Taken from our blog: Our Super-8 transfer as compared to theirs.
Starting an Estimate
Please keep in mind, you will only be charged for the total number of minutes that we transfer. Your estimate is just that -- an estimate.
Please use estimate option #1 if you're just starting to determine what you have; use estimate option #2 if you already know the approximate number of feet (or minutes) in your film collection.Nathaniel and Laura are here to help -- just call (805) 640-8883 -- Ojai, CA. (As we are a small transfer-house, we have not employed a full-time receptionist these past 15 years. If we don't hear a voice message, we won't know to return your call. So, please do leave a message. It's likely your call will be returned promptly - Monday through Friday!)
Skip Estimate
Some customers prefer to simply send us their material and have us do up their estimate for them. We're happy to do that and will call you once we receive your precious memories to determine how to best serve you!
A paper-and-pen order form option: PDF Order "Short Form"
Take Note: We do not use a "Wolverine" for our film transfers -- but a Wolverine rental is available.
To see the equipment we use, click here!
Commonly asked questions:
IMPORTANT: Please send us only your family's memories. We do not transfer material with a Copyright, unless you own the copyright and provide proof.
4K vs 2K - 8mm film transfer
Hearing from customers "do you transfer in 4K?" is what inspired me to write this highly academic blog. It is a blog that's worthy of a closer read if you are adamant about getting an 8 mm 4K film transfer. It might also be enjoyable if you like reading very geeky film stuff.
Let's first establish how much detail 8 mm film grain can hold and also cover some of the 2K vs 4K technical aspects (camera limitations and transfer workflow considerations.) Further, let's explore if offering upscaling from 2K to 4K is something FilmFix should consider.
8 mm Film Resolution
Due to its very small size, 8 mm film is physically not able to hold more detail than 2K holds. So by going with 4K and hoping to get more details, the only thing you get is more detailed grain -- not a better image. Let's keep in mind though, it's a different story for the larger format films of 16 mm and 35 mm film.
In the image below the red rectangle represents a section captured during a transfer. A 2K transfer has a frame ratio of 16 to 9 and has 1920 by 1080 pixels.
Now, let us calculate the DPI (Dots Per Inch) of that section. This way we can check if with 2K we are above the granular detail the film can hold.
Under ideal circumstances, film can hold up to 4,000 DPI of information. (Learn more about film resolution.)
We'll base our DPI calculation on the height of that red frame. The reason for that is because it is where we hit the limit of the frame. Zooming in (or out) will either crop parts of the image, or show parts of the top and bottom frame; both of which we want to avoid.
A Transfer Setup Note: We need to fine-tune the framing to obtain a proper framing prior to transferring a reel. So at the start of every new reel, the height is adjusted to match the height of the frame. The position can vary, because the exact positioning of the camera's pull-down claw can vary, also film shrinkage affects positioning.
Back to the math part: For a 2K transfer the formula is 1080 pixel / 0.130 inches, which results in approximately 8,300 DPI. The results show a 2K transfer holds over 2 times more information than what 8 mm film holds.
Now with Super-8 film we have a bit bigger frame to work from than with 8mm. This will result in bit better image, but let us check if 2K can hold it.
There the math is as follows: 1080 pixel / 0.158 inches results in an approximate 6,800 DPI. We are still well above 4,000 DPI.
The upshot is that 2K is absolutely adequate and 4K will not bring more detail.
In the old days of HD film transfer, we used to say 8 mm can only hold about a 720p resolution. 720p is the smaller of the two HD formats. This is why the very first professional film flash scanners where equipped with a 720p camera. It was only later that manufacturers started offering 2K transfer systems.
So let's check to see if 720p can hold the image.
The math for a 720p transfer is 720 pixels / 0.130 inches results in an approximate 5,500 DPI for 8 mm film, and an approximately 4,500 DPI for Super-8 film.
Super-8 film at 720 is starting to reach its limit but is still within what is considered acceptable. And the reason some transfer houses transfer all their film at 720p is because it allows for more productivity; they transfer it all at high speed. After that they upscale it to 2K and you never know about their trick. We don't do it that way. We capture in 2K from the outset.
(Important side note: a "Wolverine", or "Reflecta", is not a Professional Film Transfer System but a lower-end consumer transfer unit. The file it records is a highly compressed 8-bit MP4 file. Size: 1920 by 1080, but that is just the frame size. It's what is put into the file (an empty vessel) that counts. The quality of that stored image is what counts, not the pixel count of the frame. That's a different topic for another post.)
4K Monitors and UHD TVs
Over the years, monitors keep growing in size. These days Netflix requires all shows to be shot in 4K. In order for you to see that higher 4K resolution, you need a 4K monitor and need to pay Netflix extra for that better image quality.
Once these monitors found their way into our living rooms, naturally our customers started inquiring about 4K transfers.
A long time back I did some 4K camera research, and just for curiosity sake, I started looking to see what is out there. Things change quickly ... while people's film, in storage, continues to deteriorate.
4K Cameras with a CCD sensor
Researching the topic, I found I would lose the extended color depth of 10-bit if I used a 4K prosumer camera. They usually only offer 8-bit color depth if the sensor is a CCD sensor. This is not good! I know that this would not work for me, because I heavily rely on the 10-bits of color-depth during the color grading process, which I do by hand. 10 bits is critical to improve the color and exposure issues of strongly discolored film.
I continued researching and found myself looking into $28,000 - $35,000 cameras that have some interesting 4K capabilities, but they would not permit me to perform the workflow I need with my transfers.
In short they capture 4K at 10-bit, but with the added steps in workflow, I would need to charge over 4 times what I am currently charging for a transfer and that would be just to capture the initial footage. All the tasks after the capture would also be much more time intensive on the computers, because jumping from 2K to 4K is not a doubling of the data but quadrupling. And with that, all the remaining processing and copying of data would take 4 times longer.
Video Newscasters Upscale 2K to 4K
Later, I found myself reading about what some professional newscasters do.
It was in one of their forums where I learned that still today a lot of them are shooting in 2K and end up upscaling the footage they shot in 2K to 4K, for the broadcast stations that require all footage to be delivered to them in 4K. And this is what brought me to a FULL STOP.
Upscaling! I have a lot of experience with upscaling.
I've offered upscaling of video tape transfers to bring SD (Standard Definition) to Full-HD for years now. And, going from 2K to 4K is just as possible and an easier process, because there is no de-interlacing requirement when processing two progressive images.
I found myself reevaluating each and every step of my transfer process as I described here on our website From RAW to FINAL. And sure enough ... I found a instance where I could conceivably justify a 4K up-scaling.
When is it best to upscale to 4K?
You'll probably notice that this topic is a bit academic but nonetheless worthy of a closer look.
It is during the image stabilization process where the image's grain gets seriously remapped and when an upscaling might be beneficial to retain some of that very fine grain structure.
The reason for that "remapping" is that during the image stabilization process, the image gets enlarged by 4% while zooming in, from 100% to 104%. Later that enlarged image's border gets cropped off back to 100%. To finalize the image stabilization process a very light sharpening is required to retain the grain's sharpness.
From that, one can conclude, the best time to upscale is at the same time the image stabilization step happens.
In order to test this idea, I produced two clips and set them side by side.
How the 4K vs 2K images stabilization sample was made
The difference between the two sides is that for the 4K side the image stabilization was performed within a 4K project — whereas for the 2K side the image stabilization was performed outside the 4K project — so within a separate 2K project. These are the steps in detail:
4K side
I created 4K project and imported 2K clip that gets automatically upscaled to fill out the larger 4K frame. Then, I applied the image stabilization to it and did some light sharpening.
2K side
In a separate 2K project, I performed the image stabilization and light sharpening. Later, I opened the above 4K project and imported that already pre-processed 2K image stabilized clip. I then upscaled the 2K project and placed the 4K and 2K side by side, as seen below.
Click and zoom in to see the image in full 1:1 pixel display. Note that these large frames show the grain 2× larger, so the grain gets 2× bigger which makes the grain look splotchy. You may notice that the 4K image looks a tad less cloudy.
When viewing the side-by-side clip below you'll see how much of the fine grain structure gets lost during the image stabilization process, when that step is not performed within a 4K project. It turns out it's minimal loss, nonetheless still noticeable when in motion.
How can I assess the difference without a 4K monitor?
It's only possible to discern the difference of this sample by viewing it on a 4K monitor. Since most people don't have access to a 4K monitor at their desktop computer, I decided to provide you with a link to the file (below) so that you can download it onto a USB stick. If you have access to a 4K monitor in your living room, this will be the ideal place to compare the two transfers.
If the only access you have is your computer's monitor, here is a 1920 x 1080 frame outtake of the 4K file. It's the red rectangle seen in the image below. You can play this clip on your desktop to compare the difference in grain. The grain is the same as what you'd see on your 4K monitor.
The sample below is only a zoomed in close-up portion of what you will see on your screen. The final transfer will not look like this. However, this will give you an idea of a 4K transfer as compared to a 2K. The 4K does bring more crisp edges but it adds substantial blotches of grain patches in motion. I looks busier and is distracting.
Download MP4 Sample
To download donut-hole, zoomed in 2K section, of the 4K sample, click here. It's 303 MB, so it will take time to download.
To download the full size 4K sample clip, click here. (611 MB file)
These sample clips have been encoded using the new "High Efficiency Video Codec" aka H.265 codec. Some older players may not be able to play back this type of mp4.
Considerations and Conclusion
If you have 8 mm film, we don't recommend that you get a 4K transfer.
1 - The benefit of getting a transfer in 4K is not very noticeable. Only a trained eye may see a difference, and it costs 2 times our regular price.
2 - If you will be considering our image enhancement option of grain reduction, or 'debris removal' as we now refer to it, you do not want a 4K transfer. Since with a 4K transfer you are after the grain, we would not apply any grain reduction to the file.
3 - If you're going to want to share this large file, first it needs to be highly compressed. It is in that compression you will lose all the benefit of the grain captured in a 4K transfer.
4 - If you want to be mindful of your carbon footprint, this is not a good choice. It takes a tremendous amount of electricity to process these very large files.
Conclusion: A 4K transfer will not benefit the image captured from 8mm film. The finest grain may look a bit sharper, but for reasons explained in detail above it's not beneficial.
Still, if you insist on having a 4K file we can do it - at a premium price.
We would capture in 2K (RAW Lossless instead of using the HQX SuperFine codec) and import that file into a 4K project. There is where all the color grading and image stabilization work would be performed. This 4K transfer varies from our usual processing explained in our step by step breakdown of our transfer process: From RAW to FINAL.
What is a burn hole?
A burn hole is nothing you want on your film! And, they're rare.
It means that at some point while viewing your treasured old family films, the projectionist stopped the film from rolling and the film stayed stationary in the gate for too long.
The heat from the light source eventually burned a hole right through the film. If your films have these holes, you'll see an odd sight quickly pass by when viewing your transfer. It will be a bright white spot if the film was burned all the way through. Or, it will appear darker and all bubbly, if the film's emulsion nearly got burnt to a crisp.
Back in the day, movie houses would sometimes burn to the ground. Why? Because the projectionist was not being mindful and those intense projector lights, with the heat they put off, sadly sometimes started a fire in the projection room. Also back then, the film's emulsion was much more flammable. It doesn't happen today, because film stock is made of a safer base material.
And, a fire cannot happen with our equipment, because we use a strobe as our light source.
Archival Grade Slide Transfer
We are happy to bring you our "true grain capture": 61 megapixel resolution for slides. This is a good time to consider transferring your most treasured slides to true Archival Grade Quality.
These are very large files. 3.5MB for the JEPG files, and about 314MB for the TIFF files.
Notice the rounded corners? Here is why we like to include parts of the border along with the round corners: Learn More
Use the bottom image to get a feel for what you will be getting in terms of details.
Slides courtesy of Amy Thomas.
Compare our 9K slide resolution to others
Our curiosity had us going once we had our new camera in hand. We wanted to know how a lower quality transfer would compare to our new 9K transfer, so we had a reference.
These are the steps we took to achieve this...
Our 9K transfer
This slide was transferred using our 9K slide transfer setup.
The resulting file is:
This is what we did to calculate our DPI
DPI stands for Dots Per Inch. We divided the dots recorded (the image width 9,504) by the image width in inches 1.399 (35.55 mm, see above) = 6,793 DPI --- or approximately 6,800 DPI.
All images below are JPEG files, because JPEG is what's used on the Internet
Please keep in mind that TIFF files look a great deal sharper than these below! Unfortunately, JPEG compression has a tendency to crush fine details. The advantage of JPEG files is that they are much smaller and easier to share.
In comparison TIFF files are extremely large. TIFF files hold a huge amount of image information and thus serve as a valuable archival record of your slides.
Let's focus on the film grain
We selected the above image because of the fine line detail in the fabric of their pants. Focusing on the lines in the fabric helps us when comparing the different resolutions.
The above close-up is 1000 pixels wide. So, you would need a monitor of at least the same or larger width to see this whole close-up section . A desktop will do, but an iPad may not. If you are on a small screen device, like a phone, make sure to zoom in.
Our 9.5K transfer
Zooming in even further, we will be using this 400 by 400 pixel excerpt as a reference point. This way we don't need to zoom in on each sample to get the 100% representation of the excerpt.
This excerpt is the basis from which we will produce some 'lower K' transfer samples (like those that other companies do) so you can compare how nice ours look.
At 9K we are clearly above what film can hold! Going higher would only bring more details in the grain, and not benefit image detail.
7.1K transfer (our competition)
In order to obtain this representation, I took the un-sharpened 400 by 400 image from above; scaled it down to 294 by 294 (400/9.5*7.1); and scaled it back up to 400 by 400; and included some light sharpening.
The upshot: The grain looks less defined, larger and is blotchy. The finer lines in the blue pants on the left are starting to blend together.
5.6K -- is considered "Film Resolution"
5.6K is considered what "FILM" can hold - approximately 4,000 DPI.
In order to obtain this representation I took the un-sharpened 400 by 400 image from our 9K transfer; scaled it down to 235 by 235 (400/9.5*5.6); and scaled it back up to 400 by 400; and included some light sharpening.
The grain is still recognizable but overall it looks much like the above 7K transfer.
4K Apple iPhone
In order to obtain this representation I took the un-sharpened 400 by 400 image from our 9K transfer; scaled it down to 168 by 168 (400/9.5*4); and scaled it back up to 400 by 400; and included some light sharping.
The over all impression is that it looks muddy.
Now all together
... so that you do not have to scroll to compare. Can you tell them apart?
Horn tooting: We are confident that our new 9K slide digitization surpasses most of what is "out there." This bold statement comes from what customers recently told us.
It starts with the level at which we capture the grain and with the fine camera we use. It continues with the types of files that are included in our service and ends with the clean and tidy results we deliver to you.
KEY NOTES: We changed the way we clean slides before digitizing them. Each and every slide gets special attention and is carefully hand-cleaned. We don't yet know of another company that does it like we do! We're one of the few companies that offer TIFF files at no extra charge and the RAW file, if you request it.
What makes our slide transfers exceptional
We start with the professionally trained and educated operator who graduated from the world-renowned Brooks Institute of Photography, in Santa Barbara, CA (graduated February, 1996.)
Your slides are professionally digitized at the very highest quality, employing specialist equipment and tender care.
Please have a look at the equipment and tools we use. We do not use automation. We take no shortcuts, which is obvious from the results we achieve. To view our slide samples, click here. (- coming soon.)
Important: Read the last paragraph ... if you read nothing else!
Our Camera
This Sony α7R IV 35mm full-frame camera, with 61.0 megapixels, exceeds the resolution of 35 mm film by 170%. That is outstanding performance that creates highly-detailed images.
We capture a true 1:1 image, offering a superior dynamic range of over 14 stops. Film generally has 10 stops of dynamic range, but we can work with a broader range bringing about optimal luminence.
We manually set the exposure on each slide.
For each image, expect approximate file size to be:
• JPEG file - 7.5 MB - we provide
Our Lens
The Voigtländer Macro APO-LANTHAR 110mm F1:2.5
The "APO" (the apochromat) aspect of the lens is important and will produce very impressive details without necessitating post-production chromatic aberration correction. However, if a customer's lens has chromatic aberration issues, we now have an exceptional image at our disposal and can do further "post-capture" work.
This lens is remarkably sophisticated and precise, even though it is a manual focus lens!
Our Light Source
What furnishes the light is a Canon Speedlite 430EX strobe light set to 1/8 of its full power output. We then shape the light quality by adding a glass diffuser between the strobe and the slide. The diffuser in the lineup is what emits a uniform soft light and is what ultimately backlights the slide.
Our Slide-Holder
A projector is used to "hold" the slide in place. We are not using the projector to project the slide image rather to simply hold the slide in place.
It took a little modification -- cutting a sizable portion off the front section and removing the lens. We also had to add a strobe light and a diffusing "milk" glass.
Our Focus Adjustment
We use this to manually find the perfect focus.
This tool is a micrometer. It adjusts in millimeters. It is more precise than the camera's original focusing ring.
Our Software
As Capture One states: "Start your editing with the sharpest possible details and most natural colors."
It handles our very large, RAW files well. It is an essential part of the process.
This professional software, fine-tunes your slide digitization for optimal results all the way through to the final image.
Professional Photographers: If asked, we are happy to provide your with the original RAW capture and the adjustments we set in Capture One to produce your final file export (no extra charge.)
Learn more about Capture One software.
Last but not least!
We start the entire process by hand cleaning each slide -- both sides. This takes time.
We use two different fine art brushes to gently wipe away dust and debris that is lightly stuck to the emulsion. Each slide receives the care it deserves. This results in a much cleaner slide than the one we were sent.
You get all of the above for just 65 cents per slide! We like to say ... "Do it once and do it right."
Cassette Transfer with hiss reduction
Remember the old tapes you made? The ones where your family would sit around and record silly snippets of dialogue among themselves? Or, sometimes the words spoken were of your family's important history.
Would you like to hear all that, again?
We have the professional equipment to help you!
We use a superior quality piece of equipment – the Tascam CD-A580.
During the special post-processing work, we use software to further reduce the annoying system noise and hiss that is common with these old tapes.
The file we'll provide is either an MP3 or WAV file – onto a USB stick or hard drive.
NOTE: Please do not send us any material that is copyright protected ... your old music cassettes or audio mixes, for example.
Video UP-SCALING to HD
Up-scaling your video to HD is a wise option to consider when digitizing your old video tapes. Professionally up-scaled footage results in a much nicer image when viewed on a large TV or computer monitor! We think you'll be surprised.
Our FilmFix up-scaling differs in that we perform steps 3, 4, and 5 (detailed below), and other companies don't.
For "computer geeks": If you're comfortable using command lines in a terminal, here is how to go about doing the up-scaling yourself.
FilmFix's up-scaling - benefits and extras:
NOTE: Some of the more advanced TVs offer an 'internal up-scaling' option, but the quality does not compare to ours. Ours is far superior and it's not only because we add steps 3, 4 and 5! The algorithm our computer uses is far more sophisticated and processor intensive than the quick on-the-spot TV upscale feature. (Sample images to follow, as soon as a particular customer gives us their approval.)
"Magic cords" - do they work?
These video transfer cords hit the market, and people started digitizing their tapes at home. However, it seems people are not getting satisfying results with these things.
It appears that it is probably not capturing true "S-Video quality" analog signal to digital. Perhaps, it is instead using a little trick of utilizing the signal from pin 2 and 3 of the 4 pin mini-Dim plug (wiki info on S-Video) to "capture" a less colorful and softer looking video image. These days specs are hard to read and sometimes difficult to trust.
There is a reason why we do NOT use any of this here at FilmFix -- we stick with what we know for a fact works exceedingly well!
If you already have a so-called Magic cord with converter like this, and are intent on using it, it would be good to jump down to our "Set-up Check List."
Diamond VC500 available here at B&H for less than $36.00, but before you buy, it's good to know its limitations.
The Diamond VC500 specs say ....
"Video Capture Formats: MPEG 4, MPEG" and "(600 MB to 3GB required for 1 hour of recording)".
The upshot is: You will be capturing a highly compressed video, because a standard quality video file uses about 13GB for 1 hour of recording -- not merely their advertised 600MG - 3GB. Sure, using their cord you'll end up having the convenient MP4 file, but later if you want to upscale your video to 1080, it won't work. It will just look muddy and unsatisfying.
This is why we don't use this type of "magic cord."
It's advised to do your research and read other's reviews -- available online.
Sure, it's easy to set up -- but user beware!
Don't use the yellow RCA plug!
Video decks and cameras normally provide a video-out connection. Only a few higher-end units provide you with an additional S-Video connection. Please make sure to NOT use the yellow connection for the video signal, but instead use the S-Video mini-Dim plug.
You will be able to get an image using the yellow plug, but it is a substandard, much lower quality image.
A clean S-Video signal "is king." If your unit only has a yellow RCA plug, consider using a different unit that has an S-Video plug. It really makes a difference! You may want to try your luck on eBay for a unit that is in good shape and which provides you with an S-Video port.
Don't be fooled by this adapter cord
RCA / S-Video adapter - only to be used as a last resort
Our advice: Do not use one of these converter plugs. They will not bump up the image quality, they will only bump it down.
What we use at FilmFix:
We use professional decks that offer S-Video signal in and FireWire out (a.k.a. IEEE 1394.) And, we go from FireWire out straight into our computer to produce the best quality recordings possible.
The magic really starts to happen when we start up-scaling the captured material to 1080 HD. Here is a link to our do-it-yourself blog post on how to go about that.
Set-up Check List
Stay digital if it is already digital
Mini-DV and Digital-8 tapes hold digital data. If you have Mini-DV tapes or Digital-8 tapes, please do not use the above discussed "analog" magic cord. Instead, stay "digital" by using a fire-wire connection to your computer.
35mm Film Resolution
35mm film has a resolution of approximately 5.6K — equivalent to an image of about 5,600 × 3,620 pixels. The finite resolution of film will fluctuate based on the type of film and the film's processing methods.
All these characteristics influence the film's resolution:
In short, image quality is dependent on film grain – the very small silver particles stuck between color layers in the film's emulsion. To be exact, it is the aggregate effect of these particles holding the light back that form a visual effect, which resembles a grain. The job of these small silver particles is to store the image information.
An Overview on MP (Megapixel), DPI (Dot Per Inch), and Print Size
Enlargement Limits
The renowned photographer Ansel Adams' rule of thumb for enlarging images was simple: avoid printing film to paper at more than 4 × its original size.
For 35mm negative film (frame size 24mm × 36mm) Adams would print at a maximum of 96mm × 144mm – which converts to only 3.8 × 5.6 inches.
The reason Adams would not enlarge more, is because any further magnification would too clearly reveal the film grain. However, when archiving slides one wants all the grain to be visible.
Transfers at FilmFix are designed for archiving slides.
We transfer beyond what film can store. At 9.5K we out-perform all commercial slide scanners. We deliver an impressive 9,504 × 6,336 pixel file and have the highest optical film transfer system we know of.
If you print at 300DPI (the printing standard), you can expect a quality print from our high resolution scan. This will be true for images printed up to a size of 21.1" x 31.7" (for 35mm film.) However, this voids Adams' rule of thumb technique mentioned above. You will see the grain in the image with more details represented in the grain.
Keep in mind that the quality of the image depends on the original type of film and lens used. Additionally, the outcome will depend upon the skill of the photographer.
Foot notes and sources
MP4 files at 18fps!
A silent almost unnoticed breakthrough has happened in the play-back arena. It used to be that only computers were able to manage the play-back of files with frame rates that did not conform to the TV standard frame rates. These days, your Smart TV Roku Media Player can do it too! This is HUGE for us here at FilmFix, because it means that we can finally provide you with a more compatible file that plays each frame back just like the film was intended to be seen.
This topic is quite geeky, but for the curious reader here is a truncated synopsis on the subject.
TVs sync to 30 frames per second (25fps in Europe, etc.) That frame rate is linked to the electric AC current's frequency of 60Hz (50Hz in Europe, etc.) Films are shot at all sorts of different frame rates: 12, 16, 18, 24, 25, 29.97... up to 70fps and beyond. In the past, the only way to get these films to play back correctly, while preserving their true playback speed, was to double-up (or drop) frames to a standard TV frame rate of 30fps.
The old 3:2 pull-down technique for real-time "Film to Video" transfer
This technique is standard practice during a film transfer (telecine), and is referred to as the 3:2 pull-down technique for converting 24fps to30fps films. (Note this illustration is simplified -- in reality the 3:2 pull-down is applied to the fields of the frames and not to the frames themselves.)
The image here illustrates the doubling up of frames when converting film exposed at 24fps to a 30fps TV standard. You may notice that the pattern is repeating every 4 film frames. The first 3 frames get copied cleanly, then the next frame gets doubled up; thus its name 3:2 pull-down.
Tid bit: In the olden days, to save the video onto a TV-standard tape was to record the video signal in real-time -- field by field. Today, it all gets captured frame-by-frame, manipulated and kept frame-by-frame until it is time to produce the final output. It's a much different approach.
The outdated approach of outputting files for your TV
Now this is where it gets ugly, because converting 18fps to 30fps is just messy. It is doable, but as you can see, in the image below, the pattern is less regular. That messiness is particularity noticeable when the camera-person shot long left-to-right (or right-to-left) panned scenes. It ended up looking jerky and far from smooth, upon play back.
This shows the traditional (but dated) approach of providing you with a playable MP4 file or any of the other source file (ProRes or AVI.) Note that we, FilmFix, used to provide you not with 30fps but rather 24fps files, because a 24fps file is a Blu-ray frame rate standard that is Internationally understood and compatible.
Now imagine if you have an even lower frame rate, say, 16fps for Double-8 film? This lower frame already looked bad and then ... it got worse.
A new improved way to depict film on your Smart TV
Your old TV operates at 30 frames per seconds, whereas Smart TV's have a higher frame rate of 60fps (the same as your average computer monitor.)
As you see in the illustration below, the higher frame rate has the advantage of evening out the color-differences better during playback. With the above illustration at 30fps it was more obvious when the frame doubling did not line up properly. For instance, orange has just one frame in the MP4 file (and on the TV) whereas in the Smart TV 60fps that one orange frame is better represented and blends in better.
Most importantly -- play-back of MP4 files at a 18fps frame rate is now supported! Actually, any specified frame rate will work.
The Roku Media Player from your Smart TV knows how to interpret the speed of your MP4 file to back it back correctly.
And now this makes it possible for us to produce MP4 files (and other master files) that offer a 1-to-1 representation of each Film Frame; be it 18fps or 16fps, or any other frame rate, without having to double up any frame in your MP4 file.
Your Roku Media Player will know how to stream an MP4 file that has an unconventional frame rate (such as 18 fps.) Exciting!
The upshot is: Your Smart TV is able to play back MP4 files that have varying frame rates, just like your computer can. So, this finally opens up the possibility of truly changing the experience of how films that were originally shot at 16 or 18fps, or any other frame rate, are played back.
So much for the truncated synopsis. (For the even more curious person, there is more to it -- here. For instance there is an explanation about Drop or Non-Drop Frames.) Enjoy!
The True Frame-Rate Advantages
The True Frame-Rate Disadvantage
How to check your MP4 file's frame rate
Go to the file's "Properties", right-click, and under the "Details" tab (or similar), you'll see this info:
FFMpeg examples
FFMpeg Changing Frame Rate, without re-encoding
To output the final 16fps ProRes files, without re-encoding use the code below. (Note: I added the third line of code
FFMpeg Changing Frame Rate going from ProRes to MP4
To re-encode from single frame (any fps) ProRes to a 16fps MP4 (without audio and some light sharpening.) It will process at approximately the speed of 1x. (The same will also work for AVI to MP4; just change the second line of code to read:
DIY upscale SD to HD (free)
Let me share with you a hidden treasure that took me a while to find! For a long time, even though I was using an expensive editing program, I was not getting satisfying results when upscaling SD video (i.e. VHS tapes) to HD. I sure am now!
Note: If you are a competitor of ours, please, stop reading here. ;)
It was thanks to Andrew Swan, a respected professional blogger writing in great detail about this subject, that I now proudly offer affordable, high quality HD up-scaling.
If you're curious about the cost of our upscale service, please follow the link to our online estimator tool: cost for transferring and upscalling 10 tapes of 1 hour each. You may adjust the current numbers according to what you actually have in your video collection.
Or, if you want to try your hand at "bumping it up" yourself, you can follow Andrew's instructions, below.
A few things to keep in mind, before you start. It takes quite the investment in time and electricity! Expect a 1 hour tape to take 3 hours worth of processing time -- and that's on a speedy computer. My office gets warmer, even with my water-cooled computer, as it processes away on these files. Ah, but the results are so well worth it.
Tutorial by Andrew Swan - step by step video
Andrew Swan has been blogging since 2008 about video processing. In his 45 minute YouTube video here, he explains how to instal 32-bit and 64-bit AVISynth+, QTGMC, and FFMPEG side-by-side; use AviSynth+ and all the required filters to properly de-interlace and upscale your SD video files to HD 720, or 1080. He'll walk you through all the steps of downloading, installing, and processing an SD video file.
Some To-Dos along the way
Before starting, it's a good idea to prep your files. Clean up the start and end times of your initial capture (file) by editing out the "snowy" parts. Bring the glaring whites and deep blacks into a more pleasing viewing range. Pay attention to the color intensity in your highlights and bring those down a bit in order to bring about a more natural looking result.
Now that he files are cleaned up a bit, it's time to upscale.
Up-Scale Automation
If you have many files to upscale you may be interested in using a Python script to help you automate the process.
I programmed a Python script that helps you batch-process one file after the other, without having to call the script again for each file. You can find the script that I shared on Andrew's Blog, or you can directly downloaded the script from our FilmFix website by clicking here. Just edit the lines of code to reflect your particular file locations, and name the files numerically. (Sorry - that's all the support I can give on this subject, here. For consulting, naturally, I need to charge my hourly rate.)
Other Up-Scaling methods
There is an upscale method called "super-resolution". Super-resolution up-scalling utilizes a different approach and yields a different result. You would end up with a non-TV standard size video that will have to be downsized to fit either HD 720 or 1080. And, this method takes even longer to process - not an appealing option.
Video Upscale samples coming soon...
Our Super-8 transfer as compared to theirs
Recently, we were given a tremendous gift! A customer, Rob C. of Washington, asked us to please re-do a transfer he had done elsewhere, because he was disappointed with their work. He felt some trepidation sending his reels to a second company for fear our results might be similarly dismal. Well, he was so pleased with our transfer that he complied a comparison for us to use on our website's blog. What a gift!
Below are his words:
"I had some free time, and I created a high quality frame capture of your conversion, the same frame from the other company conversion, and a merged version where I show how their scan only covers 40% of the actual image you captured (i.e. they lost 60% of the frame). I selected 2 different frames where it's impossible to recognize the people, and you are welcome to use these in your website if you like (please do not use the others). I think it highlights the quality you offer pretty well."
At FilmFix we capture the entire frame from edge to edge.
Because of our superior 10-bit capture, when a film's colors are challenged, we are able to improve them to a large degree with the "secondary color correction" image enhancement option. And, when a film was over-exposed or under-exposed, we can improve that to a large degree as well with our added option of "secondary color correction."
You'll note that the grass on the outer edge of the above example is not very crisp. This is because "grain reduction" was applied to the transfer. "Grain reduction" has advantages and disadvantages. It gets rid of many scratches and imperfections, but it does tend to slightly soften the image. That's why when a customer chooses "grain reduction", we like to provide their transfer in two files -- before and after -- grain reduction was applied. (So, check that box on the order form if you want both versions.) The two files will require a bit more data storage, but it's very rewarding to have both versions of the final footage. Customers love it!
We are sorry to see some of the shoddy work that is being done in this industry. It does nothing for the industry's reputation.
While we always enjoy restoring our customer's films, it is such a pity to learn they've wasted their time and money elsewhere before finding us!
Nicole's challenge and sweet-stuff for us!
FilmFix got a nice mention on the Nicole Sandler Show this week, but because of her network's policy, she was not allowed to indicate our company's name. Listen to how cleverly she handled that! It's sweet and made us smile -- broadly. Additionally, it gave us goosebumps, because being acknowledged like this has a way of touching the soul.
"Psst" .... Laura (co-owner of FilmFix) even speaks for a few moments in the middle of this brief clip. Please have a listen!
For her birthday, Nicole Sandler has a donation matching challenge running, for a limited time. If you believe in independent progressive media, please consider donating -- even a small amount is great.
Click here for access to Nicole's FilmFix discount - 5% off regular FilmFix price
Click here to donate to the Nicole Sandler Show
8mm Wolverine MovieMaker-PRO Rental
If you don't know what's on your family's treasured films, you can rent a Wolverine from us for a couple of weeks and have a look-see!
UPDATE: We are sorry. The Wolverine is not available for rental. It's broken and we do not plan to repair it, at this time.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Wolverine does not capture SOUND. If your film has sound, you won't hear it. However, we do capture sound, in sync, and at no extra charge!
Also, if your film has perforation damage, it's likely you won't be able to transfer it yourself, but we can!
We'll put your transfer either onto a Blu-ray, USB stick or hard drive or a combination of your choosing. We can also put it on a DVD, but that only holds a lesser quality "Standard Definition" transfer.
Note: Operating the Wolverine MovieMaker-PRO does require technical know-how.
FilmFix Wolverine Rental - (U.S.A. only)
It's $80 to rent for 2 weeks. You pay shipping, both ways, and fee varies depending upon where you reside, in the U.S.. We are located in Ojai, CA and ship out via USPS "Priority Mail" with a "Signature Confirmation."
Also, a $300 refundable deposit is required and is returned to you once we receive the machine along with its accouterments, in fine working order. Shipping fees range between $16 and $65 (depending upon where you live in the U.S.)
If interested in a rental, please fill out our FilmFix Wolverine Rental Agreement and send it to us as an attachment via email, or 'snail mail' works too.
The reason we bought a Wolverine MovieMaker-PRO


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Due to concerns about COVID-19, the AAUP office has transitioned to telework. Please contact staff by email.
Due to concerns about COVID-19, the AAUP office has transitioned to telework. Please contact staff by email.
According to a 2014 report by the Economic Policy Institute, "From 1978 to 2013, CEO compensation, inflation-adjusted, increased 937 percent, a rise more than double stock market growth and substantially greater than the painfully slow 10.2 percent growth in a typical worker's compensation over the same period." What does this mean for us, the faculty?
We know that the electoral process is dominated by big money, yet we believe that we live in a democracy. We know that there is a revolving door between the financial industry and the government charged to regulate it, yet we believe that fairness and equal opportunity are the rule of the land. We know of the conflict of interest between decision makers in government and the military, police, prison, and surveillance industries, yet we believe that our rulers have our safety foremost at heart. We know of the monopolies controlling the media and of the privileged access that big money can purchase, yet we believe what we are told about the fairness of our democracy and of our markets. We believe we live in a permanent state of emergency, which requires greater and more expensive protection of the kind the war industry can supply.
All of these beliefs add up to one core belief: that this is the best of all possible worlds.
Even in recent times of economic crisis, executive compensation in the United States has been soaring. Among the class of top-ranking executives is the CEO of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA-CREF), the not-for-profit institution that administers the personal retirement stock portfolios of some 3.9 million US teachers and professors. In 2014 his salary and bonuses amounted to $18,250,000, which placed him slightly above the CEO of Coca-Cola and slightly below the CEOs of General Electric and Chevron, according to the Fortune 500. TIAA-CREF itself is the largest pension fund and the twenty-third largest investment firm in the world, right below Bank of America. On the board of trustees of TIAA-CREF sits a former president of Howard University, who left that post amid controversy after giving extravagant bonuses to top university officials during a year in which tuition was increased by 12 percent, programs were slashed, and furloughs for staff were put in place. This trustee is the chair of TIAA-CREF's Human Resource Committee. Another member of the board, a specialist in creative global financing schemes, is a former managing director of Goldman Sachs and a high-ranking associate of the World Wildlife Fund. During his tenure, Goldman Sachs, the seventy-sixth largest company in the world, engaged in secret and lucrative sovereign debt deals of the kind that came to light during Greece's most recent financial crisis.
Ten percent of TIAA's investments are in the energy sector, not necessarily of the clean kind. Among the companies in which TIAA is invested is the coal giant Duke Energy, the largest supplier of electricity in the United States. Duke is known for several environmental disasters as well as for its generous contributions to the Democratic Party, though its contributions to the Republican Party are even more generous. From 2008 to 2010 Duke made $5.5 billion in US profits, collected $216 million in subsidies from the US Treasury, and spent $17 million on lobbing. Its tax rate was a negative 3.9 percent, according to a 2011 report by Public Campaign.
Like our retirement funds, our institutions' endowments are managed by brokers on Wall Street. The stated goal of the investment firm that handles the lion's share of the $720 million endowment of Colorado College, where I teach, is to tend to the growth of our endowment. In pursuit of that goal, our brokers put our endowment into circulation, aiming to balance higher-risk investments that may bring higher yields with more reliable, though less profitable, opportunities. The firm's success depends on the growth of our investment, although its fee structure is not easily ascertained. This firm, owned by its twenty-one partners, also services endowments for Swarthmore College and Princeton University.
According to my institution's website, "The college's endowment is overseen by the Colorado College Board of Trustees committee on investments in accordance with policy, UPMIFA, and the rules of prudence. The committee seeks superior investment returns through strategic asset allocation and professional investment management." Returns from the endowment represent 20 percent of our budget; the remainder comes largely from tuition.
What our pension fund and our endowment have in common is their raison d'être: they exist in order to grow, nothing more and nothing less. Quantitative growth, cost what it may in qualitative terms! There is nothing egregious in that. On the contrary, it is what everybody is doing! The word egregious, from gregge, flock, indicates behavior that so goes against the common morality that it warrants the casting out of the doer from the group. But, indeed, what we do with both our pensions and our endowment is the flock's norm. Everybody wins when they grow: teachers can supplement their social security retirement and the college can build or maintain facilities, provide financial aid, pay salaries, and, in general, run its operations. Brokers certainly win. The firms whose stocks we own also win: with the money we front them they can expand their operations and increase production, sales, and, ultimately, profit. In so doing, firms are able to fulfill the promise they made to investors who acquired their stock. La promesse de bonheur, the promise of bliss: How exactly is it achieved? How is the promise that "everybody wins" extended to one and all? According to the theory under whose spell we live, bliss trickles down slowly, from the CEOs whose compensation has grown by 937 percent over recent decades to the typical workers whose compensation has grown by only 10 percent.
Profit depends, among other things, on production costs. This explains provocative headlines such as "Wall Street Loves Layoffs." Labor costs have a way of eating into profit. Since layoffs are assumed to be a firm's pragmatic response to personnel redundancies, they are assumed to promise larger profits. Other cost-cutting or profit-increasing measures include relocating to a cheaper labor market, reducing tax expenses, and reducing expenses for environmental protection. It is likely that many of the gains in both our retirement accounts and our college's endowment investments routinely come at the expense of those feeling the brunt of the cost-saving measures carried out on our behalf by the firms whose stock we own. According to the laws of the utilitarian logic under which we live, growth of my capital must be a good because it increases overall happiness. Across a variety of established and emergent markets, in a huge variety of industries, in international and domestic locales, the success of the market "trickles down" to our nest egg.
Though the market is often credited with being the most efficient mechanism for bringing about the largest happiness for the largest number, the utilitarian definition of the good, the formula raises the question what quantum or unit is appropriate to measure happiness. Let's go out on a limb and choose dollars as the unit of measurement: our opening citation immediately comes to mind as a challenge. "The greatest happiness for the greatest number" seems a democratic idea, but when you think of the disproportion between 937 percent and 10 percent, between the quantifiable happiness of the executive and the worker, the formula seems somewhat disingenuous.
And yet, anybody can belong to the investor class—anybody with a job, that is, who can set aside money for retirement in an investment fund. But not all investors are created equal. The difference is one of magnitude, and is most pronounced before birth, since to a large extent capital accumulates generationally through inheritance.
On Monday, November 16, 2015, a weeklong decline in the New York stock market suddenly shifted for the better. What broke the spell were the mass shootings and suicide bombs of Friday, November 13, in Paris, which boosted the weapons and oil industries. The prospect of more wars promises profits that are hard to match by the prospect of peace, and that is good both for our endowment and for our retirement funds. Large corporations are diversified in their activities: you may think that you are investing in light bulbs when you buy stock in General Electric, but your investment may be benefiting from the $26 billion in military contracts that, according to a report by the think tank Military Industrial Complex, the US government has awarded to that company since 2006.
This market in whose growth we are invested produces cognitive dissonance. We invest in the market even if we do not want wealth to continue to concentrate rapidly at the expense of the poor and the environment. We hold investments in companies like General Electric even if we do not want soldiers to be deployed as cannon fodder, wearing the gear and carrying the weapons with which well-connected industrialists are making a killing in the prolonged state of exception we have inhabited since 2001, and from which we have profited. The state of permanent war is working well for our future and that of our endowment.
A tension reveals itself: we do not belong to the executive class that has experienced 937 percent growth, yet our interests are linked to those of that group. No matter how keenly we profess liberal or conservative aspirations of equality, fair play, or compassion, we know this to be true.
We academic workers, whose retirement savings and whose institutions' endowments are invested in the market, experience ourselves, and the world, in a particular way, one marked by cognitive dissonance. We cannot pretend not to notice the performative contradiction between our strongest beliefs in democracy, equality, and fairness, on one hand, and our everyday practices, on the other. Some of those practices, incidentally, are as automatic as the deduction from a paycheck and its investment in the stock market on our behalf. Do we not to notice the pecuniary gain we derive from layoffs, environmental disasters, and war? How do we manage to live in this contradiction? Are there any side effects associated with the logical incongruities that bad faith demands?
In Being and Time, the German philosopher Martin Heidegger speaks of fallenness as the condition in which humans, for the most part, live: we are under the spell of shallow shared opinion and commonplaces. This is the realm of what Heidegger described as the undifferentiated nonattributable they, whose opinion constitutes us. Fallenness is an existential structure as co-constitutive and co-original as temporality, our pull towards death, and existentiality, which refers to our ability to intervene and modify the facts of our condition. Fallenness, codified and conventional, is experienced by inhabitants of different epochs in different ways. The otherwise isolated human being experiences solace in the safety of unquestioned convention, from the particular perspective of her own life experience. The convention, however, is alienating. It is based on life expectations that are shared within the group but never really thought about. It is a form of acquiescence. In addition, the social bond formed by shared truths is not very strong: it is characterized by mistrust. "Everybody's just trying to keep up with the Joneses," and nobody really knows why. Diffidence is our bond, and difference is suspicious. As Robert Frost put it, "Good fences make good neighbors."
Whereas fallenness in Heidegger points to a distracted kind of living, the excuse of distraction soon reveals itself to be a flimsy cover for the lie we academic workers presently live. Under our particular conditions, no distraction can dispel the fact that we know that we know. There is nothing innocently distracted about the way in which we know certain troubling facts regarding our role in shaping our local and global world. Through participation in the market, we contribute to the precarization of labor and to the destruction of the environment. Is there another way of living?
Without referencing Heidegger, contemporary political philosophers Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri present four pervasive forms of subjectivity, whose origins can be traced at least as far back as the global crisis of 2008, in their 2012 book Declaration. These forms of subjectivity are manners in which we experience the world, ways we respond to the particular set of material conditions and dominant structures of meaning prevalent in our times. Though the particular pressures of our times shape and at the same time limit our options, they do not determine us: alternatives are thinkable and have been possible in the past.
The indebted: According to Hardt and Negri, the hegemony of the financial industry has permeated our daily life either as indebted consumers or as citizens whose government has incurred sovereign debt in our name. Interests on those debts have a huge impact on a person's access to health care, education, culture, sanitation, and work. This form of subjectivity, which they label the figure of the indebted, results from financial schemes through which greater and greater profit is distilled from debt. The figure of the indebted is the brainchild of an innovative financial industry largely regulated by insiders, who control pseudosovereign central banks. They have found ways to make it legal and commonsensical to produce large profit margins in times of plenty and in times of dearth, as the thirty-five-year growth in executive salaries demonstrates.
Similarly, our experience of the world is shaped by manifold images that make consumption and debt seem natural. We experience the world as a subject of credit who owes and consequently must pay back the interest of her personal and sovereign debt.
The represented: Hardt and Negri refer to the represented as the figure of subjectivity under the spell of a conglomerate purporting to represent our desires and needs. Periodically, this hybrid industry of politicians and the media puts together a pageant not unlike the American Idol contest, where we are invited to judge the candidates' ability to fulfill their "promise of bliss," based mostly on their charisma and in direct response to the bombardment of images vying to sway our opinion. We are pressured to believe in the urgency of whatever issue the media choose to peddle. If the message refers to the electoral process, which is the media's bread and butter, we are asked to believe, illogically, that after casting our vote for one candidate, the "will of the people" will be heeded. As labor organizer Lucy Parsons said in the wake of the Haymarket hangings, "Never be deceived that the rich will permit you to vote away their wealth."
The fact that abstention today routinely gains the majority of votes points to the wisdom of an electorate able to see through the pageantry and know how little of substance there is in the contest. This knowledge of the abstaining electorate, summed up in the view that "they're all a bunch of crooks," points to the conviction that our elected representatives only indirectly represent us and that, with only minor rhetorical differences, whoever prevails will substantially pursue the same interests as the executive class. When we hold our noses as we cast our vote in favor of the least of two evils, we are moved to do so by emotion. Logically, however, we academic workers know that it doesn't make any difference who wins and that, since our interests coincide with those of the executive class, whose interests will be represented no matter what party ends up in government, this is indeed the best of all possible worlds.
The securitized: The securitized is the user of protective services dispensed by those who stand to handsomely gain from our fear: the media, the military industry that supplies the armies, militarized police, private security firms, and the surveillance apparatus. This particular figure is the condition for the possibility of enormous profit, as the cozy connection between former vice president Dick Cheney and Halliburton shows. Fear sells.
The mediatized: Fourth on Hardt and Negri's nonexhaustive list of today's figures of subjectivity is the mediatized, who is constantly bombarded by a barrage of images, submerged in trivial pseudocontent about sports, celebrities, and celebrity-politicians. The images that bombard us with the aim of convincing us of a certain need or desire generate profit on two levels: as advertising, a commodity in its own right, and in the form of sales of the products being advertised. Investors stand to gain on both levels, and here again, there is a good chance that we academic workers may be among the investors who profit from the transaction. TIAA-CREF, for example, is one of the largest shareholders of Walt Disney, which in turn owns ABC and other television channels. Coincidentally, throughout the most intensive years of our war against Iraq, the industrial military giant General Electric owned NBC. The information that shapes our experience is a big moneymaker in the best of all possible worlds.
The figure of the accomplice that I have been describing knows one thing but wants to believe another out of expediency. She lies to herself, sees herself as righteous, as liberal or conservative, but, above all, as democratic and fair. The figure of the accomplice is marked by what Sartre in Being and Nothingness calls bad faith. For Sartre, bad faith involves the performative contradiction of using one's freedom to deny the existence of freedom for oneself or for others. The vertiginous feeling that results from that cognitive dissonance is nausea.
According to Hardt and Negri, "revolts and rebellions" of the kind the world witnessed in 2011 point to possible escape routes from the domination of each of the four forms of subjectivity exercised upon us by what they call new forms of power: the financial industry, the political system, the security apparatus, and the media. Escaping from these peculiarly isolating ways of living opens possibilities for human solidarity and for what they call the advent of the "man of the commons."
Groups around the world are inventing and implementing new forms of sociability characterized by the sharing of resources rather than their commercialization; a more horizontal decision-making process; the absence of a political class of "leaders"; and a thorough rethinking of the practice of moneylending, which amounts to a net transfer of money from the poorest to the richest groups.
Hardt and Negri outline an ongoing tradition, present today in modest form, of human networks that make the commons their place of social interaction. New forms of social life can flourish in the commons. In contrast to the market, which mediates most of our social interactions and inflects them with a quantifiable monetary value, the commons is a space in which use value takes precedence over exchange value. By circumventing monetary transactions, we can build cooperative communal relationships not mediated by quantitative exchanges but rather interwoven in qualitative acts of sharing. Communities smaller than the modern nation-state have existed in the past and are in existence today. Some have held territory for decades (Mexico's Zapatistas, Brazil's Landless Peasants' Movement); others, like the Arab Spring, Madrid's indignados, Athens's Syntagma Square protests, and the Occupy movement, are events and happenings in which groups are experimenting with ways of saying "no" to the forms of subjectivity that for us are common sense. Together, these resistance movements make up a series of lived experiences that offer an alternative to the dominant narrative, according to which the only way to achieve democracy, equality, and justice for all is the very way we have been going about it in the recent past.
I have so far been speaking from the point of view of a college professor in US academia attempting to observe the ethos of his own profession. What would philosophy say about the existential predicament we academic workers face, in which we need to choose between bad logic and bad faith? Underlying the four forms of subjectivity identified by Hardt and Negri is a structure of complicity with the success and perpetuation of the very powers that keep us indebted, mediatized, represented, and securitized. With our agency colonized by the commonsensical story of the best of all possible worlds, what is there to do?
A modest first step is to recognize the colonization of our logical faculties, which leads us to respond emotionally to the charisma of leaders and the media directing us to "like them" and to "follow them." Since we are invested in the success of business as usual, there is an obvious incentive to abandon logic and plunge into bad faith. We willingly deny our freedom even to think of alternatives to the best of all possible worlds.
However, for those of us struggling to imagine alternative ways to live, a historical outlook might prove helpful. Such an outlook shows that today's particular democratic narrative is part of a long chain of cosmogonies, accounts of how the world came to be. Ours starts with the myth of the social contract and ends with the 937 percent. To it we subscribe, explicitly each time we pledge allegiance, tacitly each time we use a postage stamp. But outlandish cosmogonies have been exposed and toppled before! Take the peculiarly uneven arrangement under which it was natural for the feudal lord to own the serfs upon his land, for example, or the improbable scientific and religious justifications for the slave trade that persisted until the nineteenth century. A modicum of historical perspective can help us contextualize the logic under whose spell it was our lot to be born, a logic that presents itself as the instantiation of a timeless order: things have always been this way. History shows the eternal return of the form in which ideologies claim to be the definite, eternal truth.
It is incumbent on us as academic workers to reflect on the subjective figure of the accomplice, which shapes us. With our logical functions turned off or distracted, this mode of subjectivity causes us to live in a way that involves us in a performative contradiction: we cannot want to live in a world in which money buys public office, where politicians and bankers collude, where the ratio of 937 to 10 is considered "natural." Were elections meaningful and substantial, would the will of the people have been choosing this kind of deal since we became a democracy? Why?
For the past twenty-one years, the poor, indigenous peasants of Chiapas, in defiance of constant military and paramilitary harassment, have managed to practice horizontal, participatory democracy to decide collectively on issues that matter, such as the allocation of work and resources. During the Spanish Republic, from 1936 to 1939, workers took over and managed thousands of enterprises and farms, maintaining production and equalizing salaries between workers and worker-managers. In Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell describes a new subjectivity in the making: "Up here in Aragon one was among tens of thousands of people, mainly though not entirely of working-class origin, all living at the same level and mingling on terms of equality. In theory it was perfect equality, and even in practice it was not far from it."
These two improbable, modest examples demonstrate that things need not always be the way they are for us today. Though it is expedient to acquiesce, it is thinkable to withhold consent in two small ways: we can refuse to allow our retirement funds and our institutions' endowments to be automatically invested in the stock market and its outlandish priorities.
Current divestment initiatives, mostly among students, focus on fossil fuels in a way that resembles efforts to divest from South Africa in the 1980s. As the 937 percent figure indicates, however, the logic of the market has existential repercussions for us academic workers that cannot be exclusively traced to one particular industry.
Alberto Hernandez-Lemus is associate professor of philosophy at Colorado College. His e-mail address is email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey guys I just came across this article and it mentions a Moto device, the RAZR X. What do you guys think of it. The RAZR i is the Intel based handset but I'm wondering what the X will be if good info.
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All around the Mulberry, a push for affordable housing
Mulberry copy
A new affordable rental housing building is coming soon to Calgary's west side.
The Mulberry is a five-storey, 96-unit complex with one- and two-bedroom floorplans to be built by Truman in West Springs. The project received an investment of $24.5 million toward construction through the Rental Construction Financing initiative (RCFi), delivered by the Government of Canada through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
The initiative supports rental housing construction projects to assist in providing a stable supply of rental housing for middle-class families living in expensive housing markets.
Annual rental rates at Mulberry will be less than 30 percent of Calgary's median household income, with a minimum of 31 units held at or below these levels for a minimum of 21 years.
"Hard-working Canadians deserve an affordable place to call home that meets their needs," says the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport. "Through Canada's first National Housing Strategy, our government is taking action to strengthen the middle class and create more housing options in areas across the country that need it most. Here in Calgary, the new Mulberry building is going to be a great example of our strategy in action, adding almost 100 homes to this community."
Mulberry is one of the first projects in Calgary to receive construction and project financing support through the RCFi program, says George Trutina, president of Truman.
"As leaders in the development industry, paired with our experience working with CMHC, we have demonstrated this innovative federal model allows developers to provide attractive affordable homes for individuals and families in Calgary and throughout Canada," says Trutina. "Truman is very proud to partner with CMHC and the Government of Canada as none of this would be possible without their commitment to this worthwhile initiative."
About Mulberry
• It is designed to achieve energy-efficiency savings of 20.4 percent and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 21.2 percent relative to the 2015 National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings.
• The surrounding rental market has a lower vacancy rate (3.3 percent) compared to the rest of Calgary (3.9 percent), with limited supply of purpose-built rental in the immediate area.
• Launched in April 2017, the RCFi is investing $13.75 billion to encourage the construction of 42,500 new rental housing units across Canada.
• Low-cost loans are available to borrowers who want to build affordable rental housing in Canada in response to demonstrated community need. The rental market is an important housing option for approximately 30 percent of Canadians.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2020


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Has your truck's movement on the road become increasingly unstable? If you have uneven weight distribution from failing truck springs, you need fast and reliable services to keep you safe. At WC Supply Co. in Tyler, TX, you can get a custom spring built for an affordable price.
Our shop is the only Muncie Master Distributor in the area, as well as the leading manufacturer of PTOs, truck hydraulics, motors, valves and cylinders for all our services.
Call 903-597-2363 today or stop by to receive an assessment.
We specialize in replacing truck springs, walking beam bushings and custom U-Bolt fabrication.
If your PTO is acting up, visit our shop for truck hydraulics services and our team will:
Make the most informed decision. We'll walk you through your options to determine the best course of action. Contact us today to learn more about our spring and hydraulic services in Tyler, TX.


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1 Although not included in the star rating, the rear passenger's thoracic rib deflection was elevated.
The IIHS has not conducted crash tests for the 2017 Sonata Hybrid yet.
Ratings only apply to the model and body or seat type tested. The date of manufacture and optional safety equipment can affect results. For full details see www.iihs.org.


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Press Releases
Ranking Member Conyers Statement at Judiciary Hearing on Antitrust Enforcement Agencies
Washington, DC, November 15, 2013
Tags: Antitrust
Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law held a hearing entitled, "Oversight of the Antitrust Enforcement Agencies." Specifically, this oversight hearing focused on the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition's antitrust efforts. During his opening remarks, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following statement:
"Today's oversight hearing on the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition, provides an excellent opportunity for us to focus on the critical purpose of antitrust law: to ensure that businesses do not behave in ways that injures markets, and, ultimately, consumers. As to mergers, this means that any transaction that would result in a company obtaining an unfettered ability to raise prices or otherwise harm consumers is contrary to basic antitrust policy. Thus, we should be especially skeptical about the potential detriment presented by a rapid succession of big mergers in a given industry.
"Unfortunately, antitrust scrutiny of mergers has been woefully insufficient over the past 30 years until only recently. The very fact that many industries are now dominated by just a handful of very large firms attests to this failure of aggressive scrutiny. There has been a wave of mergers in industry after industry. Just a few examples include the Whirlpool-Maytag, AT&T-BellSouth, AOL-Time Warner, and JPMorganChase-BankOne mergers. In the banking industry alone there have been 47 mergers since 2001. Basic economics and common sense should tell us that a few dominant firms forces consumers to pay higher prices and to accept suboptimal products or services. This hands-off approach to antitrust merger enforcement reflects the misguided view that corporate power should trump other interests, including the public interest. As a result, the trend in antitrust law has been against the American consumer.
"Fortunately, recent antitrust enforcement initiatives of both the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission appear to reflect a positive change from prior practice. I am very heartened by the renewed vigor in antitrust enforcement that these agencies have exhibited in the past year or so. Under the Obama Administration, the Justice Department has aggressively pursued litigation to block large, high-profile, and potentially anticompetitive mergers, including lawsuits to block the proposed mergers of AT&T and T-Mobile, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Grupo Modelo and, most recently, American Airlines and US Airways. Such actions would, for the most part, have been unexpected in previous Administrations going back a generation.
"Even more important is the fact that these suits have achieved pro-consumer results. AT&T and T-Mobile dropped their plans to merge, while Anheuser Busch agreed to divest itself of all of Grupo Modelo's U.S. business in response to the DOJ's lawsuit. The FTC, meanwhile, was able to achieve an important victory for consumers before the U.S. Supreme Court this year in the FTC v. Actavis case, which held that agreements between brand-name and generic drug manufacturers to delay introduction of cheaper generic drugs can be subject to antitrust laws.
"Such successes, however, do not necessarily mean further oversight is unnecessary. For instance, the Justice Department's tentative settlement agreement announced earlier this week with respect to the proposed American Airlines and US Airways presents some concerns. While this settlement agreement leaves consumers somewhat better off than they would have been had the merger gone through as proposed, I remain concerned that the new merged carrier – which would be the largest in the world – will result in only four domestic airlines controlling more than 80% of the market.
"As the New York Times noted in an editorial yesterday, 'the agreement simply ignores the central concern the Justice Department expressed in its lawsuit: the four big airlines — United, Delta, Southwest and the merged American — will have an even greater incentive to raise fares and fees because consumers will have fewer choices.'
"In closing, I note that strong antitrust enforcement is not possible without adequate resources. As with other federal agencies, the DOJ and the FTC must have sufficient funding to pay for high-caliber attorneys, economists, and other staff and for vigorous and thorough investigations and, when necessary, litigation. The continuing budget battles in Congress, including sequestration and the recent fight over a continuing resolution that led to the shutdown of the federal government, threaten to sap already limited resources for all of our federal agencies. Some of the recent successes in antitrust enforcement would be undermined, and future enforcement efforts could be compromised. That could return us to the bad old days of lax antitrust enforcement, with higher prices and fewer choices for consumers. I urge my colleagues to make every effort not to go down that road."
Statement as prepared for delivery.


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I've received multiple reports about mounting games on NTFS partion causes shutdown. so I checked and found out sprx_iso was signed as debug self [FSELF]
So here's the fix for PS3HEN, tested on 2.1.2 but should also work on 2.1.1 and below.
ManaGunz 1.35-J
it's based on @kozarovv 's fork (ps2emu patch disabled)
And just like ManaGunz 1.35, multiMAN also has the same problem with PS3HEN, mounting ISO from NTFS partition causes PS3 shutdown due to fself signed module not being supported by PS3HEN.
And here's the modified version of multiMAN 4.82 that fully works with PS3HEN
I just had to resign net_view.bin embedded in DATA1 (RELOAD.SELF) to make it work.
Here's the fixed version of IRISMAN 4.84.5 as well, this one doesn't shut down on mounting ISO from NTFS


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- This event has passed.
Red Oak Ridge Hike
November 14, 2019 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm$1.00 – $2.00
Though challenging this hike is about 2.5 miles round trip. You will be climbing about half way up the mountain range and walking through some special places our educator will point out as well as stop to enjoy. Please bring water on this hike. Registration is necessary with 24 hours advanced notice, please call 793-0511. Fees for this event are $1.00/child and senior; $2.00/adult. This event is free for members of Friends of Moreau Lake.
Rating: Moderate


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15 Signs You're in Financial Denial (5 of 15)by WOJCIECH KULICK
5. Having a Rationalization for Everything. Excuses, excuses. The highest-level deniers can come up with a logical, thoughtful explanation for almost any expense or silly money move. These folks are particularly hard to break because they usually think that their logic equates to being correct in their assumptions.
Source: http://www.fiscalfizzle.com


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.. but what do they want to accomplish ?/ …
.. the Donald is picking up steam . He virtually swept New York , and has been heating uphis political act . He acts a great deal more presidential than even Miz Hillary does , and certainly more than Ted Cruz . Also , he is closing the polling margins w. you-know-who as well . So the Donald is far from a lost cause ..
.. [h/t — Newsmax.com]..
.. [link] to the blog post ..
.. but John Kasich and Ted Cruz have " teamed " up todealwith the Donald . In Indiana , Kasich has effectively withdrawn from the race , ceding the state to Cruz . Out wn from several western states , including Oregon and Washington , giving Kasich a one-on-one shot at Trump . But , will it do any good ??..
.. that is the effective question : will the team – up of Cruz and Kasich help either one of them , or will it backfire ?!?! ..


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Wooden Dressing Tables
Product Code : 23
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- 1 Piece
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Our best quality array of Wooden Dressing Tables are designed with help of modern cutting edges tools to ensure their high-end finish. They are made from chemically treated wood that makes it completely resistance to termite, crack and scratch. Offered tables are alluringly polished to ensure their shiny and appealing look. These tables are designed with three spacious drawers that help to keep your cosmetics, combs and jewellery in safe and arranged manner. Wooden Dressing Tables come with table that has foam padded cushioned seat.
- Finely carved for fine look
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- Blend perfectly with your interior decor
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- 100 Piece Per Week
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- 5-7 Days
KASHIRAM GROUP All Rights Reserved.(Terms of Use)
Developed and Managed by Infocom Network Ltd.


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Lyn Gardner will receive the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre at the UK Theatre Awards 2017 on Sunday 15 October.
Currently Associate Editor at The Stage and a critic for The Guardian, Lyn has championed theatre across the UK throughout her career. Whether fringe or West End, commercial or subsidised, Lyn has shone a light and provided a platform to all aspects of the performing arts.
Lyn is the first journalist to receive the Award; previous recipients include Ian McKellen, Matthew Bourne, Timothy West and Prunella Scales.
The UK Theatre Awards are the only nationwide awards to honour creative excellence and the outstanding achievement seen on and off stage. Olivier Award-winning actress Sharon D Clarke will host this year's ceremony.
This year's nominations see Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Caroline, Or Change and Sweet Charity competing for Best Musical Production. The nominees for Best New Play are Half Breed by Tash Marshall, Narvik by Lizzie Nunnery and Wish List by Katherine Soper. The full list of nominees can be viewed on the UK Theatre website.
The UK Theatre Awards are supported by Harbottle and Lewis, White Light, Smooth Radio, Theatre Tokens, Q-Park and Integro in association with Chubb.


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Bringing the Energy.
Repke Fitness
Repke Fitness had a website that was built using Wix, but they wanted to re-design the website to better capture their brand. The initial site was using primarily dark backgrounds, and wasn't completely mobile friendly. The most important aspect to keep in place was the transformations their clients experienced.
Goldiata Creative sat down with Repke Fitness to determine what the primary objectives for the website were. Understanding that the current website was ranking well in Google searches, it was important to design the website with SEO in mind. Our focus was on two things: elevate the design while maintaining performance.
The new website incorporates the bright blues and greens in a way that better accents calls-to-action and key messages. The backgrounds throughout the site utilize whites and grays to create a more comforting aesthetic. Last, we included animations, background images, and diagonal transitions to build on the feeling of energy and movement.
Brian Taylor is awesome! He's very professional and he takes the time to explain everything in great detail. I am very happy with the way that my website turned out. Brian still checks in with me to see how my page is running and to see if I need help making changes to the content or uploading new pics and videos. I would recommend Brian Taylor at Goldiata Creative to anyone looking for quality and professional work!
– Erika L.


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The temperature is dropping, but things are really steaming up in Bay Ridge!
A Christian singles night could help you find someone to share body warmth in the coming winter — which is lucky, because Grandmother's Predictions down in Coney is forecasting a cold one! Sure, you could always snag some stranger at a neighborhood watering holes, but how fun could life with a barfly be? Wait, don't answer that! Instead, we are suggesting a compromise — one night of debauchery followed by a lifetime of devotion.
So Friday night is all about getting those promiscuous urges out of your system. Get your game face on with Lords of the Fjords at Pipin's Pub (9701 Third Ave. between 97th Street and Marine Avenue) at 10 pm. Then fly over to Three Jolly Pigeons (6802 Third Ave. between at 68th Street) for karaoke with Jukebox Johnny, where you can sing, preen, and otherwise strut your stuff in search of a nest mate. But get him or her home quick, because your polyamorous party carriage turns into a sober, dignified pumpkin of monogamy at midnight.
On Saturday, it is time to start the long game. Head to First Evangelical Free Church (6501 Sixth Ave. at 66th street) for a singles night that could secure you an eternal bedfellow and stave off eternal damnation. The religious romantics will get your mojo flowing with a hot Italian buffet and dessert, and it starts at 5:30 pm, so you will have plenty of time to see where the night takes you. Did we mention free parking? The whole shebang is $15.
Whatever you do after the singles night, steer clear of the Wicked Monk (9510 Third Ave. between 95th and 96th streets) at 11 pm — Screaming Broccoli is playing and the whole affair sounds decidedly unwholesome.
Instead, take your new sweetheart to Owl's Head Park [Colonial Road and 68th Street] to watch the sunset. Your days of partying Bay Ridge-style are over — until next week!
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