I was pleased a few days back to read the updated news and full recommendation from Alan Gougar over on the other forum regarding Alberto Carlo Vangelisti's magnetic striping services.

It seems not only has the pasted formula been updated and improved to gain the maximum performance from the magnetic tracks, but also now there is a system in place to remove any old unwanted pasted stripe that is already in existence on our prints, but falls below par for re recording purposes.

Excellent news all around given also that his prices for the service also seem very reasonable and Alberto even offers a recording service so long as identical audio master material can either be provided or is readily available! 😊😊😊

Here is an extract from Alan's comments,..

"Talking with Alberto I found out his stripping service has advanced. They now have a new magnetic paste, brown exactly like the one used by Kodak back in the good days of the Kodak prestriped. The new paste is reproduced in the laboratory matching the original formula. The result is unthinkable peaks in terms of audio stereophonic on S8/8/16.

There is also a new magnetic striping machine that applies the new magnetic paste with incredible accuracy and a new high precision nozzle that combined with the new paste brings the stripping process to a new level.
If that was not enough, they can now also remove the old gray faulty magnetic track present on many of the latest Derann releases.

I am happy to see this service being offered and see it has advanced, Film is not dead, congrats to Alberto."

Fantastic news indeed and news that I know now will see me using this service on a number of occasions in future no doubt.😊😊

Alberto's current pricing structure and services based on his new striping business,...

1) I can stripe Super 8 optical prints with magnetic stereo stripe. I can do also re-record in your language if you want.
2) I can remove any badly applied track and correctly reapply professional magnetic striping in stereo.

This service is born just thinking about collectors, so the costs are really at a minimum.

Removal of the old magnetic track by processing the film in the machine under dedicated liquid from 60 meters (minimun footage) to 720 meters of film.....
= € 50,00

These are the prices of the magnetic striping stereo services:

magnetic striping (two tracks, for possible stereo re-record)
from 60 meters (minimum footage) and no more than 300 meters of film =
€ 30,00

from 301 meters to 480 meters of film ....................................................... = € 50,00

from 481 meters to 720 meters of film ........................................................= € 60,00

washing pre-magnetic striping from 60 meters (minimum footage) and no more than 300 meters of film = € 5,00

washing pre-magnetic striping from 301 meters to 720 meters of film...................................................... = € 10,00

re-record of one complete full lenght film (in english, italian, french, spanish, german or others sound)...= € 90,00
(I can do it also on highlights, please ask to Stefano about Gladiator...important thing is that the sound is avaiable in your Language from dvd, vhs, blu ray, or other files..)

Some examples:
1) if you want do magnetic striping + re-record in your language sound track on your feature optical print assembled on 4 reels x 180 meters this is the cost: euro 60,00 (magnetic striping of 720 meters) + 10 euro (washing pre-magnetic striping) + euro 90,00 (re-record) = 160,00 , if you do the re-record yourself, the cost will be euros 70,00
2) if you want remove old magnetic stripe from your feature 4 reels x 180 meters + reapply professional stereo magnetic stripe + re-record in your language this is the cost : euro 50,00 (removal of the old magnetic stripe) + euro 60,00 (magnetic striping of 720 meters) + 10 euro (washing pre-magnetic striping) + euro 90,00 (re-record) = 210,00, if you do the re-record yourself, the cost will be euros 120,00

Later I will be delighted to add Alberto's contact details to the list of our dealer section for anyone here wishing to take great advantage of these superb new services that are now being offered to 8mm and 16mm collectors alike! 😊😊

Technically, he is breaking the law by charging to record soundtracks which he doesn't own the copyright to. This warning is usually displayed at the beginning of a DVD. Recording it for your own use is probably Ok, but it's a different matter when you are doing it as a business.

Fantastic news, a really positive story for the super 8 hobby as a whole, a huge well done to Alberto, am I correct in thinking this cannot be done once Filmguard has been applied to the print, or can this be removed by Alberto?

I've not checked that detail with Alberto yet Del, but I'd imagine his wash solution has found a way around this inconvenience given the substances extensive use among Super 8mm collectors.

I am almost certain he would have added a disclosure of some kind if this wasn't the case and he couldn't guarantee a safe and successful bond because of FilmGuard or other film lubricants.
He knows he won't likely be receiving too many brand new prints nowadays I suspect.

You're absolutely spot on Del, this is fantastic news all around that Alberto is now offering out to everyone in our community.
It basically guarantees that any Derann print, feature or otherwise, can be presented to its maximum glory no matter what the original stripe and its application was like to begin with, so long of course as the print itself has been kept in superb well preserved condition.

I for one, am absolutely delighted to hear this news Del and if he is breaking the law in some way or another by replicating the original soundtrack we all paid for to Derann at one time or another, I won't tell if you won't!

I don't believe he is charging for the soundtrack anyway to be honest, as for the most part this will be supplied to him by the customer.
What he is charging a fee for is his time and services to carry out the work.
Something completely different.

When you see the sheer accuracy and quality of this work, there really not to be anything negative to be said about it in my opinion.
Has anyone ever seen pasted stripe looking so smooth or so accurately applied as this?
I know I haven't!
Incredible work Alberto!



Take a closer inspection,..

All sounds good to me mate, I might be in touch with him some point soon.

Not sure about the legality of it Andrew, I think it's a grey area. Maybe someone else can put us straight on this.

I just think it is completely unworthy of mention Robert. All that matters is that our films can be the very best they ever could possibly be now!

Every pasted stripe film owner should feel ecstatic now having this kind of back up and hopefully it will eliminate many of the questions sellers of these prints continually get bombarded with from the doubting Thomas's of this world.

They can generally all already be made to a decent standard regarding sound quality, this just takes things to next level!

Now all anyone needs to discuss when lining up their next film purchase, is what is the print quality like?

Chicken Run,..here I come!

It is good news for Super 8 collectors, but I don't think it's unworthy of mention. All artists, actors, writers, composers, have their work protected by copyright. In the UK it lasts the the lifetime of the performer/writer, etc, and up to 70 years after their death. My father was a published writer for over 50 years, so we looked into Copyright. Maybe it's all above board; I'm just thinking that their could be a problem because money is changing hands.

Andrew

How would you feel if you have made a film and it cost you a lot of money, you copyrighted the picture and sound track and then somebody comes along a uses your soundtrack without your permission how would you feel ?, at the end of the day this is a breach of copyright, even Derann had to pay copyright on soundtracks

Excellent points, Robert and David — if one doesn’t secure copyright permission and then copies and sells the copyrighted work without reimbursing the rights holder, then it’s piracy, pure and simple.

Jessops refuse to print pictures taken from the TV screen due to copyright restrictions.

This is what Italian law has to say on the subject: Phonograms and videograms can be reproduced if carried out by a natural person for personal use without any profit and commercial purpose (Article 71, CL).

If you buy a DVD from HMV for only £5, a percentage of that sale goes to all those concerned in the making of the film. Alberto would get 90 Euros, while the copyright holders receive nothing. It might be a good thing for you personally Andrew, but those losing out financially would take a different view.

.... plus, the copying and then selling of these unlicensed works is illegal in terms of copyright infringement/piracy.

Really, there is no argument here John, it's illegal, it's as simple as that; doesn't matter if an individual thinks it's a good idea. Recording for your own personal use is one thing, advertising it as a business is another.

Have to say, i fully understand and appreciate how good a re-record would sound, (my young Frankenstein 400 footer was re-recorded into English and its great), But, to add that cost to the film unless the sound is abysmal seems a lot of effort. I've generally been quite happy with the films we have, only two titles come to mind that i would like to get re-recorded are Madagascar penguins and the snowman but i cant say i would lose sleep over it if i dont get them done. BUT, i do appreciate a new recording can certainly make a film, i myself put all our films via an old stereo quality pioneer amp, (as i have bored you all with that before ), but this really does make a vast improvement, in fac, if you watch a film via a single extension speaker, then view it again via this amp it is like a totally different film in every way and really boosts every film i show.

Did i read the above correctly, to have a 4 x 400 film re-recorded would be 160.00? or am i wrong?

Some of the old titles (Mountain), would not be worth that much.

I think once again, my point to all of this has been well and truly lost or grossly overlooked.

The film has been paid for Inc whatever copyright fees Derann paid for to produce it to the film companies.

All anyone is doing here whether that be the owner of the film themselves, or a third party on their behalf, is putting back what is already there but in some cases now, in a slightly deteriorated form.
The time and resources it takes for a third party to put it back as it once was, or at least should have been,.. is only what is being paid for.
The track is even replicated in exactly the same format, minute for minute, second for second, stereo for stereo, mono for mono.

I can't see the crime sorry, all royalties have already been paid once.

Otherwise it becomes like our import taxation laws when even if the levy was paid on UK goods when new, if exported and then at a later date imported again, you pay twice!

The 4x 600ft example given above costs 50 euros just for the stereo recording aspect Tom from what I can understand.

Striping and washing etc is all extra.

More comments surrounding the quality of this workmanship and his efforts to bring it to market would have been nice on a film collectors forum.

I sometimes feel talented individuals dedication and unbelievable efforts and enthusiasm to preserve and improve our films and equipment is completely lost and totally wasted on many people in this hobby.
It baffles me, it really does!

Let's leave the financial and legal argument obsessions and implications to those who don't care two hoops about real film and all of the joy it brings about to its collecting fraternity.

THIS creative and truly inspirational work here of Alberto's is OUR business, not a lot else should really be of concern or interest surrounding it.
It certainly isn't to me anyhow!

The point is Andrew that the third party has not paid copyright so they do not have permission to use the soundtrack which makes it illegal to use the soundtrack for recording permission

For me i would have no doubts what so ever that the quality of the work is 1st class,
I just could not justify any more coast to a movie, only speaking for myself here , but i am quite happy with my films as they are.

Well we will just have to get Alberto to do the striping and do what we've always done then Dave won't we?

Record them ourselves!

I hope this meets with your approval Dave?

More importantly Dave, what do you think about the images surrounding the quality of the paste?

Are you impressed?

Are you excited by the prospect now of preserving any Derann print you may own or perhaps purchase in the future?

This is what I'm interested in discussing here with fellow Super 8mm collectors and enthusiasts.

I can justify it all day long Tom, if they look and sound the very best they ever possibly could do.
We only ever have to justify it to ourselves after all if its something we love and care about, nobody else.

Ah shame, Dave's gone now, oh well how about others opinions on the quality?

I agree with Andrew, if we talk about re-recording sound on a legal print. Using a soundtrack for recording on a film bought without a recorded soundtrack or a bootleg, is something completely different in my opinion.

The quality looks excellent Andrew. Maybe I' ll send him some of my silent classics, for striping. I'ts rather boring to watch films without sound. It was never ment to watch films, with just the sound from the projector