FPL runs a true wet-gate scanner in-house: film passes through a fluid that optically suppresses base scratches before any digital cleanup begins. Paired with a warped-film gate and sprocketless transport, we can safely scan film that would destroy other scanners — shrunken acetate, brittle splices, warped reels, scratched base. Every reel gets a written condition assessment before work starts, and if something is genuinely beyond our scope, we’ll tell you where to send it.
Most digitization services skip damaged film entirely — their equipment only handles flat, healthy reels. FPL's damaged-film capability rests on three pieces of hardware working together, each addressing a different failure mode.
Film passes through a fluid whose refractive index matches the film base. Base scratches are optically filled during scanning — the scratch is suppressed in the fluid, before any digital processing. This is a genuine archival technique, not a software filter. The result is a scan where surface scratches simply disappear from the captured image.
Vinegar syndrome and poor storage warp acetate reels out of plane. A standard flat gate cannot hold warped film steady enough for sharp capture. The warped-film gate flexes to follow the film’s actual contour, maintaining registration frame by frame across film that would blur or jump on a standard gate.
Sprocket-driven transport pulls film by its perforations — the one thing that fails on shrunken, brittle, and vinegar-affected film. The capstan drive holds film by edge friction only. Torn sprockets, shrunken acetate, and brittle film pass without further damage. Combined with the warped gate, this is why Stage 1–2 vinegar syndrome film can still be fully recovered.
True chemical restoration — solvent rehydration, nitrate handling, emulsion stabilization — is a different scope and belongs at specialist facilities. We refer those cases honestly. Everything above is within our in-house capability.
Budget mail-in services promise to digitize anything but refuse damaged film at intake. Premium restoration services promise miraculous recovery using marketing phrases like "95% grain removal" and "Hollywood-grade restoration." Both approaches fail you. Here\u2019s what FPL actually offers.
We don\u2019t use tiered "good/better/best" restoration packages. Those are marketing devices that force you to pay for services you might not need. Here\u2019s our actual model:
$0 · bundled with every scan
Per-reel · priced individually
The alternative — the model every competitor uses — is to build tiered packages where you pay for restoration services you may not need. “Pro 2K includes grain removal, stabilization, and scratch repair for $90 per reel.” But if your film doesn’t need grain removal or stabilization, you’re paying for them anyway.
Our approach: inspect first, quote for only what your film actually needs. Many reels only need what’s included in Category A. Some need one or two Category B services. Very few need the full suite.
Vinegar syndrome is the single biggest preservation threat facing amateur and institutional film collections worldwide. It's chemical, irreversible, and contagious between reels. The sooner it's captured to digital, the more is recoverable. Here's the stage-by-stage map.
Faint vinegar smell. No visible warping. Film still flexible. No color shift yet.
Full recoveryClear vinegar smell. Film slightly wavy at edges. Beginning of color shift toward magenta or pink.
Full recoveryStrong vinegar smell. Noticeable warping. Moderate color shift. Film edges cupping. Shrinkage 0.5 — 1%.
Good recoverySevere warping and cupping. Film brittle. Heavy color shift. Base becomes cloudy. Shrinkage 1 — 2%.
Partial recoveryCrystal growth on film. Emulsion lifting or flaking. Base crumbling. Shrinkage 2%+. Film may fuse to itself in the can.
Refer to specialistStages based on FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives) and Image Permanence Institute frameworks. Not every lab distinguishes between stages — most bundle all vinegar syndrome into one “advanced” category. Stages matter because they determine what’s recoverable and how much specialist intervention is required.
The specific problems we see most often — what they are, what we do about them, and whether they're fixable, partially fixable, or beyond our scope. Color-coded: emerald = we handle this, amber = we can partially help, warn = we refer to a specialist.
The tape holding scenes together dried out and failed. Very common in 40+ year-old film. Repaired with archival splicing tape in a professional splicer.
The opaque header at the start of a reel that threads through the projector. Often brittle or missing. Replaced with fresh archival leader.
Sprocket holes torn along the edges. Our sprocketless capstan scanners pull film by its edges, so torn perforations often don’t prevent scanning.
Accumulated dust and surface grime from storage. Removed with compressed air and non-aggressive film cleaner (PEC-12 or equivalent) during preparation.
Early-stage acetate decomposition. Film still flexible, no warping, minor color shift. Full recovery through scanning at this stage if done before progression.
FPL runs a true wet-gate scanner in-house: the MWA Flashscan Nova passes film through a fluid that optically fills base scratches at scan time, before any digital processing. Scratches that haven’t penetrated the emulsion layer are largely eliminated at capture. Heavier scratching may still benefit from a digital cleanup pass.
Active to advanced decay. Film warped, brittle, 1 — 2% shrinkage. Requires specialist handling. Sprocketless capstan helps significantly but some footage may still be unrecoverable.
Mild surface mold on base or emulsion side. Cleanable with appropriate solvents before scanning. Mold that’s eaten into the emulsion layer is permanent.
Film has become rigid and tends to crack. Common with acetate film past 50 years old. Scanning is possible with extra care, but film may still break during transport.
Visible grain structure inherent to film stock. Can be reduced with digital noise reduction, but this softens the image. We recommend keeping grain unless you specifically want it removed.
Handheld-shot footage with significant camera shake. Digital stabilization can smooth playback but crops the image. Limit is ~10% before crop becomes noticeable.
Ektachrome shifts magenta/red. Some Kodachrome holds color indefinitely. Recovery depends on original stock and storage. Scene-by-scene correction can usually restore natural-looking color.
Film physically smaller than original dimensions. Requires specialist scanners with custom gates. Beyond the tolerance of our equipment.
Crystal growth, emulsion lifting or flaking, film crumbling or fused in the can. Specialists use techniques like bath rehydration that are beyond our scope.
Film that’s been submerged or exposed to flooding. Requires specialist drying protocols and contamination remediation, especially for sewer water exposure.
Film exposed to fire or heavy smoke. Requires specialized cleaning protocols and may require emulsion stabilization that’s beyond our scope.
35mm film made before 1952 on cellulose nitrate base. Highly flammable, legally restricted in many jurisdictions. Requires specialist handling with fire-safe protocols.
The image layer is physically separating from the film base. Sometimes visible as flaking or peeling. Requires specialist emulsion-fixing protocols.
We’d rather send you to the right lab than attempt something we’re not equipped for. Specific referrals for conditions beyond our scope:
We won’t earn a penny from referrals. We’d rather you get the right help than the wrong attempt.
Restoration work adds a step before scanning begins: individual condition assessment. You get a written quote for any Category B work before anything is started.
Each reel examined individually. Condition photographed and documented: damage type, severity, recommended interventions, recoverable percentage estimate.
You receive a per-reel report listing condition findings and a specific quote for any Category B work needed. No work starts without your approval.
Approved interventions applied first (stabilization, cleaning, repairs). Then scanning. Unusable sections flagged during scanning; decisions logged per reel.
Final files delivered with a condition-and-treatment report per reel. Documents what was found, what was done, and what remains as a residual limitation.
Priced per reel, per intervention. The basic repairs are included in every scan — we don't charge extra for work that should be standard. Specialized interventions are quoted individually based on actual condition.
| Intervention | Price | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Individual reel inspection | Included | Every reel, every scan. |
| Broken splice repair | Included | Reels with 1 — 3 broken splices (common). |
| Leader replacement | Included | When original leader is damaged or missing. |
| Standard cleaning & dust removal | Included | Compressed air + non-aggressive film cleaner. |
| Sprocketless capstan scanning | Included | Torn perforations, brittle film, warped film — no sprocket risk. |
| Basic batch color correction | Included | Correction during scanning for typical color shift. |
| Heavy cleaning / contamination | Quoted after inspection | Reels with heavy dust, dirt, or attic-storage contamination. |
| Re-canning in archival materials | Quoted after inspection | Metal or plastic archival cans + polyester core replacement. |
| Complex splice rebuild | Quoted after inspection | Reels with 4+ broken splices or full leader rebuild required. |
| Vinegar syndrome stabilization (stage 1 — 2) | Quoted after inspection | Climate-controlled transport + pre-scan acclimation. |
| Mold remediation | Quoted after inspection | Light surface mold; evaluated before treatment. |
| Image stabilization (post-scan) | Set by your tier | A post-processing step — included at higher tiers, never a per-reel add-on. |
| Heavy scratch / surface reduction | Quoted after inspection | Digital scratch concealment on affected sections. |
| Grain reduction pass | Set by your tier | A post-processing tradeoff — included at higher tiers, never a per-reel add-on. |
| Brittle film handling | Quoted after inspection | Hand-threaded scanning; one-time capture only. |
| Vinegar syndrome (stage 3 — 4) | Quoted after inspection | Quoted individually. Free assessment before commitment. |
| Per-scene color correction | Set by your tier | Included with Preservation and Archival tiers, never a per-reel add-on. |
| Digital restoration pass | Set by your tier | Included at Archival; comprehensive cleanup of scratches, flicker, dirt, color. |
These are restoration rates — they apply on top of your per-foot scanning rates. A typical order with moderate damage might add $30 — 60 per reel to scanning. A heavily damaged reel with multiple interventions could add $150+ per reel.
You approve every charge individually. The written assessment lists exactly what each reel needs. You can decline any restoration work and we’ll scan the film as-is.
The questions that come up most often about damaged film, repair scope, and what we honestly can and can't recover.
Free assessment before any work. Honest verdict on what’s recoverable. A quote for exactly what your specific film needs — not a package you might not.