Have old home movies on 8mm or Super 8 film? The MovieMaker Pro lets you convert your film into digital video files that you can save, share, and watch on a computer. Follow this guide to prepare your equipment, load your film, adjust the picture, record your movie, rewind your film, and transfer your digital files. Also, the MovieMaker-Pro is available for check out and holds!
Before You Begin
You will need:
- Your 8mm or Super 8 film reel
- The MovieMaker Pro film digitizer and its power cord
- An SD or SDHC memory card with a capacity of 32 GB or less
- An empty take-up reel
Optional (for transferring your files):
- A computer
- A USB cable or compatible memory card reader
- A USB flash drive or other storage device
Your digitized videos are saved to the SD card. You can transfer them to a computer or another storage device later; you don't need to do this to digitize your film.
Important: Insert the memory card before turning on the MovieMaker Pro. Removing the card while the device is powered on will turn the machine off. Do not remove the card while recording.
Part 1: Set Up the MovieMaker Pro
1. Insert the memory card.
Insert the SD/SDHC card into the slot on the back of the machine. Make sure the card is unlocked (note the tiny grey slider knob on the left side of the SD card in the image below) and inserted correctly.
2. Connect the power.
Plug the included power cord into the MovieMaker Pro and connect it to an electrical outlet.
3. Raise the left reel arm.
Swing up the left reel arm so you can mount your film reel.
4. Turn on the machine.
Press the Power button (circled in red below). The device will start up in its recording mode.
5. Open and inspect the film area.
Open the film door by sliding the lever (circled in red below) left. If the glass or light table (circled in green below) needs cleaning, gently remove dust using the supplied blower brush. Avoid touching the glass with your fingers.
Part 2: Load Your Film
6. Mount your original film reel.
Place your film reel on the left reel arm (circled in red below). Note the film reel unwinds counter-clockwise. Use the supplied reel adapter (image below on the right) if the center hole of your reel is too large for the mounting shaft.
7. Mount the take-up reel.
Place the empty take-up reel on the right reel arm (circled in green below). Note the fin on thin the image below that needs to line up with the slot on the take up reel. Make sure it is seated back securely.
8. Thread the film through the machine.
Follow the film-routing diagram printed on the MovieMaker Pro. Solid line is for recording. Dotted line is for rewinding.
Guide the film across the light table and under the appropriate tabs and guides, following the marked path. Leave enough excess film so you can secure it to the take-up reel in a later step.
Make sure the film is properly seated under the guides (circled in red below). Incorrect threading can prevent the machine from advancing the film and may damage it.
9. Secure the film to the take-up reel.
Thread the end of the film into the take-up reel's slot (shown below) and turn the reel by hand a few times to secure it.
10. Check the film path.
Before closing the film door, confirm that the film follows the recording routing diagram and is seated correctly under the guides. Close the film door (circled in red below) securely.
Part 3: Select Your Film Type
11. Identify your film.
The MovieMaker Pro supports regular 8mm and Super 8 film. These formats look similar, but their frame sizes and sprocket-hole patterns differ. If you are unsure which type you have, compare the sprocket holes and frame area with the images below.
12. Set the film-type switch.
Move the film-selection lever (circled in green above) to the appropriate position:
- Left: Regular 8mm
- Right: Super 8
Check the position of the switch before recording. Selecting the wrong format can result in improper digitization.
Part 4: Adjust the Picture Before Recording
Before recording a full reel, check the image on the display. If the picture is off-center or the edges of the film are visible, use the Frame ADJ menu to adjust it.
13. To Open Frame ADJ.
Press MENU to open the menu. Use the UP or DOWN buttons to locate Frame ADJ, then press ENTER.
14. Adjust the image size.
Frame ADJ has three settings:
- X: Moves the image left or right.
- Y: Moves the image up or down.
- W: Zooms the image in or out.
Press ENTER to cycle between the settings. Use UP and DOWN to change the selected value.
Start with W and zoom out enough to see the full picture. Then use X and Y to center the image. Finally, adjust W to enlarge the picture without cutting off important parts of the image.
15. To Exit Frame ADJ and check the picture.
Press MENU to leave the adjustment screen. Check the framing before recording. If necessary, return to Frame ADJ and make small corrections.
You can also adjust exposure and sharpness in the menu before recording. If you change these settings, check the image again before proceeding.
Part 5: Record Your Film
16. Prepare to record.
Confirm that:
- The film is threaded correctly.
- The film door is closed.
- The film-type switch is set correctly.
- The picture is framed as desired.
- The memory card is inserted.
17. Start recording.
Press ENTER (circled in green below) to prepare the device for recording. Confirm the film-type setting, then press ENTER again to begin recording.
A blinking red dot (circled in green below) in the upper-left corner of the display indicates that recording is in progress.
18. Monitor the transfer.
The MovieMaker Pro advances the film and records the frames as a digital video. Keep an eye on the machine while it runs.
If the film stops advancing, becomes tangled, or appears to be caught, press ENTER to stop recording before attempting to correct the problem. The video recorded up to that point should be saved, so you should not lose the footage already digitized. After fixing the problem and restarting recording, the remaining footage will be saved as a separate video file. You can combine the two files later using video-editing software if needed.
Do not pull or force the film through the mechanism. Open the film door and carefully check the film path before continuing. Film can often get stuck at a point where splicing has been done. When this happens I open the film door, advance the spliced portion past the film door, reset the film under the guides, close the film door, then start the recording process again.
19. Stop recording at the end of the reel.
When the film reaches the end, press ENTER to stop recording. Allow the machine a moment to complete the stop process. I usually wait about thirty seconds.
Note: The device does not necessarily stop recording automatically when the reel ends, so watch the film and stop the recording manually.
The file counter on the display increases when a recording is stopped. Each recording is saved as a separate video file.
Part 6: Rewind Your Film
After digitizing, rewind the film onto its original reel before removing it from the machine.
20. Open the film door and release the film (This assumes you stopped recording before the film ran all the way through the film door).
Open the film door and carefully free the film from the light table as needed.
21. Switch the reels.
Move the take-up reel containing the film to the left reel arm and place the original reel on the right arm (as shown in the image below). Use the appropriate shaft adapters if necessary.
22. Thread the film for rewinding.
Follow the dotted rewind path printed on the machine. The rewind path differs from the recording path: follow the diagram carefully, and do not place the film under the closed film door during rewinding. That's only done when scanning.
Note: The sprocket holes on your film should face outward, away from the machine.
23. Start rewinding.
Press MENU, navigate to Rewind, and press ENTER. Follow the on-screen instructions and press ENTER again to begin rewinding.
Watch the film as it returns to the original reel. When rewinding is complete, press ENTER to stop the process.
24. Remove your film.
Once the film has been fully rewound and the machine has stopped, carefully remove the original reel. Keep your original film in a safe place.
Repeat the process for any additional reels. Otherwise....
Your digitizing is complete!
Your videos are saved as MP4 files on the SD card. You can remove the card after turning off the MovieMaker Pro and transfer your videos to a computer. From there, you can copy them to a USB flash drive or upload them to cloud storage.
Transferring your files directly from the device is optional. See Part 7 for instructions.
Part 7 (Optional): Transfer Your Digital Files Directly
Instead of removing the SD card, you can connect the MovieMaker Pro directly to a computer using the supplied USB cable.
25. Connect the MovieMaker Pro to a computer.
Use the supplied USB cable to connect the machine to your computer.
26. Access your video files.
On the MovieMaker Pro, press MENU, select USB, and press ENTER. Your computer should recognize the device and allow you to access the files on the SD card.
27. Locate and copy your videos.
Open the connected device on your computer and look for the following folders:
FilmScanner → MOVIE
Your recorded videos are saved as MP4 files. Copy the files to your computer, a USB flash drive, or upload them to cloud storage.
If you are using a library computer, make sure to save your files to your own storage device or cloud account rather than leaving them on the computer.
28. Verify your files.
Open at least one copied video to make sure it plays correctly. Confirm that your files have transferred successfully before disconnecting the device.
When finished, safely eject the connected device from your computer before unplugging the USB cable.
You're Done!
You have now converted your 8mm or Super 8 film into digital video files. Keep your digital copies in a safe place, and consider making a backup. Your original film is also worth preserving, even after digitization.
Troubleshooting Tips
The picture is off-center or the film edges are visible.
Open Frame ADJ and adjust X, Y, and W before recording. Make small changes and check the image after each adjustment.
The film will not advance.
Stop recording and check that the film is correctly threaded under the guides and sprockets. Do not force the film through the machine.
The recording does not stop automatically.
Press ENTER to stop recording when the reel reaches its end.
I cannot find my video files.
Check that the memory card is inserted and that you are looking in the FilmScanner/MOVIE folder. If the files still do not appear, ask a librarian for assistance.
My memory card is not recognized.
Confirm that you are using a compatible SD/SDHC card with a capacity of 32 GB or less, and that the card is unlocked and properly inserted.
The End.
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