Many believe advances in digital acquisition have consigned film to the history books, but Adrian Bull and John Mahtani, co-founders of Cinelab London, dismissed this belief as they delivered a passionate discourse on why film remains relevant.
The duo were talking at an RTS Thames Valley event, “21st Century Film”, in December.
The demand for higher-quality content has led to a resurgence in film, which exceeds the current demands for dynamic range and resolution – while delivering a unique film aesthetic.
Employing a team of some 27 film enthusiasts, Slough-based Cinelab has processed in excess of three million feet of film in the past six months alone.
Since it was founded in 2013, Cinelab has become a leading film laboratory and facility. It offers a wide range of integrated film and digital services, and has worked with more than 500 cinematographers.
Cinelab processes all film formats from 8mm to 65mm. Its work includes feature films, TV series, commercials and music videos.
When they first formed the company, Bull and Mahtani expected the business to focus largely on film archives and restoration. Although they continue to re-master original film stock for concerts and events, Cinelab has seen a massive increase in the use of film in both features and adverts.
The duo provided their RTS Thames Valley guests with a full tour of the Cinelab facility, including the film processing and scanning areas.
