The short answer: Because it was shot at 16 or 18 frames per second and is being shown at 24 or 25. Home projectors for 8mm and Super 8 ran at 16–18 (Kodak); cinema is 24, PAL television 25. Film shot at 18 and played at 25 runs about 40 percent too fast — everyone walks like Charlie Chaplin. The fix: scan each frame once, then set the correct playback rate in the file.
It usually follows a cheap transfer: the film projected onto a wall and filmed with a video camera, or fed through a device that assumes film means 24. Grandmother races around the kitchen. It is not the film; it is the speed.
What speed were home movies actually shot at?
Home projectors for 8mm and Super 8 ran at 16–18 frames per second (Kodak), and most home movies were shot that way. A 50-foot Super 8 cartridge (Kodak, 1965) gives 3 minutes 20 seconds at 18 — only 2.5 minutes at 24. 16mm was mostly shot at 24. In the early silent era cameras were hand-cranked: the rate wandered between 16 and 24 within a single reel.
Where did 24 and 25 come from?
24 is the sound-film standard, a compromise settled in 1927–1930 as soundtracks arrived. 25 came from television: PAL, the standard in Israel and Europe, broadcasts 50 fields per second — 25 frames; American NTSC about 59.94 fields (29.97 frames). Video equipment thinks in those numbers — never 16 or 18. Showing 24 on 60 also gives uneven motion.
How fast is it really? The arithmetic
Film shot at 18 and shown at 25 displays 25 frames a second instead of 18 — 1.39 times, about 40 percent too fast. A 3:20 Super 8 cartridge shrinks to about 2:24. 8mm shot at 16 and shown at 25 runs more than 50 percent too fast. Shot at 24 and shown at 25 — about 4 percent, barely noticeable, which is why 16mm suffers far less.
Why does project-and-film bake the error into the file?
Projected onto a wall and recorded with a video camera, the film is captured at the camera's rate — 25 per second in Israel — whatever the projector does. Speed and flicker are locked into the file; the original frames are very hard to recover. Frame-by-frame scanning is the reverse: every frame is captured once as a picture, and the playback rate is set afterwards — a decision you can change. The film benefits too: never project old film.
Which film, which rate, and what is the fix?
The common cases:
| Format | Typical shooting rate | What happens at 24/25 | The fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular 8mm | 16–18 (Kodak) | 40 to more than 50 percent too fast | File at 16 or 18 |
| Super 8 | Usually 18, sometimes 24 | About 40 percent too fast if shot at 18 | Identify the rate, match the file |
| 16mm | Mostly 24 | About 4 percent at 25 — barely noticeable | File at 24 |
| Early silent film, hand-cranked | 16–24, variable | Alternating fast and slow passages | Adjust scene by scene |
How do we set the correct rate?
Every reel is scanned frame by frame on a Filmfabriek Muller HDS+ — never through a projector or in front of a camera. We ask what is known about the camera or projector; without information, in our experience a person's walking pace reveals the right speed, and we set it scene by scene. Files come as ProRes, MXF or MP4 with the correct rate embedded. See frame-by-frame film scanning and the film glossary.
Film transferred once already and looks too fast? Send us the original reel — we will scan it frame by frame and give it back its proper pace.
We send couriers to your door anywhere in Israel, in both directions. Small jobs are usually ready within about seven business days, larger ones within about 21 business days, and the first minute is on us — you see how your film comes out before you decide. You can also drop off in person: our studio at 9 HaMa'ayan St., Rishon LeZion, 5 Lisin St. in Tel Aviv, or Mitzpe Hararit in the Galilee. Call 03-5610368 or leave your details on the contact page. What each service includes is listed on our price list (Hebrew).
Frequently asked questions
Why does everyone in my old film walk like a silent movie?
It was shot at 16–18 frames per second (home projectors, Kodak) and is shown at 24 or 25 — about 40 percent too fast.
Can a film transferred at the wrong speed be fixed?
Slowing the file duplicates frames and looks jerky, and projection flaws stay baked in; rescanning the original is far better.
What rate was Super 8 shot at?
Usually 18 frames per second. A 50-foot cartridge gives 3:20 at 18 or 2.5 minutes at 24, per Kodak.
What is the difference between 24 and 25 frames?
24 is the sound-film standard (1927–1930); 25 is PAL television at 50 fields per second — a difference of about 4 percent.
