Abstract / topic summary
A film scanner created by the General Archive of the University of the Republic (UDELAR), low-cost in hardware and open source.
The guiding principles of this project are ease of implementation (no electronics knowledge required), low cost (plug and play), and adherence to certain quality standards.
The paper feed mechanism of a thermal printer is used to move the film.
A Python script commands the printer to advance the film, detects when the frame is positioned in the capture window, and controls the camera to take the image; the cycle then repeats.
This article describes the entire process; currently, it is only available in Spanish, and we are in the process of translating it.
Speaker summaries
Ignacio Seimanas
Montevideo. 1960. Telecommunications engineer, photographer, filmmaker and audiovisual producer, visual artist and performer. Active in the audiovisual field since the 1990s, participating in various roles, such as sound engineer, editor, producer, photographer, and cameraman. His documentary work includes a series on traditional festivals. In addition to presenting several solo photography exhibitions, his close collaboration with contemporary dance groups inspired "Inside," an exhibition exploring the intimacy of rehearsals. This deep connection with dance creators eventually led him to participate as a performer in various productions. Is a frequent collaborator with diverse artists. Currently works in the digitization department at the General Archive of the University of the Republic, Uruguay (UDELAR). Personal site: nachoseimanas.net
Mariano Reperger
Mariano Reperger (Maldonado, 1992) Computer Engineering student, musician, sound technician, and Uruguayan Carnival performer. He has worked in the private sector developing e-commerce platforms and financial systems, and has participated in various cultural events as a sound operator, technical assistant, and performer. He currently works in the digitization department at the General Archive of the University of the Republic. There, he developed the software for various digitization stations (book, slide, and film scanning) and several plugins for the archive's AtoM website. He is also responsible for backing up databases and all digital documents in the archive's collection, as well as maintaining the network and staff computers.
